Dark Age of Camelot: Complete Box PC CD-ROM
Published by GOA
Developed by Mythic Entertainment
Release Date: Out Now
Price: £34.99
Dark Age of Camelot: Complete Box an introduction.
MMORPG’s have gradually become more and more popular over last four years or so. Thanks to the widespread availability of broadband Internet connections, their popularity will continue to increase and as a result more gamers will begin to look at what games are on offer. Currently World of Warcraft seems to the popular choice but there are other games that are worthy of your attention. One of the most popular MMORPG’s here in Europe is Dark Age of Camelot. We’ve already looked at the game a couple of times in various packages that it’s appeared in (bundled with various expansions), but here we have the complete works in the shape of the Dark Age of Camelot: Complete Box edition.
What’s the game about?
Well there’s not much point going into detail about this again, because we have already covered it three times, but if you take a look here and here you’ll have the background on the game. Most of the content that is in the Complete Box has already been reviewed by us but the Catacombs expansion is something we haven’t seen before. Catacombs offers 15 new subterranean zones, new character designs, 5 new character classes (Valkyrie, Banshee, Heretic, Warlock and Vampiir), some optional single player adventures (known as Private Adventuring) and most noticeable of all a significant graphical update. You’ll also get a special edition Art Book and a 90+ page manual that is comprehensive and explains all you need to know about the game. In short this Complete Box edition represents outstanding value.
What’s good about the game?
What’s always impressed me with the Dark Age of Camelot games is how accessible they are. I’ve played various MMORPG’s in the past and some games just seem to require too much effort in order to appreciate them. Dark Age of Camelot doesn’t seem to have this kind of learning curve and within 20 minutes or so you’ll be playing the game quite comfortably. Whilst it’s difficult for me to compare the game with more recent releases in the genre such as World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XI (as I haven’t played them), it still manages to be an enjoyable game even though it’s a few years old now. The single-player adventures also provide a great way for newcomers to gain experience and money quite quickly which means you’ll be able to tackle more advanced challenges more quickly than you might think. For gamers looking to pick up a MMORPG for the first time this is a great package to begin with. The Complete Box can be bought online for £24.99 and when you consider how much content you get in this edition (plus 1 month free play too) that’s outstanding value.
What’s not so good about the game?
If you already own and play Dark Age of Camelot and the expansions, released before Catacombs, the chances are that the Complete Box will not be ideal for you. If you didn’t purchase any of the expansions though then this is a better solution than picking up the expansions individually. As with all MMORPG’s (well most of them anyway) there is also the subscription charge to consider. Current costs run at £8 per month, £22 for 3 months, £41 for 6 months and £75 for 12 months. Whilst this compares quite well with other MMORPG’s, you have to be committed in order to get value for money. That said though this issue concerns all MMORPG’s in general and not just Dark Age of Camelot.
How does it look?
The graphical improvements that the expansions have bought to Dark Age of Camelot are considerable although they still don’t bring the game up to date in the graphical sense. However, the game certainly looks good enough and there are some impressive details here, such as the water effects, and the new character models are much better. The new subterranean levels look quite impressive too and have been well designed. Despite the graphical improvements the game still remains frame rate friendly and I experienced few moments of slowdown during my time with the game.
How deaf gamer friendly is the game?
MMORPG’s represent few problems for deaf gamers and Dark Age of Camelot will cause deaf gamers no problems. With text communications and all information being issued via text during character creation and the main game, you’ll have no problems at all. Any questions you might have should be answered by the impressive manual that’s been included with the package.
Final thoughts.
There is little doubt that if you haven’t yet played Dark Age of Camelot, and are interested in doing so, then this is the way to experience the game. The Complete Box offers outstanding value and will give newcomers to the game everything they need at an affordable price. If you bought the original game and wanted to pick up the expansions then the Complete Box is also recommended but like we said earlier it will be of little value to those who have already purchased a majority of the included products and indeed those who have already had their fill of the game.
Overall Game Rating: 8.8/10
Deaf Gamers Classification
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The Dark Age of Camelot: Complete Box represents outstanding value for money and deaf gamers will have no problems whatsoever with the game.