Review written by Michael Walker

Now, is there anybody who is into PC gaming that hasn’t heard of EverQuest? The immensely popular MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) has spawned multiple expansion packs (about $30 each on top of the $10 monthly fee) and has earned the nickname, Evercrack, because it’s so addictive.

But now addicts, rejoice! Sony Online Entertainment and Emodiv have teamed up to create EverQuest for the Pocket PC. As the title suggests, the game is, well, EverQuest, only for the Pocket PC. But, you may be thinking, the PC version of EverQuest is online-only! How does it work on a PDA? With the number of Pocket PC gamers around being relatively small as it is, the number of those toting wireless-enabled devices is, naturally enough, tiny. So Emodiv (quite rightly) decided to make it into a single-player RPG with an overhead view instead of the first-person or shoulder view found in EverQuest for the Pocket PC's desktop counterpart. But just how well does the game make the transition from a 3D MMORPG to an isometric single-player game?

For those of you looking for a short answer to your game play questions, I liken the game to the PC title, Diablo. Once you get past the character creation screen (only four classes and no race/gender choice? I guess I’ve been spoiled by the likes of Morrowind and Neverwinter Nights) and annoying loading times, the game consists entirely of going on quests for people. Most of them involve killing things or retrieving such-and-such item from such-and-such dungeon… nothing out of the ordinary for even a casual role-player.

Though you don’t really get rewarded for completing missions, you do get to collect lots of treasure along the way. All in all, it's pretty much your standard hack-and-slash RPG fare. Normally this would illicit little more than a yawn from me - been there, done that - but this is the kind of game that the Pocket PC has been yearning for. Besides being practically the only Pocket PC RPG that isn’t played from a first person perspective, EverQuest for the Pocket PC comes with the blessing of Sony Online Entertainment and is set in the increasingly popular EverQuest world.

The graphics in EverQuest for the Pocket PC are pleasant, but not anything revolutionary. On the whole the game seems to have a style. It looks good, but it’s obviously not trying to look realistic with stunning 3D graphics (as is the case with some of the more recent mainstream RPGs). It’s done in a 2D cartoony style, more serious than, say, the Pocket PC game, Gangsta Race, yet less serious than Squaresoft’s SNES RPGs (Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, etc). Though there are a few annoying flaws (for instance, no matter what weapons and armor you have equipped, your character looks the same and is wielding the same weapon), the animation is fluid, the colors are vibrant, and overall the game really shines in the visual effects area.

Matching its graphics, the game’s interface is very well-designed. While it takes a little while to get used to, the display is clean-cut and gets the job done. You have on-screen buttons for a few useful tasks, as well as four quick-use slots for spells or items. Unfortunately, you can’t cast a spell or use an item unless you equip it to a quick-slot first. Your health, mana, and everything else is displayed right there on the screen, and icons for any magical effects currently aiding or ailing you appear in the upper right corner.

EverQuest for the Pocket PC seems like a great game, but it has to have a weak point somewhere, right? Well that ‘soft spot’ is clearly the sound. For starters, there’s not really any music. The game’s soundtrack consists of merely a simple tune that plays when you first start the game. Once you’ve gotten into the game, however, you can say goodbye to that melody. “Well that shouldn’t matter that much, as long as the effects are good,” I thought when I loaded the game for the first time.

When I went into battle against my first foe, a snake of sorts, it sounded like an exhaust pipe had burst. I overlooked it, assuming it was just one bad sound. A little later on, when I was fighting a lion, it sounded exactly like my cat would during his final hour had he died a slow and painful death. In case you haven't yet worked it out, I found the sound effects to be less than stellar to say the least. The spellcasting sounds were okay (just standard whooshes and beeps, etc), but the enemies’ cries were unbearable. As soon as you can get to the options screen, I would suggest lowering the volume all the way and keeping it that way.

If you are a RPG fan, I would highly suggest getting EverQuest for the Pocket PC for two reasons. Though it is lacking in a few areas, it is still a great game, comparable to many PC role-playing games I’ve played. Secondly, you don’t really have any other alternative. Every other Pocket PC RPG worth mentioning is either first-person or a Rogue clone. Though both of these types of games are enjoyable in their own right, they are very different from the likes of EverQuest for the Pocket PC. Though some might argue that they don’t want to pay $20 for a Pocket PC game, I feel that it is a fair price considering what Pocket PC versions of other popular licenses go for. EverQuest for the Pocket PC is available for all Pocket PC 2002 ARM devices, and takes up 6 MB of storage space.

Overall Score: 8/10

Many thanks to Emodiv for providing us with our review copy.

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