My thirst for hack'n slash goodness has been quenched, for the time being.
Champions has it's faults, and some weren't just mistakes, they were sloppy design/editing. That being said, this is one of the most fun, all around best experiences you'll have in this genre. The gameplay is, finally, challenging, and searching for items is a huge part of the gameplay, as is the never-ending battles with a wide assortment of bizarre creatures. Some of the wildest things imaginable, more developers should take note. Example, the "lickers", purple tissued skeletons
that chase you down with whip like tongues to stab you and huge claws for that up close and personel touch. Take one down and they writhe on the ground screaming like the hell spawn they are until dead. Again. Very enjoyable fights !! It is so much more entertaining than to just have everything drop dead. Literally. Different levels are all well designed, and thankfully varied enough to keep things fresh. The underwater caves for instance, in which you are actually under water, are realistically rendered. With movement slowed down, attacks taking a bit more time to execute, air bubbles from you mix with the ones from your weapons as they cut through the water. Even weights are handled well as weapons jet to the floor but lighter objects like bone or clothing drift at various speeds. Just great. Graphically speaking, the game is solid and mostly a treat to look at. There are some glaring examples of pop-up which are more confusing than bothersome though.
Character creation leaves a lot of room not only for replay value, but the feeling of somewhat of a personal attachment to your creation which only enhances the experience more.
Add to this the individual spells, weapons, skills, armour, etc. and you've got the makings of a mighty long adventure.
Sound, is another thing. While there are some wonderful tracks to some of the battles and areas, some are downright annoying. Like the happy-go-lucky composition played alot in the beginning and around towns, when it was still playing while I was hacking up beasts or trying not to be hacked, I found myself shouting to knock off that rediculous music. Very out of place. Pieces are cut off too abruptly or cut in and out, and this is the reference made earlier to sloppy. In such a high profile title as this, there are no excuses for "cheap" mistakes such as these.
With the items getting better as you advance, even into the later difficulties, replay is almost a given here. Add to that the on-line capabilities and you're pretty well assured of some serious investments of time in the worlds of Norrath. With the amount of enjoyment here the few problems that do occur seem to fall by the wayside, and as the adventures continue, they end up being pretty much forgotten. A must have addition to any action or rpg devotee who like a little sword play on the side.
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