Windows

EverQuest II: The Shadow Odyssey

EverQuest II is truly an immense game. Unparalleled avatar creation coupled with massive choice in character customisation means you’ll really feel like your digital representation is unique to you. With many varied landscapes to explore and tonnes of quests to keep you busy, you won’t get bored of what Norrath has to offer any time soon. You might get a little lost on your journey sometimes, but you’ll never feel anything less than totally immersed. EverQuest II comes highly recommended both to MMORPG newbies and to those who might have become jaded with what other MMORPGs have to offer.

The Shadow Odyssey, much like EQII in general, is not geared for the casual MMO player. This is a game that requires thought in addition to reflexes. The puzzles in the TSO instance will engage the brain. TSO is a robust expansion that caters mostly to the upper level characters, but brings much more depth to the EQII franchise while alluding to what may be coming in the future for the lands of Norrath.

For those players with the gear, experience, and character statistics to handle higher-level encounters, this expansion is a delight, requiring a group to work together as a team in a challenging environment with interesting puzzles and storylines. For the average player that has played casually, it's a learning curve in the Shadow Odyssey, with the pressure on to get better gear. Despite some of the unintended social grouping issues, The Shadow Odyssey is a well-designed expansion that gives more depth and playability to the game. It revives the social aspect of an MMO that had drifted toward solitary play styles, and brings new and different challenges to an already robust world.