EQOA retains the feel and basic structure of the PC version. You pick a character among a variety of races and set out to do whatever you want. EQOA has a few less choices for starting race than the PC version. The story basis for that decision is that EQOA takes place 500 years prior to the original Everquest. Your race and class again determine in which of the ten starting cities you will begin your virtual life. After you basic class quests, your character can take on the world, fighting monsters, exploring the wilderness, tackling dungeons, and questing for guild and coin.

The graphics are competent, but not the best on the PS2. One reason for that is the sheer potential number of objects that can be onscreen. It is not unusual to see 20-30 players and NPCs on screen at once. Also, the draw distance is very good. It is often possible to see large cities from very far distances. The tradeoff is that the character and object models are not that smooth, but they serve their purpose. The sound effects are good, but repetitive. The music really only appears during battles and is forgettable.

The gameplay is the bread and butter of EQOA. The battle system has been revamped to make it a lot more accessible to console players. For example, the corpses from Everquest are gone in favor of a system where character teleport back to a ‘spiritmaster’ when they die. Interacting with NPCs and other players has been similarly streamlined. There are multiple options for communication and creating groups and guilds is very easy. EQOA was designed to take advantage of the PS2 controller and does so very well. Even still, you will still want a USB keyboard for chat and EQOA supports using the keyboard in lieu of the controller for all functions.

Now that I am a full blown addict (admitting you have a problem is the first step), I find myself wondering why this and other MMORPGs draw you in. I believe it is because EQOA exists outside of your PS2. In traditional console RPGs, the game world comes to a stop when you’re not playing. Sure, your neighbor may have moved forward on his copy of the game, but when you return to your game, the world will be just as you left it. Not so with EQOA. Even a day can produce changes in the world. The developers promise major events that will shape the mythos of Everquest. No other online offering for the console features this kind of persistent living world. EQOA is in that way unique, and no gamer should miss it. I won’t.