Age of Conan: Overview
Funcom's sophomore MMORPG takes people into the mature world of Robert E. Howard's Hyboria with Age of Conan. The game hopes to eliminate early-level tedium through the revolutionary combination of a single-player RPG and MMOG. The first 20 levels of Age of Conan are single player. Once complete, the character can then graduate into the MMOG world. Due to launch in Q2 2008, Age of Conan will deliver a mature and violent online experience to gamers initially on the PC and six months later on the Xbox 360.
Real-time combat is a core feature for Age of Conan. This is not a game for the light of heart or those who expect just a simple visual representation of invisible dice rolls. Combat is real-time and bloody. Players are expected to actively aim their bows, weave their spells and slice their opponent's limbs. Unlike most games, there is no targeting system, instead it's up to you to make sure your enemies fall under your sword. If that isn't enough, think about doing all of it from the back of a horse. Age of Conan may well be the first MMOG to do deep and meaningful real-time, mounted combat.
Even better, a lot of that combat is against real people. While the game has a wealth of PvE options, epic PvP battles, and even drunken bar brawls are in store. The carnage comes in many forms.
None of these bloody moments are more grand than the city control game. In this, players can buy a plot of land and begin to build a city with their guild. Over time, successful cities draw the eye of natives who are apt to build nearby and besiege the city, unless it's well defended. This end-game content allows players to take part in turf wars, as they are forced to conquer or be conquered.
Age of Conan features 80 levels, 3 races and 14 classes to choose from. Howard's lore is set in a fictional representation of Earth 10,000 years ago, but this isn't your typical caveman game. While the lore may not be familiar to some younger gamers, the tomes upon tomes of written material a bit hard to dig into, and Arnold's movie not the best translation, Conan's world is a brutal one and promises to be the first AAA game of this type to explore more grown up themes.
