Windows

Anarchy Online: Shadowlands

This is not an MMORPG that will appeal to everyone. But those who can embrace the technology aspects, can invest the time to immerse themselves in the jargon and lore will find an evolving game with depth and challenge. Throw in incredible environments, an amazing soundtrack and you have a winner.

Shadowlands is a game well worth the time and money to play if you enjoy graphical immersion, team play, and just having a whole lot of fun.

Shadowlands seems more than just an expansion pack. It’s more like a parallel game to AO. Two different lands, so many new additions: music, sound, perks, enemies, a new interface, factions, and a world that will stun our eyes and captivate our minds. Sure, some may say I’m going a little over the top, but seeing everything new for the first time really is worth the trip. For $30 you get everything you need, that’s AO, Notum Wars, and Shadowlands. One thing I better not hear anyone say is that they didn’t get there money’s worth. If you’re one of those people who don’t do MMPOG’s I would suggest getting this one and trying it out. If you’re also one of those people that are on the fence about which MMPOG to get, well…., look no further.

It's been a rocky two years, but Shadowlands is like a love letter from Funcom to its fans. It is an example of how an MMO can grow and change, becoming richer without alienating new players or neglecting the hardcore fans who've stayed with it all along. If you're already an Anarchy Online player, you owe it to yourself to take this trek through this new dimension. And if you you're not an Anarchy Online player, there's never been a better time to give it a try.

So, Shadowlands is here, the expansion set for Anarchy Online, a well known MMORPG. If you think an expansion is just some more of the same, you better change your mind from the start because this is not just an update for an existing game. In fact I think it is more like going from Quake 2 to Quake 3. More visual astonishing stuff and more moving in the direction of multiplayer. I hear you think already: “Hey, it was a multiplayer game already, you fool”, but we come to that aspect later on. The multiplayer stuff, not the fool stuff.

Der Release von 'Anarchy Online' in der zweiten Hälfte des Jahres 2001 war begleitet von Pannen und Katastrophen. Vieles sprach dafür, dass eines der ersten MMORPG in der Versenkung verschwinden würde. Auch einer treuen Fangemeinde ist es zu verdanken, dass 'Anarchy Online' überlebte und zwei Jahre später nun die erste Erweiterung erschienen ist. 'Shadowlands' darf als äußerst gelungen bezeichnen werden, wobei Funcom ganze Arbeit geleistet und die vorhandene Spielwelt um beinahe das Doppelte erweitert sowie die Optik gehörig aufpoliert hat. Es fesselt den Spieler von Anfang an und macht mit jedem preisgegebenen Happen der Handlung Appetit auf mehr. Es macht einfach Spaß die riesige Welt allein oder zusammen mit seinen Gefährten zu erkunden und dabei die neuen Quests des überarbeiteten Systems samt der spannenden Story zu erleben. Daneben ist es mit 'Shadowlands' auch gelungen, Neueinsteigern das MMORPG-Genre schmackhaft zu machen. Fans sollten Zugreifen und Neueinsteiger probespielen!

If you’re an MMORPG fan who is on the market for a game based in Science Fiction but with a hefty does of fantasy, Anarchy Online: Shadowlands is a winner. For those new to the genre, Shadowlands friendly user interface, finely honed training period and involved plot make this game a great place to start.

The online role-playing game known as Anarchy Online originally launched in 2001, and like in other, similar games before it, players could create a persistent character by choosing from a number of different races and professions, then go off to explore a huge online world with other like-minded players. The game distinguished itself with its futuristic sci-fi world of gun-toting technologists and mystics, and also with severe technical problems that were later resolved. The new expansion pack, Shadowlands, adds a huge amount of new content to the game in the form of an entirely new realm to explore, along with two brand-new character professions, an all-new character development system, and loads of new quests to undertake that further develop the game's unusual sci-fi setting. While it's still extremely complicated, Shadowlands adds a tremendous amount of intriguing new content that helps make Anarchy Online much more worthwhile.

Nach der Pseudo-Expansion, dem Booster-Pack, gibt es nun das erste richtige Add-on zum Online-Rollenspiel: Shadowlands bietet neben sieben neuen Regionen auch zwei neue Charakterklassen. Da ist zum Beispiel der Shade, ein mystisch angehauchter Karate-Kämpfer mit der Fähigkeit, den Gegnern die Lebensenergie auszusaugen.

Difficile de reprocher quoi que ce soit à cet add-on, d'autant plus qu'il est proposé avec le jeu original Anarchy Online et Notum Wars. Shadowlands est l'occasion rêvée de se replonger dans le MMORPG de Funcom en découvrant de toutes nouvelles contrées. Dommage que le système de progression n'offre pas davantage de liberté dans la découverte des zones de Shadowlands.

Das zweite Addon zum Internet-Rollenspiel Anarchy Online spendiert Rubi-Ka eine komplette Mystik-Welt mit sieben neuen Regionen. Funcom wirft in Shadowlands wie gewohnt eine Tonne Gegenstände und Gegner in den Ring, dazu gibt's zwei neue Professionen (Keeper, Shade) und ausbaubare Spezialfähigkeiten.

There is some light at the end of the tunnel, however. The new areas are extremely innovative, sporting excellent new music, improved textures, and brilliant new effects. The new monsters, not to mention the factional characters have a ghastly, ethereal sort of quality about them. Shadowlands essentially adds weeks more life to the game, even for those who already feel there is nothing left for them to experience. The AO of the past was heavily RP-oriented, and filled with enthusiastic players who cared more about having fun than becoming the best. Sadly, this does not seem to be the case any longer. Anarchy Online has come a long way over its lifespan, and it still has a ways to go to become an alternative worth taking.