Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Review
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The visuals in Warhammer Online are a mixed bag. On one hand, the style should be applauded as being unique and interesting. City architecture and creature design are top-notch. Conversely, character models seem to lack the detail and finesse that was put into the other areas of the game. Weather effects and the day-night cycle will help keep the environment from becoming stale, but some areas of the world appear to suffer from "no-sun syndrome," making those areas less pleasing to the players who enjoy the scenery changes. Overall, Warhammer Online falls short without next-generation graphics, but when attempting to create large-scale combat between countless players, Mythic had to make some sacrifices. This isn't to say that the graphics are terrible or hard to stomach because they aren't dated for an MMO, but they aren't going to turn heads either.
The Warhammer Online game world is split into three main maps. Each map contains a pairing of races, Empire vs. Chaos, Dwarves vs. Greenskins, and High Elves vs. Dark Elves. Then each of those divisions is split into four "tiers," and each tier acts as a certain stage for the progressions of the players' characters. As players earn ranks and gain experience, they are eventually moved on to the next tier of maps. At first glance, the game world design feels very linear for an MMO. Most of the pairing maps show paths that lead in two or three directions, but the progression is always to the next tier. However, most MMOs tend to do the same thing, the only difference here is that Mythic is pointing it out and making it understandable. On top of that, players from each race have the ability to visit the other races' areas shortly after beginning, so players shouldn't feel too limited.
