Champions: Return to Arms

Champions redux...good or bad?

Strengths: Addictive hack and slash "rpg"/action game. Great graphics for the PS2, cool weapons and items to keep coming back to.

Weakness: For a sequel, not much different from the original Champions. Still very buggy in some areas and levels. Boring story(?) for an RPG.

First off, I personally really enjoyed this game and have easily put in more than 20 hours and almost played through the game twice. I should mention that I was also a fan of the original Champions of Norrath game. With that being said though, although still incredibly addictive and enjoyable, Champions: Return to Arms, as a sequel is a bit disappointing. First the good. Much of the combat and...
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First off, I personally really enjoyed this game and have easily put in more than 20 hours and almost played through the game twice. I should mention that I was also a fan of the original Champions of Norrath game. With that being said though, although still incredibly addictive and enjoyable, Champions: Return to Arms, as a sequel is a bit disappointing.


First the good. Much of the combat and play mechanics of the game is identical the original, meaning pretty much button mashing the hit button over and over again throughout the game, hence the genre term, hack and slash. The graphics though good, are basically also identical to the original. But for some reason, the game is addictive as heck and will keep you late into the night for just one more area or just to level up one more time...I think most hack and slash/rpg fans have experienced this. And this game delivers that experience in spades. This time you can even play and choose if you want to be good or evil...although the difference between the two choices are minimal (slight level changes, order, NPCs, etc...) Not to mention you have two new character classes to choose from, although I didn't bother, since you can import your character from the original game.


Okay, the bad. Although it's good and satisfying to follow the same successful footsteps of the first game...this game feels more like an expansion than a sequel. Nearly everything feels like it was just ported from the 1st game, graphics, music, etc...and to make matters worst a few of the levels are actually, to me, just slightly rearranged versions of the old levels from the first game. Not too cool to me, especially since I was expecting a whole new world/level design. And to make matters worst, it's still glitchy...very glitchy to the point that I got stuck at the end of the level with no way to advance on my 2nd time through...so I had to just basically start over again...and that's not mentioning the other handful of glitches I found while play the first time through. You would think they'd have tested and worked them all out before release, but nope.


Alright, to sum it out...if you loved the first game, you will definitely like this sequel, but probably not love it...in addition to original fans, fans of hack and slack type of games will enjoy it very much as well. However if you're looking for a massive upgrade from the original, or a grand rpg experience complete with a great story (huh, what story?)...then you will be massively disappointed, but in the end, even if you are, it's still a strangely addictive enough game to pop in here and there and play mindlessly to kill an hour or so if need be.

By urbanmunky - Apr 27, 2006

Champions:Return to Arms (PS2)

Strengths: Very good game play with added features such as additional characters, new attributes, and new better items. Great story line so far and brings back some familiar faces and boards from the first game.

Weakness: Has some bugs that need to be worked out. When 2 or more players are playing the screen jumps while in the store mode.

This is the sequel to the first Champions of Norrath game. Has good game play with added features such as additional characters, new attributes, and new better items. Great story line so far and brings back some familiar faces and boards from the first game. Drawbacks are that it has some bugs that need to be worked out. When 2 or more players are playing the screen jumps while in the store mode.

By POOHPIE - Nov 26, 2005

If you liked Gauntlet Dark Legacy,...

Strengths: Four player co-op, free online play for up to 4-player co-op, two new character classes, new spells and items for all characters, can import your old character from Champions of Norrath

Weakness: Very similar to Champions of Norrath, still has some pop-up and graphical glitches, only two additional spells/abilities open for each class leaves very little for imported characters, 80 level limit

If you liked Gauntlet Dark Legacy, Baldur's Gate, or Diablo, this is the game for you. Basically, it's a hack and slash 3/4 perspective dungeon crawl with some minor RPG elements. There are a multitude of weapons and items to find/create/use and a terrific spells/abilities system that allows you allocate points while levelling up. Of course, you'll also have four basic attributes which you can...
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If you liked Gauntlet Dark Legacy, Baldur's Gate, or Diablo, this is the game for you. Basically, it's a hack and slash 3/4 perspective dungeon crawl with some minor RPG elements. There are a multitude of weapons and items to find/create/use and a terrific spells/abilities system that allows you allocate points while levelling up. Of course, you'll also have four basic attributes which you can build by leveling up and by utlizing magic armor, items and weapons.

In addition, there are two story modes available, the good and evil path. Both are very similar, but offer a little bit of variety for a second play through. Also, two side missions open up for each level, making a through completiong of all the levels a little more challenging and interesting. All in all, a very good game, with decent execution which is fun in single player but really shines in co-op.

By hwongnyc - Apr 18, 2005

Almost as good as the original

Strengths: Choice between good and evil, more items to collect, more baddies to destroy

Weakness: Nothing you haven't already seen/played dozens of times before

Champions: Return to Arms is an excellent hack and slash adventure; it has everything that fans of the genre love, including several classes (seven in all), a very high level cap (it'll take you four to five playthroughs of the game to max your character), and an interesting set of moral choices (you can play as either the good guys or the demon guys). The problem with the game is that there is...
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Champions: Return to Arms is an excellent hack and slash adventure; it has everything that fans of the genre love, including several classes (seven in all), a very high level cap (it'll take you four to five playthroughs of the game to max your character), and an interesting set of moral choices (you can play as either the good guys or the demon guys). The problem with the game is that there is nothing new to be seen in this game; it's basically just a remixed version of the same hack and slash games we've been playing since Diablo II. Recommended for fans of the genre, everyone else should consider picking it up, if they're not already burned out on hacking and slashing.

By wampa8jedi - Jul 11, 2005

Champions: Return To Arms

Strengths: Fun hack and slash multiplayer, ability to be good or evil, online play

Weakness: Forgetable story

Champions: Return To Arms is the sequel to Champions Of Norrath for the Playstation 2. The developers basically went with the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality because not too much has changed since the first game. Return To Arms is a very good hack and slash RPG though. Anyone familiar with the genre will enjoy this game as there are lots of dungeons to explore, treasures to find, and...
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Champions: Return To Arms is the sequel to Champions Of Norrath for the Playstation 2. The developers basically went with the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality because not too much has changed since the first game.

Return To Arms is a very good hack and slash RPG though. Anyone familiar with the genre will enjoy this game as there are lots of dungeons to explore, treasures to find, and upgrades to get. The great thing about these games is playing multiplayer and this game allows you to play online as well.

Early in the game, you get to decide whether you want to play on the side of good or evil. There's not really much difference between the two, but it's nice that the option is there. The storyline is pretty forgettable in this game as it is pretty standard save the world fare.

Even though all the games in this genre seem to run together, I still find them very enjoyable and this game is no exception. Sit down with some friends and have some fun hacking and slashing your way through Norrath.

By shipwreck1 - Oct 6, 2005