Conclusion
So, time to sum up Catacombs… Is it worth it? I’d say yes, this is pretty much an essential purchase for anyone who owns the original DAoC, it adds so much more to the original that its almost like playing a new game. However, if you don’t have DAoC, you might want to think hard before picking up a copy. So far there have been two other expansion packs, so you’ll need to pick up these as well as Catacombs needs them added into DAoC befoe you can install it. Luckily for newbies, DAoC and the earlier two expansions are now available as an all in one package and even better, you can pick up all four in one pack for the price of the original.
Weighing up DAoC without Catacombs, against today’s competition, I’d have to say that there’s little to recommend it. That’s to be expected though as the original is four years old, but throw Catacombs into the mix though and you’ve got some serious thinking to do. MMPORPGs demand a investment of time that few of us could devote to more than one game of this type. Catacombs puts DOaC on a par with WoW and Everquest and opens up the arena again. In the end it comes down to what you prefer to play. Everquest’s heavily fantasy rich game, WoW’s Warcraft universe or DAoC’s fantasy/medieval mix. For what it’s worth, I’d go for DAoC over Everquest, but I’m torn between this and WoW. DAoC gives a more traditional fantasy experience, so for the newcomer trying out a MMPORPG for the first time, DAoC might be the way to go as there’s more of the traditional fantasy fare in here than WoW.
Pros
Improved graphics
Improved modelling
Improved Quest system
Improved dungeons
5 new classes
Cons
Still tricky for lower levels
Still a tad over focused on levelling up
Easy to find yourself outnumbered and outclassed in some areas
