Age of Conan Review Fanservice to the Extreme!

By Vincent Haoson (Vincenthaoson), Onrpg writer

Conan the Barbarian has been a long surviving character in our history, it has become a cartoon hero, a movie star even an action figure, now with the help of Funcom, creators of the critically-acclaimed MMO, Anarchy Online, Conan's world of Hyboria has evolved into an MMO.

Your story in Age of Conan starts with your ship crashing into an unknown island. You and your slave master are the only two remaining of the boat you are aboard on and from here you are then slowly swept into this dark and chaotic world. Character creation in Age of Conan is very detailed and intricate. Besides the usual choose of hair styles, skin and whatnot you can further customize your character by going into the details of the looks. You can change

Besides being able to customize how your character looks, you are obliged to decide what culture your character belongs to. In Hyboria there are three major cultures which are namely the Aquilorian, the Cimmerian and the Stygian. Each culture has its own story that intertwines with the whole Age of Conan storyline.

The game has a unique class system where you get to choose from four general job class types which are namely the Soldier, Priest, Rogue and Mage. From there you can then choose from one of the three available options for your character.

There are limitations in the job class selection in Age of Conan, there are cultures where certain job classes are not enabled. One example would be that Cimmerian's can't become a mage of any of the three because the Cimmerian's do not like magic.

The combat system is one of the things that set Age of Conan apart from the rest of the big wig P2P MMOs out in the market today. The game uses a different approach in combat by making you decide where to attack. You initially get to choose from three general directions to where you can attack and as you progress through the game.

Also, Age of Conan utilizes in its combat system combos. As you successfully do a series of attacks your character then gets to execute a brutal fatality move that kills your enemy instantly. However, you have to be nimble with your fingers here or you won't be able to execute the finisher.

Skill allocation in Age of Conan meanwhile is different compared to other MMOs, you are given attribute points per level to allocate on certain skills and abilities your character has. However, unlike in other MMOs where it's via stat points, here your ability has a maximum amount to put into and as you put more attribute points your character becomes more proficient in that said skill or ability. One example is adding more points to your running or climbing ability makes you a faster runner or climber.

Age of Conan has a lot of features that makes the game top notch. Besides the combat system, the game also lets you create a city of your own. However only guilds can create a city of their own, as long as your guild is earning well and that your members are active your city will flourish.