One of the things that really sets Age of Conan apart from other MMORPGs is
the combat. Battles are not your typical point and click, auto-resolving affairs
in this game. First of all you must specify the directions of your attacks,
targeting your attacks to either your foe's left or right side, or aiming for a
high overhead attack. As the fight goes on you'll see shield icons indicating
where your opponent is deflecting your attacks and where there is an opening in
his defense. Attack repeatedly from one direction and you'll soon find that most
of your attacks are being blocked. It's a good system for making the battles
more interactive and participatory, but it doesn't end there. Most of the
special or skilled attacks will require you to string together attacks from
specific directions in a short time span - in short, special attacks are like
combos. These increase in complexity with level, but when you pull them off
you're not only rewarded with a special attack, but also with a cool and unique
animation for the attack as well. Stating that the combat in Age of Conan is
very visceral is almost an understatement. Not only are the animations of your
attacks varied and fun to watch, the brutal results are as well. The combat is
bloody, and the more successful attacks can even result in decapitation or a
blood-spattered screen. Age of Conan is by no means an action game, but it comes
closer to it than any other MMORPG out there.
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PvP is supported in a few ways in the game. First of all, you can simply join
a PvP server and be a part of the free-for-all, but be prepared for a lot of
deaths at low levels from all of the player griefers out there. On a PvE realm
you can voluntarily enter into PvP play through instanced duels or team-based
battles such as team deathmatch or capture the flag. The sheer bloody mayhem of
these battles will easily hook many of the game's players.
The most frustrating aspect of Age of Conan has been all of the time I've had
to spend downloading patches and updates. While some patching of an MMORPG after
launch is par for the course, it seems to be an excessive and never-ending
process in Age of Conan. I've had to abandon plans to play the game on some days
because the long patch download times ate through my available play time (and
more). Hopefully the game will stabilize as it matures, but don't expect to get
to sit down and play on the day that you buy the game.
Age of Conan doesn't redefine the MMORPG experience - at its core the gameplay
isn't that much different than that of World of Warcraft or EverQuest 2. However
it does manage to set itself apart from the also-rans in the genre thanks to the
vivid world it creates and the exciting and brutal combat. Conan fans and MMORPG
players looking for a change of scenery are well-advised to give it a try, but
MMORPG haters will go on hating.
In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated:
86%. Age of Conan is a bloody mess, and I mean
that in a good way.
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