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Age of Conan (PC) | 
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| From: Eidos
Category: Video Games
List Price: £34.99
Buy Used: £3.99
You Save: £31.00 (89%)
New (26) Used (12) from £3.99
Rating:  35 reviews
Sales Rank: 3694
Platform: Windows Xp
Genre: role-playing-games
Media: Video Game
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5021290031609
ASIN: B0012PN1TE
Release Date: May 23, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Discs went out the box only once for the first installation
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| Customer Reviews: Read 30 more reviews...
 The best all round game I've ever played... and I've played a few... May 21, 2008
50 out of 66 found this review helpful
Well I hope I didn't give it all away in the title... Just so you know I'm playing this in the early access program and have invested about 6 or 7 hours playing it so far spread over 3 days. The character I have is now L18
This is a truly great, well rounded, astoundingly presented and fantastically immersive online RPG.
Here are a couple of things about me so you can judge my bias - I have played world of warcraft when it first came out casually and really liked it, - I'm no wow hater, but after a couple of years on and off I grew tired of the style. Years ago I played a few of the classic RPG's like Baldur's Gate and Planescape etc. I've also read all of the original R Howard Conan stories.
I dont play computer games that much anymore because I find them too simplistic and samey but I thought since I liked the Conan books so much I'd give the game a shot.
I'll just cover a few important areas
Story - the story grabs you from the first minute you enter the game through the tutorial levels - I dont want to spoil it and give it all away but its on par with classics like planescape and KOTOR. It should be noted that its really unusual and refreshing to see this sort of detail in a MMORPG right from the word go.
Graphics - The game looks amazing. Granted I have it on high settings but my comp handles it fine - I have a 2.6 intel duel core and a 9600 GT GPU card n 2 gig of ram. The work thats gone into the level of detail is astounding; you can gaze up at the buildings in the town and spot new touches each time you do.
Sound - the music is super good - it vaires a lot from energetic to very soothing arabian classical. However it isn't obtrusive at all and I sometimes stop what I'm doing for a proper listen in between the action.
Quests - 90% (I really mean 90%) of the quests I've done so far have been great with a decent story behind them - sure there have been one or two slightly silly fetch and carry style ones, but the quests are so well presented with spoken word dialogue that I'll forgive them a couple of duds.
Combat - Its really fast - and the interactive system that they use is so much more involved that the point and click rubbish from previous online rpg games.
Community - the server 'Aquilonia' that I'm on is (so far) full of helpful and friendly people - the word on the general chat is super positive too, again fairly unusual for a release in the first few levels.
Finally - I must confess it took me until I was about 4 hours in and had got to grips with the combat and control system generally to really get into Age O Conan. So if you load it up and it doesn't blow your socks off give it a chance and at least level to L20 before you draw a conclusion.
I dont normally give out high marks (check out my other reviews) but this little number really deserves it. I just hope it doesn't suck up all my time...
cheers n thanks for reading
Funnest MMO I've played June 2, 2008
5 out of 9 found this review helpful
I'm a level 32 Cimmerian Dark Templar in the game and so far I have had a really good time.
First of all, the sense of context and 'place' is outstanding. I have absolutely no background knowledge of the Conan universe, but because of the richness of the game I have just ordered the 'complete chronicles of Conan' book by Robert E. Howard. The rich lore is coupled with the absolutely gorgeous graphics to create the most immersive MMO I have played (bearing in mind that my MMORPG experience consists of WoW, Lotro and EQ II).
To elaborate furhter on the graphics: if your system can handle maxing out the draw distance (how far away you can see) you're in for a serious treat. Stuff that is far away actually looks the way it should; the sense of scale is perfect. Foliage is dense and realistic. The water effects are beautiful. The armour looks cool. Plus, there is the promise of even better graphics to come, with the update to DirectX 10.
Gameplay-wise, we may not be witnessing a revolution in combat mechanics, but the AoC system is definitely more visceral and involved than your typical MMO. The combo/shield system keeps your mind from drifting off while fighting NPC's and adds a dimension of skill to the PvP (player versus player) combat.
My only downsides so far are that there has been some glitchiness (occasional bugs) but personally have not seen anything serious. They've already fixed the bank/auction house stuff which people were complaining about in older reviews. I can't take a star off for that because every MMO has some problems when they start and AoC's problems have been comparatively few. There are also some fairly rude people on my server who tend to insult people who ask questions or talk in the general chat channel, but they are a minority. It might also be because I'm on a PvP server, which might be more testosterone fueled than a PvE server (not that I regret being on a PvP server- it adds a feeling of danger and edginess that I quite enjoy).
