The point is that Faydwer had a seemingly endless supply of delights and diversions for players brave enough to seek them out. The latest expansion for EverQuest II, Echoes of Faydwer, allows players to return to these lands and see how they?ve changed over the course of 500 years. And though some of the place names and some of the sights might be familiar, those players who traveled through the same territory in the original EverQuest will find loads of changes.

You?ll still sail from Freeport to reach the western edge of Faydwer in Butcherblock Bay. (The trip is much faster this time around.) Once there, however, things will seem very different. The once great city of Kaladim is now infested with yarpsnarl kobolds. The brave dwarves of the Irontoe Brigade will surely want your help in clearing them out. Farther in, you?ll find the forests of the Faydark are still threatened by orcs from Crushbone keep but they?re now warring against the diminutive Fae rather than the plucky wood elves. Mistmoore, Steamfont and most other notable locations are also present but have new twists that will surprise players of the original game.

Even players of EverQuest 2 will find some nice surprises. To begin with, new players and veterans who want a fresh start will find an amazing starting area in Faydwer. The range of quests and overall visual appeal of the newbie zone is way better than the starting island in the core game. Better still, rather than forcing players to wander through loads of tutorial missions before they start interacting with the world, the Faydwer newbie experience drops players right into the meat of the story and gives them a few memorable quests with lasting significance. Cooler still, the entire land of Faydwer supports players from level 1 to level 70.

We often take for granted that MMO expansions are designed to retain current players rather than attract new ones. The last two EverQuest II expansions are perfect examples. But Echoes of Faydwer proves that you can have it both ways. You can cater to your high-level players with the usual vampire-bashing, castle-storming action, but you can also provide new players an easy and alternate point of entry as well. Faydwer does that beautifully.

You have your typical tutorial-oriented busy work but there are plenty of interesting quests to keep you occupied for your first several levels. There aren?t too many multi-part quests but there is one massive quest that you?ll keep coming back to you again and again. Managing to complete this quest requires dedication and focus but it?s broken into easily digestible bits. Once you?ve managed to accomplish it, you?ll open up a whole new world of adventuring possibilities within Kelethin.

It challenges our masculinity somewhat to admit it, but we also loved the new playable race, the Fae. These folks may be tiny but they?re just as capable of thriving under adversity as the other races are. Being good, there?s not any chance for players to try out Fae Shadowknights or Necromancers at this point but there are plenty of good-oriented classes to choose from in the meanwhile. Flying just over the ground (except, strangely, when they?re swimming in water), the Fae are one of the most visually striking of the game?s playable races, with a wide range of customization options both for the face and for the wings. The animations and designs on these little guys are simply amazing. The way that the wings flap as you move over the ground is particularly effective.

Later in your career, you?ll be able to gain the ability to transform into a sylvan form. This is basically a much smaller, much faster faerie form that allows you to reduce your travel times over long distances. It?s sort of a Tinkerbell express for Fae.

One of the absolute coolest aspects of the Fae is their ability to fall from pretty much any height without taking damage. This is a huge bonus for traveling around Kelethin. When you?re done with a certain NPC, there?s no need to look for a lift; just jump right off the edge and glide down to the forest floor. If your next destination isn?t too far from the platforms, you can basically float right down and land exactly where you need to be for your next quest.

The setting is a nice contrast to the more urban focus of Qeynos and Freeport. Though Kelethin contains all the conveniences of those other cities, the more open feel here makes it a much more appealing location. Nice touches like acorn houses and tree stump platforms add to the charm and style of the place. Evil-minded players (and those who merely play evil characters) may find that Kelethin is a bit too sweet and good for their tastes, but most of the adventures we?ve encountered seem neutral in terms of alignment.

We love the way that the whole world is designed. From the very first hour you step into the world, you?ll be confronted with bee soldiers, animated mushrooms, little treants known as saplings, little goblins known as grobins, and wide variety of natural objects and organisms that reinforce both the sense of proportion and the sense of whimsy that characterize the land of Faydwer. While I liked the Arabian style of Desert of Flame and the whatever-the-hell style of Kingdom of Sky, Faydwer feels more imaginative and consistent than either of the previous expansions.

One of our early criticisms of the core game was that there simply wasn?t enough differentiation between the character types. The developers have certainly enlarged your class choices since then but Echoes of Faydwer allows for even more unique character design by adding extra abilities to the achievement system from Kingdom of Sky. The achievements still seem like a late game benefit than something you can make use of in your teens and twenties but it still helps make your character a bit more of an individual. The crafting system has been enlarged with the inclusion of new sub-skills as well.

More significantly, the expansion also adds the concept of deity worship to the game. You can place an altar to a particular god in your home. Pray enough to your god and you?ll earn a specific, one-time-use ability related to that god?s area of influence. Performing quests for that god?s prophets throughout Norrath will grant you access to a wider range of abilities but you?ll still only be able to have one or two active at any time. Once those are used, you?ll have to go home and pray for more.

There are plenty of other additions in store for players. Cloaks round out the wardrobe options and are readily available for adventurers and tailors who take the time to seek them out. As usual, a variety of class-specific items, new abilities and whatnot have been thrown in as well.

Closing Comments
Echoes of Faydwer?s ?40 cost might seem a little steep but that price also includes the core game and the previous two expansions, Desert of Flame and Kingdom of Sky, making it an excellent value for newcomers to the series. Naturally, the ?15 monthly subscription fee will be a rather large consideration as well, but there?s tons of content just on the island of Faydwer alone and you?re likely to get your money?s worth, at least for the first few months. Throw in a cool new race, gorgeous art design and talking mushrooms and it?ll be hard for any existing EQ2 player to turn this one down.

source: http://pc.ign.com/articles/746/746931p1.html?RSSwhen2006-11-20_164800&RSSid=746931