Everquest: Ruins of Kunark Preview

Everquest: Ruins of Kunark

Last Updated: 2-24-2000

If you haven't heard of Everquest, you're either not an avid gamer, don't have a computer, or you've been living in a barn all of your life. Whatever the case, Everquest, for the few who don't know, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (mmorpg) developed by Verant Interactive in conjunction with 989 Studios.

It also happens to be one of the most addicting games ever invented, garnering well deserved monikers, such as Evercrack, Eversmack and, of course, "that game that ruined my life." Hours of sleep have been lost, food left uneaten, and families inevitably torn apart because of this quaint, seemingly unimposing title. If you enter the world of Everquest, prepare to spend more than an hour or two immersing yourself in the land of Norrath (honestly, it's that addictive). The poor souls that have already experienced the nature of the game know full well the consequences of playing -- the complete and total destruction of your health and social life.

But, since most people obviously don't care about their health and social life, Verant has seen an influx of users that was not expected. Almost 200,000 people have active accounts, which is quite an amazing feat for a game that's just under a year old. However, with such a huge fan base, Everquest, at times, gets a bit crowded, causing the entertainment value to be lost in a mire of irate customers unable to do anything but twiddle their thumbs.

Fortunately, in celebration of Everquest's birthday, the April 24th launch of the highly anticipated expansion, Ruins of Kunark, draws invariably closer. According to the company, Kunark is a land just south of Faydwer that, through the centuries, had been forgotten. But, due to the kidnapping of an important High Elf, the continent is rediscovered.

Players will be able to reach Kunark by means of either teleportation, via a druid or wizard, or by one of the two boats. Once there, you'll find 20+ new zones (roughly 30% more space) to explore, including Cabilis, home of the newest inhabitants of Everquest, the Iksar.

The Iksar are a race of lizard men, an evil-neutral civilization. They're the only race capable of starting on the new continent of Kunark, and they have the capability to be monks, a class once solely reserved for humans. Another interesting aspect of the Iksar is in their ability to use their tail in combat. Verant is keeping tight-lipped about the potential of the tail attack, but we suspect melee classes will be able to dish out plenty of damage with it at higher levels.

One of the most needed additions to the expansion will be the increase in level limit. Now, players will be able to go beyond level 50, which is currently the highest attainable level in the game. When it comes to rumors about just how high we'll be able to go, they abound. Many speculate it will be either 60 or 75, but no one can say for sure. Also, keep in mind that Verant has only upped the maximum level for players who have purchased the expansion. Those who choose not to upgrade will still be able to use items from Kunark and interact with the Iksar, however, but cannot access the new continent or gain levels past 50.

Kunark appears to bring a lot of variety to the table when it comes to what you can hunt. Along with low and mid-level areas for players just getting started, there will be dungeons filled with vicious dragons and dastardly giants, all waiting patiently for high level characters to rear their heads. The experience will most certainly be one for all level ranges.

The graphics in Kunark, compared with the rest of EQ, have undergone a serious overhaul. Sporting over three-times the polygon count of the other continents, Verant is aiming to not only please with enthralling gameplay, but with plenty of eye-candy, as well. For the less fortunate -- those who don't have the hardware to enjoy the pretty new face-lift -- there will be a plethora of 3D settings available, allowing you to tweak the performance level to your liking.

Along with your standard hack and slash crowd, there are a few, more adventuresome, explorers who enjoy questing as much as getting together with a group of buddies and killing things. The expansion will undoubtedly cater to these people by offering literally tons of new quests (hence the name, Everquest). In addition, new enemies and friendly non-player characters have been included to help -- and hinder -- you along the way.

If you're new to the game, the boxed, retail version will be available April 24th at a price of about $50. It will include both the Ruins of Kunark expansion and the original Everquest. And, on top of that, it'll have some fancy new box-art, too. Current players will be able to purchase the upgrade on-line at a special, undisclosed, price. While Verant has not yet decided on what that will be (or simply isn't telling us), expect it to cost between $20 and $30.

Everquest has managed to form a love/hate relationship among most of its players. Most love it for the amazing fun that can be had, yet, paradoxically, hate it because of the massive time-sink involved in order to level a character. The Ruins of Kunark could possibly tip the scales of this uneasy equilibrium by offering loads of eye-candy, brilliant gameplay, more monsters to kill, and an all new continent to explore. Who knows, if the expansion is as good as Verant is letting on, we may never see the light of (the real) day again.

-Jarret

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