About a year ago, Everquest made it to the console world with Everquest Online Adventures. In the year since, the game has grown to include thousands of subscribers. As with most online worlds, things can get boring -- so there's always a need for an update. Everquest Online Adventures: Frontiers is just that.

Graphically, Frontiers has been upgraded over the previous version, but not by much. Most of the improvements come in the way of characters. The models have been upgraded and benefit from a higher poly count and better textures. The same can't be said for environments, which are still very bland and blocky. The lands of Norrath have been expanded to include new regions such as the continent of Odus, the Great Unknown (which is home to the Ogres) and Plane of Sky. These areas blend in with the already existing areas, but still don't offer too much in terms of graphical 'wow'. One of the more notable aspects is that some areas have been streamlined to reduce lag. Spells aren't much to look at either and consist mostly of a few flashes and explosions.

Sound effects are scarce and repeated often. The same goes for the music. The orchestral score sounds nice, but is limited to a few tunes during battle. Otherwise, it's a very silent experience. A little more music and better sounds could have gone a long way in building a more believable online world around players.

Everquest Online Adventures: Frontiers is the first expansion for the PS2 version of Everquest. As with most expansions, the game offers more monsters, more quests, new weapons and much more. A new race, the Ogre, and a Class Mastery system have also been added. Trade skills have been included and allow your character to make new items like weapons and armor. By combining metals with specific gems, you can create special items, giving your character a more personal touch. I really liked this option since it allows you to make that one special weapon you've always wanted. Like other skills, it'll take time and practice in order to gain mastery -- thus allowing you to make truly great items.

The experience system has been revamped and now includes the Class Mastery System. The new system allows players to purchase skills in General, Class, Mastery or Archtype systems. When you first begin, many of these abilities will be locked, limiting you to only a few skills. As your character's level progresses, more skills will be unlocked. After reaching level 60, many of the Class Mastery skills will unlock. Although I didn't have much chance to experience the system in depth, it holds great promise, giving high level players something to work towards. Many of these new abilities are made to support group play -- which is a welcome addition. These skills include armor and power boosts, which help during group adventures, which is ultimately the reason you're playing in the first place.

Gaining experience is best done in groups, however even with a large group and high respawn rate, it can take forever to level up. It's the slow progression and pacing that hurts the game. Namely, it takes way to long to do anything in the game, so the game doesn't lend itself to having a quick adventure with online friends. Of course, this doesn't come at too much of a surprise since one of the objects of the game is to get the player hooked. While this may be entertaining for the accountants, it hurts the player experience since there are times where you will spend more time leveling than participating in quests.

Since this is an online game, the difficulty level of the game will hinge mostly on who you group with. I was usually able to find a good group of people who were willing to help out anyone in need. When first getting started, its always a good idea to go out on your own into the game's 'Newbie Areas' and learn the game for yourself before begging people for experience, items and money. Good social skills will also help make your journeys an easy one. It's a good rule of thumb to follow the golden rule when online; treat others as you'd like to be treated. Going around, acting like an arrogant ass is a sure-fire way to piss off people. This may not seem like such a bad thing during low levels, but it turns out to be a killer at later levels when you absolutely need groups in order to gain any type of good EXP.

The control setup in Everquest Online Adventures: Frontiers remains largely unchanged from the original. Getting your character around Norrath is very easy and it doesn't take much for new players to jump right in and know what's going on. However, since the game is largely a social one, communication with other players is key. This means you'll have to pick up some form of a USB keyboard or other type of device. For those who would rather not get the keyboard, the game offers a virtual in-game one, but it takes a LONG time to type out messages since you're going one letter at a time. Personally, I prefer using a keyboard and was able to find a nice one at a discount computer store for about ten dollars. The drawback to using the keyboard is that you're constantly picking things up and putting them down -- which can get tedious. More innovative gamers will find new ways to handle this. Another option is to get one of those keyboard/controller combos -- but since I've never used one (beyond a quick demo at E3 two years ago), I can't comment on how useful they are.

Frontiers may not be the quickest or best looking game out there, but it manages to do what good expansions are supposed to do -- give players more content. Current players are likely to go nuts over all the new features in the game, making this a must buy for them. If you're new to Everquest, Frontiers is more of a cautionary recommendation given the slow pacing. Given the amount of commitment that comes with the game, this one is clearly for the hardcore RPG fans. Those who stick with it will find it to be a rewarding experience, especially when you begin interacting with other players.