In Retro: "Champions: Return to Arms" Review (PS2)

My review of the kinda-sorta sequel to the original "Champions of Norrath" culled from my backlog of written video game reviews...

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First, there was “Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance.” Then came “Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes.” Later, “Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II,” “Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel,” “The Bard’s Tale,” and “Champions of Norrath.” Now, the pseudo-sequel to “Norrath,” “Champions: Return to Arms.” All caught up? Good.

The seventh game in this vein (that I can think of!), a sort of running series in all but name spanning the five aforementioned franchises, it has its work cut out for it standing out from the pack. Unfortunately, this follow-up to “Norrath” feels more like an expansion pack, lacking even the kiddy pool depth of its forebear. The “Gauntlet” roots have never before been so evident. That said, despite being one of the most boring entries in this sub-genre, there’s yet some fun to be had in the dungeon crawling provided.

The story driving “Return to Arms” is a true blue yawner. It basically amounts to you, the intrepid hero picked from one of several race/class combos (including two new races never before seen in the series outside of “EverQuest”), traipsing across various planes (the Plane of Fire, the Plane of War, the Plane of Storms, etc.) collecting shards of hate to hide from the vile nasties that seek to conquer Norrath and… well, you know, do what all vile nasties are apt to do. I feel woozy just thinking about it. ZZZZZZZ…

In the end, the point of the game is watered down role-playing and amplified action, and here “Return to Arms” delivers admirably. The levels are diverse and sometimes interesting (although some are rehashed from the original “Champions of Norrath,” disappointingly), enemies are countless, assorted and suitably nasty, and fresh weapons, armor, and artifacts await your discovery at virtually every turn. There’s even an option to join the dark side if you like, although it doesn’t change the campaign as much as you might prefer. Despite the market’s oversaturation with games of this ilk – indeed games using this very engine (or copying it) – the combination of lite role-playing and hack-and-slash action “Diablo” style still manages to hold some of its appeal.

That said, “Return to Arms” is content not to innovate in even the slightest. Everything here is just as you left it, just more monotonous than you may recall thanks to the lack of a good plotline and even less depth than its precursor. There’s little incentive to perform side quests (of which there are few in any case), and levels are completely linear in fashion. Let’s face it, every game cast from the Snowblind Studios mold is linear, but somehow “Return to Arms” faces the dubious distinction of feeling the most linear by far. Levels feel like tabletop battlefields that you’re guiding your toy soldier around, and those with a healthy dose of wanderlust are going to be sorely disappointed.

Even the music in “Return to Arms” seems uninspired this time – it usually fades into half-hearted silence just when it should be swelling to enhance the action onscreen. Sound effects get the job done, but you’ve heard them all before. The graphics have aged like a fine wine, however, and still provide some decent eye candy despite some muddy textures up close (and the
occasional glitch as you scroll through the map).

“Return to Arms” hit the scene a year after the original “Champions.” The developers of the game called their schedule “aggressive” – a year is hardly a lot of time to design and release a brand new title. That is blatantly obvious when playing this unenthusiastic follow-up to a pretty good game. Fortunately, not all of its good qualities were lost amidst the chaos… just most of them.

FINAL SCORE: 6.9 (Fair)

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I got the most enjoyment out of this game by playing it co-op, as I recall. And I also recall the absurdity of the item names you chance upon throughout your travels, such as one glaive dubbed "The Balanced Long Sword of Balance." At least that was good for a chuckle. "Champions of Norrath" still deserves a true sequel, but this wasn't it...