Champions doesn't differ too much from the tried and true gameplay style of killing endless hordes of enemies, collecting better and better weapons, and earning experience and new skills. You start off with more than half-a-dozen different character options, each with their own skills and standard abilities in categories like dexterity, strength, etc. Any seasoned RPG or Action/RPG veteran will be able to pick up and play Champions without too much flipping through the manual or reading the on-screen text. Nearly the first thing you will decide will be to choose to play "good" or "evil." Each side presents a few unique levels, but for the most part your decision isn't key to the game.

As with any good dungeon crawler, you'll collect better and better items over the course of your adventure. Defeating tougher and tougher enemies yields better rewards in the form of weapons, armor and potions. With its setting in the EverQuest universe (though the brand name is not in the title this time around), the medieval inspiration is ever apparent with a few unique twists taking cues from Arcanum such as steam machines. To make inventory management easier, potions are hot-keyed to the shoulder buttons on the PS2 controller, allowing for quick refilling of mana and health, which comes in especially handy in the heat of battle. Useless or used items can be discarded or sold for money, which will then allow you to buy new and better equipment.

Champions showcases Snowblind's excellent attention to detail in their environments. Little things like steam oozing from a pressurized tank or heat displacement around fires give the world that added bit of realism and alleviates some of the monotony inherited with every hack-and-slash. The texture work is also very well done with each and every environment looking as great as ever and showing that the older PS2 can stand up to the GameCube and Xbox when you get the right development talent. Character models and animation, although viewed from a distance, are fluid and as realistic as you would expect from a solid engine such as this.

The music echoing from your speakers isn't all that special with easily forgettable instrumental tunes flowing throughout your play experience. Snowblind went the extra mile with recorded dialog rather than endless screens of reading, and for the most part, the voice acting is very well done. Sound effects appear to be holdovers from the first game in the series, or worse, Dark Alliance, but if it ain't broke…

As mentioned previously, with any hack-and-slash such as this, a certain level of "been there, done that" sets in either before you pick up the controller or half-way through the game. Unfortunately, Champions isn't able to escape that stigma, although the developers try to offer something new to keep you interested. First and foremost is the ever-deepening EverQuest mythology and world, which will grab fans of the MMORPG series or Champions of Norrath. Second, an online component, vastly improved over the previous incarnations, will extend the game's life, but Sony's online service still pales in comparison to Microsoft's Xbox Live infrastructure and matchmaking services. Finally, the option to import your character from Champions of Norrath is a welcome addition and instantly starts you at a higher difficulty level.

For those of us without previous characters, Champions drops you in at level one and a reasonable difficulty with a fast track towards leveling. While large mobs are not as prevalent as some may like, there is a healthy dose of baddies strung out through each level with objectives tied to them. In one of the earlier levels you're tasked with taking out two-mini bosses before an NPC will lower a bridge, allowing you to proceed. Of course these big-dogs don't travel alone, so you'll be facing 50 of their closest friends before taking them on. As you progress through the game you'll notice that the AI is pretty two-dimensional, but that's really all it needs to be. Enemies will occasionally run after being attacked, but they'll turn right back around and come at you. I did find some "interesting" collision detection by some of the enemies where their cheap, and way-too-powerful attacks would nearly kill me after two hits.

Champions: Return to Arms presents another successful entry into the genre by Snowblind and SOE, but one must wonder how many more times we can visit the same objectives and dungeons before they become worn out. I'd like to see a drastic change up in the genre, but tried-and-true seems to be the way most publishers are going these days, and, from a businesses stance, that makes sense. For fans of Champions of Norrath, and those with a well-developed character, Return to Arms is a sure pickup to continue your adventure. Everyone else can be rest assured that it's much better than the failed Lords of EverQuest spin-off, but not quite up to the caliber of the series' namesake franchise.