Like good wine, some MMOs (massively multiplayer online games) get better with age … and with expansions. EverQuest II launched in November of 2004 and prior to the latest expansion, there had been three adventure packs and four expansion adding content to the game. The Shadow Odyssey is the fifth expansion and offers something for every one, although the bulk of the content is aimed for upper level players.

Now there are a few nice items you can get beginning at level 20, in addition to the usual ability to claim potions for combat experience and crafting experience bonuses. If you bought the retail version (this does not seem to be part of the digital download), you get a dire bear, which is a pet that follows you about for the first 20 levels and then you can ride from level 20 on. The bear will evolve as you level up, gaining armor, and generally keep pace with you.

Prominent in the expansion is the opening of the new Moors of Ykesha area and the TSO instances. You will have to be level 70 or so to participate in the Moors quests, but the TSO instances scale to the level of younger players. As in you can go into the zone at level 50 and the mobs therein will be level 50. However, you do not wish to go alone. You need a really good group to survive in the TSO zones (there are several that can be accessed through Everfrost and Lavastorm). A young warrior poked a curious nose into the level 54 version and got it one-shot off by a goblin. Yes, the mobs are that tough. But the vistas inside the instances are very well constructed. Dynamic lighting, great use of the textures and shadows make the architecture the trip into these elite group-styled zones well worth the adventure.

And the game draws heavily upon the total lore of the EverQuest franchise. From the Ruins of Guk to Mistmoore (vampires, anyone?) to the Commonlands – almost every zone has some sort of tie to the darker undertones set in the original EverQuest and have accessible instances.

Head into Lesser Faydark and you may find new mobs, like the Shadowmen, who are human-like figures reaching out from a mobile swirling vortex that links to the Void.

There is new armor in the game (Void armor) and new achievement trees available. The new achievement trees are linked into the content for the upper-end characters and while you can access some of the lesser trees earlier in your career, it is not until you have spent 170 AA points that you start into class-specific trees.

There are also two new deities introduced into the game. Deities play a role in character development simply because you can pick a deity, gain favor and then are granted buffs that prove very useful in your adventures.

The development team at SOE responsible for TSO paid a great deal of attention to the new lore. You can scoot through some of the newer areas, grabbing quests, but if you stop to read what is going on, you will find an interwoven tale that begins to hint at what may lay in store down the line for Norrath.

Part of the love given graphically with the TSO expansion includes new vibrant maps that are much easier to read than the previous map system. You can actually see texturing that indicates different terrain and gives hints at how to approach an area that might have hillocks, rocks and other obstacles in the way. And not only did the adventurers get new quests, but crafters will find more to do as well.

The Shadow Odyssey, much like EQII in general, is not geared for the casual MMO player. This is a game that requires thought in addition to reflexes. The puzzles in the TSO instance will engage the brain. TSO is a robust expansion that caters mostly to the upper level characters, but brings much more depth to the EQII franchise while alluding to what may be coming in the future for the lands of Norrath.

TSO is a terrific expansion for one of the best MMOs on the market.

Gameplay: 8.5
The game has such a great feeling to it with solid control schemes. Sure there are some load times, but the TSO instances are worth the wait.  

Graphics: 8.8
The new instances are impressive to look at, and the other new elements – from the maps to the armor to the dire bear – continue to bring a solid bit of eye candy to the game.

Sound: 8.0
Epic musical score pulling a few new musical snippets that are new but relying mostly on the solid score that was there before.

Difficulty: Med/Hard

Concept: 8.5
TSO caters mostly to the players at around level 70 and up to the level 80 cap. But still, the game creates a deeper end-game experience, gives some long overdue love to classes that were not that prominent before. This is an expansion that has solid lore and was well-imagined and rendered.

Multiplayer: 8.0
The community is a good one and very helpful but what sets TSO apart is that the dungeons are scripted in such a way as to require solid units of warriors with a tactical command. These are not geared for casual groups and unless you are a proven warrior, with a great sense of your role within a group dynamic, you can get your party killed quickly.

Overall: 8.5
New achievement trees, new armor, new group zones – sure, they are mostly applicable for the veteran players, but TSO brings in a free mount for all players and that is very nice. With the TSO expansion, EverQuest II continues to be one of the top MMOs on the market and The Shadow Odyssey only deepens the experience.