In addition to all the things that are available right now, we also have a lot to look forward to in future updates from the development team. Besides DX10, there will also be a bounty hunting system for PvP and even prisons for players who unfairly/repeatedly murder (gank/grief) their fellow Hyborians. Not to mention new content. We have also yet to see the guild system blossom (as I'm sure it will). This is why I cannot understand previous reviewers who have said that they got up to level 24 or so and then gave up. There is so much to see in the world! So much stuff to do! So much potential for great PvP! Someone who hasn't even reached level 30 will not have experienced any more of the main storyline (for which there IS voice acting) or worn more advanced armour, or ridden a mount, or seen a guild city, or stood a chance in PvP. So please disregard the cynics and give Conan a try! It's already taking in loads of new players, and the more people who join Hyboria the more fun the game will be.
I'll try to write another review when I reach level 80, but so far so good!
Revolutionary, a real treat for the senses. June 2, 2008
5 out of 9 found this review helpful
First off, I'm not some kind of inexperienced gamer who suddenly decides to try out a new mmo because it's something I've never done before. I love playing on any sort of game if they're any good. So, normally MMO's aren't my cup of tea. I've played on almost all the MMOs on the market and almost each and every one of them seem to be identical. I personally own WOW, EQ2, Lotro and Guild Wars. My personal favourite out of all of those would be Everquest 2 because it's much deeper than all the rest. But quite frankly the overall gameplay between all these products remain completely identical and fear to tread new ground. And so now comes the bravest attempt for an MMO of all time: Age of Conan.
Traditional MMO gameplay has been completely removed for this game, and it's about damn time as well. Long gone are the mindless auto-attacks that seemed to ruin the gameplay and the strategic points from WoW, EQ2 and Lotro. Now, combat is fast - paced, bloody and just plain fun. You'll often forget that you're even playing an MMO, and that you're just playing a fantastic RPG.
And that's what's great about Age Of Conan. There's an option for not grinding at all, and just do some cleverly - plotted quests that are so much more advanced than the emotionless text that NPC's gave out when you wanted a quest in WoW. There's an option for almost all the quests if you want to do them in single player, which means if your friends aren't on, you don't have to bring up a pathetic chat window typing in: "LFG to Deadmines".
These little things give AOC a tremendous boost that no other MMO has succeded to achieve. Yes, it has had a generally buggy release, but that's what's to be expected, right? Lotro had a far worse release with framerates going down to their 20fps even on high - spec systems and it still hasn't gone any better.
Fortunately, AOC has managed to have a steady framerate on the medium spec systems and still looks gorgeous. Just look at the screenshots if you haven't done already. Seriously, this stuff is mind - blowing.
PVP is pretty good as well, CTF and siege modes are available and is at least something fresh at the genre.
Put it simply, AoC is the most perfect example ever made of what MMOs should be, breathtaking, fun and grind - free. I reccommend this to even people who don't usually enjoy MMos as well. It's completely fresh and original, sticks faithully to it's lore and it never get's boring. It's even worth it's monthly fee.
Of course, we'll have to wait and see if AoC doesn't get repetetive after a long period of time, but I've got high hopes for this one....
Shame about the delivery May 17, 2008
11 out of 26 found this review helpful
Hmm ... this is a promising product with an intriguing premise, but Funcom (and Amazon) haven't yet delivered to the end-gamer.
The Conan stories are perhaps best known through the two major Arnie films, but the author, RE Howard, described a very different picture than today's "15" movies allow.
The game, given only about 20 hours' play, promises much of the mythology, however both Funcom and Amazon have struggled to bring it properly to market. True, it has to be said that no MMO has enjoyed a smooth start to life, and I guess this game is no exception.
I'm most looking forward to 23 May when the game opens, as I have been unable to take part in the Early Access programme (there are limited numbers) but thoroughly enjoyed the Beta.
Stuart
Superb game! June 18, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
The graphics are among the best I've ever seen, for all game types! The music and sounds make you feel you're really there - in Hyboria, and the gameplay is really fun. I also like the fact that the quests are much more "alive". In WoW, you don't even bother reading the quests texts, but here you are taking part in the conversation with the NPCs. The combat system is innovative, although I expected something even more groundbreaking. It's Wow - but with a cool twist.
The downside: I had to buy a new graphics card to be able to play it, but then again, I needed a new one anyway ;)
If you're doubting if this is for you - find a friend who has the game, and play 7 days for free. I think you'll opt for getting your own copy after those 7 days!
When FUNCOM manages to remove the bugs, and integrate some of the missing features, this will be a total classic!
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