We were taken on a nice tour of KoS by Blackguard the other day, and since it will be a couple of more days before we can get a podcast out on the subject but the NDA has been lifted, I thought I would give you a taste of what we saw, nay beheld, in the new and pretty darn amazing Kingdom of Sky.
KoS is made up of three main large zones, with the assorted dungeon zones scattered about. Some of the best graphics I have seen thus far in Everquest 2 can be found here, and tons of new and exciting creatures to meet. I’ll link a few pics within for you too see.
The first we saw was Tenebrous Tangle, which is a zone intended for lvl 56-62 characters. This zone is comprised of 5-6 very large floating islands, each of which have a jungle flavor but many have different creatures on each. You travel between the islands using clouds that you can stand on, similar to the carpets of DoF. On one of the islands you get to base jump off the top of a waterfall, which of course totally rocks. You can see some creatures you may have seen before, such as bixies, and some new ones like the Droag’s, which are like half man, half dragon breeds, and Vultak’s – which are like vulture men.
We entered the Sanctum of the Scaleborn from Tenebrous Tangle, a great looking dungeon that contained a pretty nasty dragon. This dragon is strategically located on a high platform and has a very powerful knockback ability so defeating him will be no small chore.
The next zone we traveled through was another large outdoor zone, the Barren Sky. This zone was another with many large islands scattered throughout the sky but these islands have more of a desert feel, reminiscent of the Pillars of Flame, if you have been there. There are two competing Avian factions you can see in this zone, as well as many other unfriendly things. The Barren Sky is intended for players lvl 62-68, and also contains the Palace of the Awakened, a higher lvl dungeon intended for players lvl 66-70. The palace was beautiful, and reminded me of the Shimmering Citadel somewhat.
The last large outdoor zone that we saw was the Bonemire, intended also for lvl 66-70 creatures. Here you can see a new race called the Ravesects, which are half man, half insect creatures. The zone also contains some great looking water features, but this is not water in the traditional sense, rather a very alien looking purple goo. The whole zone is a desolate place, but with a lot of interesting things to see (and kill). Within this zone is the Halls of Fate, another large dungeon zone where new dragon races are created. Very nice graphical touches are found within, including circling drakes around the ceiling.
The last zone we went to was another dungeon off of the Bonemire, which contains one of the most powerful dragons in the game, Tarinax the Destroyer. This is a full dungeon though, where you can find amazing dragon themed statues and formations, and quite a few visible & invisible nasty mobs. Finally we made it too Tarinax, and he did not disappoint – extremely large and mean undead looking Tarinax will certainly pose a challenge for even the best of guilds. He was so big that he could smite me with his big toe! But the treasure trove that he guards will be something all adventurers will want to get their hands on.
Overall the Kingdom of Sky looks like a great expansion. Zones are huge and there is plenty to explore everywhere. The zones all performed well with minimal lag, despite the utter vastness of it all. We got too see a few new class digs, and some new weapons. Anyone over 50 should definitely pick this up, even though zones are intended for 55+ a full group of 50’s could take most of the first mobs you encounter. Blackguard also reported to us than in addition to the adventure lvl increasing to 70, crafters will now be able to make lvl 61-70 recipes, and there will be things to make for every class (yes even rares).
Kingdom of Sky, Everquest 2, Everquest 2 Expansion, Eq2 Podcast, EQ2-Daily.com, Rotacidare
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