Three years ago, Mythic Entertainment released Dark Age of Camelot on an unsuspecting MMORPG community, and wowed gamers with deep Realm vs. Realm gameplay, great graphics and great teamwork elements. Mythic has since released two retail expansions for the game, Shrouded Isles and Trials of Atlantis, each of which add a number of new features to the game, including but not limited to new character classes and races and brand new areas to explore. Now, the Dark Age of Camelot Platinum Edition is hitting store shelves, offering gamers the chance to pick up all of the action of DAoC, including the two meaty expansions, in one fell swoop and for a sweet low price. Fortunately, the game also manages to hold up extremely well to the current crop of newly released MMORPGs. So, if you have yet to journey into the world of DAoC, there’s never been a better time to check out one of the best MMOs on the market.

DAoC splits each of its servers into three different realms: Albion, Hibernia and Midgard, each of which is at war with the others. Before you can even create a character, you must first choose the realm with which your loyalties lie. This instantly puts your character in conflict with the other two realms, adding to the flow of the game’s storyline for your personal avatar. Whereas the game does support individual Player vs. Player conflict (dependent on which server you choose when starting up the game), the main focus is definitely the Realm vs. Realm aspect.

One of the great things about DAoC is the open gameplay. While some MMORPGs will force the player to team up with other players, DAoC allows for more solo adventuring than usual. While interaction and teamwork with other players is still very important to the overall dynamic (some events and battles would be nigh impossible otherwise), this element feels much less imposed than in other MMORPGs.

As I said earlier, the Platinum Edition bundles the original DAoC with its two currently released retail expansions, Shrouded Isles and Trials of Atlantis. Shrouded Isles offers players three new islands (one for each realm), as well as three new races. Trials of Atlantis introduces the advanced Atlantean culture into the mix, having gamers complete the nine trials of Atlantis in order to obtain powerful relics of the advanced culture. Among ToA’s major additions are four new areas to explore (Volcanus, an active volcanic firepit; Stygia, a vast desert; Oceanus, a ocean area; and Aerus, a city in the sky), a new race for each realm, and new modes of transportation, ranging from ferries and boats (which players may eventually purchase on their own in order to explore some of the more hard to reach areas of Atlantis) to sharks (I’m told that there is even a rare apparatus that will transform a player into a shark for a short amount of time.

DAoC had some impressive graphics when it was released a few years back, and although some of the graphical aspects are showing some seams, overall the presentation is still very solid for a game of the genre. The character models are well rendered and sport some very impressive animations and the environments have been subtly improved in places. With the latest expansion (ToA), the water effects now look fantastic and cast very realistic reflections, and trees now sport very nice-looking leaves.

The music is very subtle and nice, not at all out of place in an MMORPG. The sound effects are also very well done, adding to an overall solid sound presentation.

DAoC has been one of the best MMORPGs out there for a few years, and with the new low-priced Platinum Edition hitting stores now and an all-new expansion right around the corner, it looks to only get better.

Special thanks go out to Mark Davis from Mythic Entertainment for taking GameZone on an extended tour of some of the finer points of the Trials of Atlantis expansion pack.

Gameplay: 9.0
DAoC offers up a tasty dish of Realm vs. Realm gameplay, open teamwork focus and some great quests. Plus, with the inclusion of two fantastic expansion packs with the original game, DAoC: Platinum Edition will keep you busy for a long, long time.

Graphics: 8.9
For a game that is a few years old, the graphics in DAoC do a great job of holding up against newer MMORPGs. The character models and animations look great, the environments are very fascinating and the special effects are excellent.

Sound: 8.9
The sound and music are great, adding a great sense of mood and ambiance to the game’s overall atmosphere.

Difficulty: Medium to Hard
While the original game has a bit of a learning curve and is a little difficult to get into, once you get going, the payoff is great and leveling up your character and progressing through the storyline feel like second nature. However, the game’s challenge level does pick up in the expansions, especially in the complex Trials of Atlantis quests.

Concept: 9.0
DAoC is a great MMO, and with the addition of the two retail expansions and a low price, this is one helluva bargain.

Multiplayer: 9.2
Being a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game, there is no other way to play DAoC than online with a couple hundred other people. The teamwork elements are very open, allowing the player the freedom to play solo for a while if they choose or play with a group.

Overall: 9.0
If you are an MMORPG gamer and have never played DAoC, then now is your chance to pick up one of the best MMOs out there and its two great expansion packs for a great low price.