A Brief Setup

Developer: Turbine Games
Publisher: Microsoft
Asheron's Call official page: http://www.microsoft.com/games/zone/asheronscall/

Editor's Note: Firingsquad specifically recruited an experienced online RPG expert for this article. While it is still technically a review of Asheron's Call, EnIN goes into a good deal of depth describing the other two major online RPGs, EverQuest and Ultima Online and how they compare with Asheron's Call. All of the screenshots are from Asheron's Call though, so don't get confused!

Dereth Awaits

A third online role-playing game has hit the market and the masses have flocked to it like junkies with a newly discovered drug. Players of the online RPG genre know how addicting the games are and how time consuming they can be. As such, there are three major ones to choose from! If anyone plays more than one of them extensively, I can't see where they have time to have a normal life - not that it is a priority!

Looking down the face of a sheer cliff

From the top of a mountain at night

How does it compare?

My current addiction is Asheron's Call, although I have had years of experience with both Ultima Online and Everquest. All three of these games are great and vary tremendously. It is hard to compare them to one another as many factors are intermingled into what makes them different from one another. For instance, it is hard to compare the graphics of the three without being biased to Ultima Online because it was the first to be released and as such is the oldest. However, within this article I'm going to do my best to explain how I view different aspects of the games compared to one another and each of their highs and lows. Hopefully my experiences with these games will answer some of your lingering questions or shed some light on which might be for you if you are considering getting into online RPG's.

Interesting structure	Body in a cave
The interface is pretty intricate	Inside shelter at night