bit-tech Shopping: Sony Champions: Return to Arms (PS2)

• Action/Adventure
• Role Playing Games (RPG)

Rating: 4

Time with product: 1 Month

Strengths: multiplayer, sharp graphics, lots of characters/races to choose from.

Weaknesses: no story, repetitive gameplay

Summary: Return to Arms is suppose to be a sequel to Champions of Norrath, but instead it's more like 1.5, if you can even call it that.The main problem that I have with the game is that there isn't a story at all. Literally there isn't a story - you just go from level to level fighting waves of lesser bad guys and then the level boss. Without a story, it just made the already repetitive hack n slash gameplay pointless.Buy it if you're really into the genre but know that you aren't missing much if you don't decide to get it.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 3 Weeks

Strengths: Addictive hack and slash "rpg"/action game. Great graphics for the PS2, cool weapons and items to keep coming back to.

Weaknesses: For a sequel, not much different from the original Champions. Still very buggy in some areas and levels. Boring story(?) for an RPG.

Summary: First off, I personally really enjoyed this game and have easily put in more than 20 hours and almost played through the game twice. I should mention that I was also a fan of the original Champions of Norrath game. With that being said though, although still incredibly addictive and enjoyable, Champions: Return to Arms, as a sequel is a bit disappointing.First the good. Much of the combat and play mechanics of the game is identical the original, meaning pretty much button mashing the hit button over and over again throughout the game, hence the genre term, hack and slash. The graphics though good, are basically also identical to the original. But for some reason, the game is addictive as heck and will keep you late into the night for just one more area or just to level up one more time...I think most hack and slash/rpg fans have experienced this. And this game delivers that experience in spades. This time you can even play and choose if you want to be good or evil...although the difference between the two choices are minimal (slight level changes, order, NPCs, etc...) Not to mention you have two new character classes to choose from, although I didn't bother, since you can import your character from the original game.Okay, the bad. Although it's good and satisfying to follow the same successful footsteps of the first game...this game feels more like an expansion than a sequel. Nearly everything feels like it was just ported from the 1st game, graphics, music, etc...and to make matters worst a few of the levels are actually, to me, just slightly rearranged versions of the old levels from the first game. Not too cool to me, especially since I was expecting a whole new world/level design. And to make matters worst, it's still glitchy...very glitchy to the point that I got stuck at the end of the level with no way to advance on my 2nd time through...so I had to just basically start over again...and that's not mentioning the other handful of glitches I found while play the first time through. You would think they'd have tested and worked them all out before release, but nope.Alright, to sum it out...if you loved the first game, you will definitely like this sequel, but probably not love it...in addition to original fans, fans of hack and slack type of games will enjoy it very much as well. However if you're looking for a massive upgrade from the original, or a grand rpg experience complete with a great story (huh, what story?)...then you will be massively disappointed, but in the end, even if you are, it's still a strangely addictive enough game to pop in here and there and play mindlessly to kill an hour or so if need be.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 1 Week

Strengths: Excellent sound and graphics

Weaknesses: Very little improvements over predecessors

Summary: I loved the first game of the series "Champions of Norrath", and this sequel was able to quench my thirst for more of the same type of gameplay. "Champions: Return to Arms" allows you to import characters from the previous game, provided you've got them saved on a memory card. In addition, 2 new characters are available to play. New side quests and the arena mode break up the monotony of this "hack-and-slash", and utilize the USB headset effectively when playing with teammates over the internet. Play with a team to battle hoards of enemies in the survival mode, or test your skills against a buddy in vs. action, too.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 1 Days

Strengths: 4-player co-op play, online co-op play, additional character classes

Weaknesses: Somewhat buggy

Summary: Champions Of Norrath: Return To Arms is the sequel to the first title. Characters from the first game can be imported into the second one, or new characters, with two additional classes, can be created. Up to 4 players can play co-op at the same time, or up to 4 players on-line can also play co-op. The game engine has been improved on a little bit, though there are some buggy moments. Hack and slash fans should like it.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 8 Months

Strengths: Game play, sound, graphics

Weaknesses: Slowdown in some areas

Summary: Champions Return to Arms is very similar to its predecessor. It is a hack-and-slash type RPG game that pits you in control of a character that you create from a specific class of available races. If you have played through the first game, it will enable you to continue your adventures with a character you have already created from the memory card.The game play is solid and the graphics are improved over the first game for the PS2. However, the sound is average and during some intense battles, the game will show hints of some slowdown. However, this game is still one of the better ones in its genre and the adventure is well worth the price.