| Champions: Return to Arms | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Snowblind Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Sony Online Entertainment |
| Designer(s) | Paul Knutzen |
| Composer(s) | Inon Zur |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Action role-playing, hack and slash |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Champions: Return to Arms is an action role-playing game set in the EverQuest universe. It is the sequel to Champions of Norrath and was developed by Snowblind Studios.
The story picks up after Innoruuk, the Prince of Hate has been defeated, his essence shattered into the Shards of Hatred and were strewn across the Planes of Power. Within the game story, players have the choice of serving either the forces of Good by destroying the shards to rid the world of Innoruuk, or the legions of Evil gathering the shards to resurrect the fallen god. The paths of Good and Evil travel to the same locations, with variations in mission objectives.
Champions: Return to Arms features multiple character classes, such as wizard, cleric, ranger, and warrior. The game also features an online mode where a player can join up to three other players from around the world. Gameplay consists of killing monsters and completing quests to earn experience, in a traditional hack-and-slash style. When the character attains enough experience, he or she gains a level.
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 77/100 [1] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Edge | 6/10 [2] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 6.83/10 [3] |
| Game Informer | 8/10 [4] |
| GamePro |   [5] |
| GameRevolution | C+ [6] |
| GameSpot | 7.8/10 [7] |
| GameSpy |  [8] |
| GameZone | 8/10 [9] |
| IGN | 7.6/10 [10] |
| Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | [11] |
| Detroit Free Press | [12] |
| The Times | [13] |
The game received "favorable" reviews, though not as much as Champions of Norrath, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. [1]
The Times ' reviewer gave the game four stars out of five and said that despite his character was killed several times by its opponents, it did not stop him to play more. [13] Maxim gave it a score of eight out of ten, praising the solo campaign, combat system, rich selection of weapons and equipment, two new characters (the fighting furry Vah Shir and the lizardman Iksar), and multiplayer mode. [1] In contrast, Detroit Free Press gave it two stars out of four, criticizing the plot as "paper-thin", the gameplay as "basic" and that the game offers nothing new compared to other similar titles. [12]
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