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If you're among those who hate "Da Governator," but long for the dark-haired, musclebound barbarian with a broadsword, glad tidings: Krom (through software developer Funcom) has heard your petitions and granted your desire.
Age of Conan - Hyborian Adventures, set against the background of Conan the King, is scheduled for release later this year. Some previews were given at E3, but received mixed reviews. One one hand, the graphics are described as "hyper-realistic." Characters and animations have a realism to them that one reviewer described as "historical...sort of the anti-World of Warcraft." The game features mounted combat, allowing the player to increase their attack power. There is also an element of RTS to this one: players can gain control of a village, then use the houses to produce more soldiers for their army. Those who control a village also get the use of a catapult. As part of the realism, one can actually hear the death-screams of enemy soldiers as they are crushed by the hurling boulders.
On the other hand, the hyper-realism may go too far, in that it slows the action down. Granted, in real life it takes a bit of time to jump on horseback, and (speaking from personal experience), wielding a two-handed broadsword weighing anywhere from five to ten pounds quickly fatigues even the buffest warrior. One suspects that gamers are more concerned about fast, furious fun, however.
In an attempt to broaden its fan base, Funcom has made the first 20 levels single-player only, allowing newbies to gain skill and experience before facing off against online opponents. In general, AoCHA seems to have the potential to give WoW a run for its money.
If only they can figure out why everyone in Hyboria suffers from terminally bad hair.
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