Anarchy Online Shadowlands

The vortex whirls above the lands, beckoning the wayward, and drowning them in the infinite core. But the journey has purpose, and only those pulled from the path are subject to the maelstrom of the vortex.

Shadowlands is the expansion of Anarchy Online, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game from FunCom. It is packed with new adventure, new monsters, two new character classes, seven levels and a host of other features that are superbly integrated into this universe.

However, neither Shadowlands nor Anarchy Online is for the casual fan of MMPs. This is an immersive world that requires players to learn, and learn quickly. The game is wrapped up in its own technological terms which embraces nano programming, implants and an array of skills that step outside the boundaries of most games within the genre. There is so much more happening here that the world can be somewhat daunting and confusing for the player just starting.

But fortunately, FunCom has foreseen that this game may cause some confusion and has integrated a thorough helper/assistant system of upper-level players who can help answer questions newcomers to the lands may have, as well as pull a newbie from somewhere that he or she should not be.

To begin with, Shadowlands is graphically stunning. The world of Jobe is a land of beauty; it is lethal but a wonder to behold. There are seven levels, which are totally distinct themes, from lava-strewn lands to underwater environments to gardens and lands locked in winter’s glacial grip. Each world is inhabited by monsters that will group aggro, are extremely tough to kill and will block your way.

The overall gameplay of the Shadowland expansion is somewhat linear in nature. There is a goal at the end of the level that must be reached.

Ziana, one of the assistants and a tremendous warrior in her own right, explained one of the primary differences between Anarchy Online and Shadowlands. "In AO’s Rubi-Ka, you can choose your mission," she said. "In Shadowlands missions choose you."

The game features more than 160 new dungeons, and each doorway may lead to a static dungeon or an ACG dungeon - Auto-Content Generated. The ACG dungeons take into account the level of the party entering it, the profession and the faction and then tailors the content for that play or group of players. After 14 single players enter a dungeon, the room is considered full and a copy of the dungeon is spawned. This prevents overcrowding and camping.

Another difference is the modification of the AI. There are 40 new breeds of creatures and with the variations of each breed, more than 1,000 total new mobs. But these mobs are not the type to just sit there and get whacked on. The improved AI will actually allow them to run and hide.

The game features two new character classes - the Keeper (which is a righteous warrior, melee and is based on the Templar knight model) and the Shade (melee specialist with high piercing weapon skills). The Shade steps a bit outside the realm of most of the AO characters in that he (or she) cannot use nano-enhancements and implants. Instead the Shade imbues himself (or herself) with spirits that release powers into the character. They can also steal life energies from their victims.

As mentioned, Shadowlands is not open ended gameplay. You cannot advance to the next level without first completing the level you are on.

Other game features include new faction definitions (there was Clan and Omni in AO, SL features the Redeemed and Unredeemed) which have their own alphabets; 70 new character heads; and more than 1,000 new items. And there are play-owned apartments, which can be decorated.

The control elements of this game will take time to get used to. There are some easy elements, such as attacking, and the chat system is strong though it can also take time to get used to the various ways in which to chat. Because the hotkeys are tied to keyboard strokes, you have to hit the enter key to initiate chat, and you have to make certain you are in the right channel to communicate.

Yes, all this can be confusing, but as your character(s) grow, the whole game structure begins to fall into place and what seemed foreign and completely alien at the beginning becomes commonplace.

Anarchy Online Shadowlands is not for everyone, but it is for the player who seeks a little more hard-core online experience. This is an expansion that has depth in spite of its linear nature. It is a wonderful bit of eye candy and the sound track is amazing. The game blends the arcane with futuristic technology for a fresh take on the MMORPG genre.

This game is rated Teen.

Gameplay: 9
The gameplay of Shadowlands is linear but each level is seamless and the enhanced AI gives the quality of the game an intelligence.

Graphics: 9.4
The environments of Shadowlands are stunning to say the least. The mobs are well designed. Some of the character animations are a little stilted in places, such as running, but other animations are delightful.

Sound: 9.5
The musical score of this game is wonderful. The ambient sounds are solid.

Difficulty: Hard
This game has a big learning curve. There are no difficulty levels per se, but the seven levels get progressively harder as you go.

Concept: 9.6
The addition of the ACG dungeons, and the entire world of Shadowlands is tightly and very well designed. This game really advances the playability and challenge of AO.

Multiplayer: 9.5
The player base in Shadowlands is helpful and friendly. This game welcomes the newcomer, and it is apparent that the AO and Shadowland’s community is very interconnected.

Overall: 9.4
This is not an MMORPG that will appeal to everyone. But those who can embrace the technology aspects, can invest the time to immerse themselves in the jargon and lore will find an evolving game with depth and challenge. Throw in incredible environments, an amazing soundtrack and you have a winner.