Thanks to the jolly nice folks at Online Entertainment and Ubisoft, I was fortunate enough to be invited to take a sneak peek at the EQ2 beta. Having played the Original Everquest for 5 years, I'm probably a little biased. Having said that, however, when I first stepped into the "new" Norrath, set some 500 turbulent years after EQLive that old sense of mystery came back. A lot of old-timers equate EQ to their first kiss, and insist that the feeling of newness and awe can't be recreated, but EQ2 has worked very hard to simulate that emotion.

I'll start off right here by saying if the first EQ didn't get you, EQ2 probably won't either... but for the rest of us, the "Crack is Back". If you were to suggest to me, my enjoyment of EQLive was predominantly masochistic, I don't think I'd be able to convincingly deny it. The way EQLive plays is almost painful at times, but strangely, I have always come back for more. EQ2 grabs me just the same way. Graphically, the game is heartachingly pretty, aurally, my senses are delighted, and visually, I'm blown away. The secret of EQLive, is in the way that it feels like a lot of work to reach a certain goal, and when you finally reach that goal, the sense of accomplishment is so tangible, that you forget how hard you had to work to get there. EQ2, while not to the extreme of the original, does use that same Challenge concept, and while frustrating at times, does keep you coming back to "beat" it.

The game's story starts off rescuing you, the hero of the minute, from a waterlogged fate. You are dragged aboard a passing ship, with no memory and no possessions, the Captain tells you that many refugees are heading to an island, and that you will find sanctuary there. While you wait to dock, the game's introductory tutorial teaches you how to interact with the world you will come to call home and also manages to weave its enchantment of "you're in our world now" as the ships crew teach you how to chat, sell to merchants and fight in a full out multi-media delight.

Once you reach the Isle of Refuge, EQ2's "newbie" ground, you will start your life out anew, and decide which adventuring profession you will pursue... while learning the basics of the game. This portion of EQ2 is very well done, atmospheric and relaxed, you can begin to carve out your persona and watch it begin to evolve from a commoner, to a professional adventurer, artisan (one who crafts items) or a mixture of both.

Selecting the persona you want to present to Norrath, the game world in which EQ2 is set is actually quite intimidating. You are presented with a veritable plethora of playable races to begin with, most of which will be instantly familiar to EQ veterans. The Froglok race will eventually be playable, (Frooaaak) but requires that players on the server unlock that race in an epic style quest, allowing it to be selected by anyone. Definitely an interesting idea. You get to customize the look of your on-line avatar to a degree that is almost overwhelming. Fortunately, you can just randomize the height, weight, facial characteristics, facial hair... eyebrow shape.. I mean ... c'mon, seriously now, this is some hardcore avatar selection.

Once on the isle the "quest" in 'Everquest' kicks in, and doesn't stop. Pretty much everything is quest driven to one degree or another, and although it feels a tad on the controlling side, EQ2 steers you down the tentative, first steps of your gaming experience in a method that is informative, easy, and really not too much of a chore. For professions, Sony opted to go with 4 core class types. Fighter, Mage, Priest and Scout. For the most part, this doesn't detract from the game, it actually makes you feel cozy that there won't be 14 choices to pick from first out and then later worry that you chose the "wrong" one. The other benefit to this reduced class system is that it makes balancing encounters, quests and even the classes themselves a lot easier for the team. You don't actually select an original class until you reach level 3, (have no fear, though, the first 3 levels fly by). Later, as you progress through the game, you will narrow down your profession first at level 10, by choosing 1 of 3 sub-classes and then again at level 20 choosing between 2 more sub-SUB-classes. This is taken care of through a quest to first find out about the classes, then allowing you to finally pick one.

Depending on your personal preference as well as the race you selected at the character creation stage, when it is time to leave the isle you have to choose a City to call home. You get to pick between Qeynos (Sony EQ backwards - in case you are one of the few folks who hasn't heard that bit of lore), the "Good" city or Freeport the "Not so nice" city. I opted for Qeynos, I thought being good might be a fun change of pace. As soon as you step off the boat, you realize this ain't your Great Grandpappy's Qeynos. The city is huge. Both Freeport and Qeynos have been separated into a network of villages around a city center together with their own "newbie" yards and a few dungeons thrown in. While on the isle of refuge, you were very gently (like a hammer) steered in what you should do, when you arrive in your new home town, you feel a little lost. It's actually a nice effect, as it works for the story line in giving you that sense of being a stranger in a strange town. You are informed on arrival, that the city have provided you with your own room, which is free (with a modest weekly upkeep), and you should check it out.

Player housing is instanced, and although this makes you feel less like you own a piece of the world, it doesn't detract from the game much, and will avoid the horrible messes that player housing caused in UO, and to a lesser degree SWG. Later on, Sony have stated that Guilds will be able to achieve their own unique Guild halls, something to strive for. The same painstaking care in the eye candy department was definitely used in creating all of the player housing, and I can see players really enjoying decorating etc. I was disappointed that there didn't seem to be an option to store excess equipment in the house. I'm sure that will come later as you will also be able to have tradeskill crafting stations in your houses.

Additionally, it will be from your house that you can act as a merchant, selling your wares to other players. They can either buy your goods through a broker, who lists what you have for sale in a central location, for a small fee, or they can come directly to you to cut out the middleman, and avoid the brokerage charge. At present, you are required to remain while in merchant mode, whether or not this will change in the future is undecided. After you've visited your home, your first task is to explore the village your home is in. These city "sub-zones" aren't very large, plus they come with an in game map, so it's very hard to get lost. As you pass them by, NPCs will yell things at you, and sometimes this means they have a job for you, but sometimes it's just for flavor. Being an EQ "veteran" I fell back to "When in doubt... hail everything". Long time EQ players will breath a sigh of relief when communicating with NPCs, as its all speech bubble driven. Using this method, my Quest Log began to fill up rapidly. Good job there were no time limits.