Everquest 2: Rise of Kunark Preview

When Everquest I came out games like Quake were big on the market. I can remember seeing the big 2 page fold out ads in the gaming magazines for it. When a dial-up modem was as fast as we could go and online gaming was only really beginning to kick off and do well.

Now here we are 8 years later with a world of changes.

It feels like the sky is the limit for the internet and online gaming is a major market. Technology has come a long way and games have had to keep up or be left behind.

Everquest II is no exception to the rule. After 3 years and many changes it still manages to improve itself and the players can only benefit from these advances EQII developers have made with the game. Rise of Kunark shows off some of the changes that have been a long time coming for EQII.

I got a tour around the new expansion to show off some of the best features of it. The thing that struck me very first were the models. Sure EQII has some impressive models in game already, but these are unfinished closed beta models. The detail is very well rendered and the designs very clear even in their current state. If this is how the unfinished and unrefined skins look then the final product is going to be very impressive. Colour and textures are already very apparent and well done.

Once I was done staring at the creatures trying to kick my butt I began to have a look around me. I'm not sure I can convey just how impressive these new areas are. One of the new sections is a jungle. This in itself wouldn't normally be exceptional, but the developers have managed to convey that it really is a jungle. The feel is balanced very well, it looks and feels like a real jungle. You can almost feel the humidity as you wander its great expanses. One of the hardest parts of an MMO I think is making the environment really feel right.

As you wander the great expanses of the jungle, and other areas that are just as wondrous, you'll begin to notice things on the horizon. Temples, statues, buildings; they're all out there in the distance. In many games these things are merely decoration or areas that are mirage-like items that you cannot just run to. That isn't the case in Kunark. If you see something looming on the horizon then you can likely get to it. This gives you something to try to get to and to explore more. Of course this also means that the statues and buildings you see looming on the horizon aren't just window dressing, they're part of the story. The last thing I'll mention is the new race, the Sarnak. These are a dragon-like race that will be familiar to old EveryQuest I players. The Sarnak start in the lush jungles I mentioned earlier in an area called Timorous Deep. Obviously this is the starter region for the race and there is much to do and explore. As always the quests will walk you through you elevation to a strapping adult Sarnak who has rejoined their race and can kick butt. Visually the males and females can be told apart without having to do an inspect on them, the females are taller and bigger. Easy enough then. Rise of Kunark looks like it will be so absolutely amazing when completely it's done. The developers seem to have learned from past work and are improving the world the players have at their fingertips. Better zones and better layouts can only be good news for the players. I can't wait for this to go live.