There are lots of different weapons to be found in PSO. They range from photon sabers to shotguns. Although they seem to be lacking in weapons models, most of the higher-level weapons look the same as the low level ones except that the photon color is different. But once you get into hard levels you can find "Legendary weapons", these are usually very strong weapons and most of the time look different from the average weapons. Weapons can also have special attacks that do things such as hit the enemy with lighting, freeze them, paralyze them etc..

Technically, the online aspect of the game is masterfully done. Even with the system's 56K modem, any lags, framerate drops and disconnects were negligible, even in a battle with four players and more than a handful of monsters. The only noticable pause occurs when a new player joins the crew. SonicTeam should be commended for designing an incredibly complex game that works online without a hitch.

Graphically, PSO is impressive, though not to the level of Shenmue or Skies of Arcadia. The game benefits greatly from well-modelled characters, detailed textures, and a believable high-tech world. The soundtrack is somewhat disappointing, as the series' legendary reputation for music is not lived up to despite fitting the action well. A mix of decent ambient msuic and well done orchestral songs, the score manages a few memorable moments, including an the opening medley that gives tribute to Phantasy Star II.

You can read the rest of the review here.

So, I know, town is fun and all, but you want action right? I created an Atrox Soldier to test out combat with, and proceeded to find my way out of town (that was an adventure by itself :P) Combat is pretty straight forward when using a ranged weapon, pick a target, get within range, and kick back and watch the carnage. Sound and visual effects are stunning, and everything was rather the way you might expect combat wise. A few brave individuals grouped with me, and we reigned our terror on the denizens near the entrance to the city. Grouping is quite easy, and it gives you enough info about your groupmates, that I'm completely satisfied with the grouping features as they are.

You can check out the rest of Part 2, or start at the beginning with Part 1.

After logging in my first impression was Diablo with Legend of Zelda graphics. I went through a relatively straight forward orientation process only to be utterly confused by the interface. Even after reading the on-line manual I still had problems figuring out some things, you know, nothing important, just movement, how to attack something or equipping items. Wandering around town I came to find out some of Dark Ages strong points. The first was roleplay with most people trying to talk somewhat in character. Another thing that caught my eye was the vast array of colors, clothing and weapons everyone was walking around with. There are enough unique items in the game to make your character stand out and even recognizable to others.

So this led me to my next dilemma. Here I am a warrior with a stick and ragged shirt, this outta be fun. I wandered out into the woods finding nothing to kill. I did end up eating a rotten apple and losing half my hit points, so I guess you could call that combat. I eventually found my way to a small crypt and was quickly trounced by a rat. Joy... Luckily I came across a fellow who game me a shield and sword and then I beat up some spiders and rats myself. Woohoo...

Now I'm sure I didn't get to experience a lot of things that the game has to offer, but my interest was slowly waning. Heck, I could walk outside, grab a stick and chase around some squirrels and have more fun than I was at that moment. Sadly Dark Ages just couldn't deliver in my mind anywhere near as much they are capable of. You add in a $14.95/month fee and you've lost me. I'll go play Asherons Call or EverQuest and at least be able to figure out how to hit something and have some pretty graphics to boot. Another sticking point was just how hard it was to actually move around, not only does regular movement pose all sorts of challenges, but trying to find the spot to move from one area to another along a long edge of black almost drove me batty.

To sum up, the game has promise as a Roleplay environment, but the graphics and interface is just way too dated to make it very playable. If you are an old time Mud player who would like to add some graphics to your game this is probably your game, otherwise I'd pass.

Final Rating: 5 out of 10.

That said, it's hard not to notice that EverQuest isn't looking quite so spankingly good as it was when it first came out (if that's the right way of putting it). On release EverQuest was hailed as the most beautiful online RPG ever created, and rightly so. It featured dynamic weather effects, day/night changes, real-time and coloured lighting, exquisite animation and superb character models. The only trouble is that was two years ago, and while EverQuest has been standing still -- at least graphically speaking -- the rest of the world has moved on.

You can see the rest of the interview here.