AdventureQuest Worlds
| AdventureQuest Worlds | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Artix Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Artix Entertainment |
| Engine | Adobe Flash |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release |
June 2, 2008 (Alpha) August 18, 2008 (Beta) October 10, 2008 (Live) |
| Genre(s) | Massively multiplayer online role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
AdventureQuest Worlds (often shortened to AQ Worlds or simply AQW) is a browser-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released by Artix Entertainment in October 2008.
Gameplay
Players are asked to choose from one of four "starting classes" (warrior, rogue, mage, or healer), each with different strengths and weaknesses. Leveling up lets characters learn new abilities and increase their attack power. Players have five different skills, depending on their character's class; the ability that is common to all classes is the "auto-attack" ability. Individual abilities, deemed "passive" abilities, may be unlocked after the character reaches a certain Rank. Players begin at Rank 1 and progress as they receive class points from defeating enemies; this may depend on the enemy's level and difficulty stars (1-5). Players gain experience and gold when enemies have been defeated. Players can also acquire other classes by gaining Reputation by completing quests in a certain location.[1]
AdventureQuest Worlds has events on special occasions. A new event is added to the game every other Friday. Some events are one time only while others are seasonal events that appear once every year. Often, participants in these events can procure event-specific items not available at any other time in the game. There is an anniversary on October 10 which enables the players to partake in the birthday-themed events and have access to the Underground Lab. Some events feature live events with guest stars like Voltaire, One-Eyed Doll, George Lowe, Paul and Storm, Jonathan Coulton, the cast of Ctrl+Alt+Del, Ayi Jihu, ArcAttack, They Might Be Giants, Andrew Huang, Mia J. Park, The Crüxshadows, and Michael Sinterniklaas as the voice of Deady.[2][3][4][5][6][7]
The game is set in a universe similar to those in AdventureQuest, DragonFable, and MechQuest. It was established that the Dragon of Time allowed the dragonslayer Galanoth to slay him which resulted in the hourglasses within the Dragon of Time's heart to shatter and the sands that represented the three worlds within each hourglass to merge resulting in the AdventureQuest Worlds universe being created. The goal of the game is to adventure through Lore, move on to higher levels, face the 13 Lords of Chaos, and fight Drakath: Champion of Chaos. As the story progresses, the player meets the Queen of Monsters who chose Drakath to be her Champion.
Plot
Prologue
The game first begins when the player is on a mountain. The player is struck by lightning causing the player to fall down the mountain. Then, the player slays many undead forces of Sepulchure and defeats a dragon called the Dread Dragon.
After she/he saves Oaklore from a dragon that is being controlled by Princess Tara (who is possessed by the power of the Ring of Dragon Control), they have to go to Swordhaven where the Doom Knight Overlord Sepulchure and his undead army from Shadowfall invades Swordhaven. Swordhaven's ruler King Alteon faces Sepulchure in a one-on-one duel to stop him. Unfortunately, Drakath interrupts the fight by killing Sepulchure, crushing his Undead Soul, and placing a spell on King Alteon to be infected by Chaorruption (short for Chaos Corruption) slowly. Planning to unleash his 13 Lords of Chaos upon Lore, Drakath uses a Chaos spell to send the fortress on a flying undead dragon, where DoomKnight Sepulchure's daughter Gravelyn was in, crashing into a nearby mountain range.[8] After the attack, the forces of good (led by King Alteon) and the forces of evil (directed by Gravelyn) form a truce to fight Drakath and the Lords of Chaos.
13 Lords of Chaos saga
There are already signs of corruption in the nearby forest and marsh causing the player to capture the Chaorrupted Wolves, Chaorrupted Bear, and Chaos Spiders alongside some antidote-based plants to be studied. At this point, the Chaos Lord Saga begins. Drakath unleashes his 13 Lords of Chaos (Chaos Lords are like bosses) upon Lore, which the player has to defeat one by one. They soon discover that Drakath plans to activate a rune upon the defeat of each Chaos Lord in order to free his master, the Queen of Monsters. The hero/player is revealed to be the reincarnated Dragon of Time and the 13th Lord of Chaos.
Queen of Monsters: Ancient Evils saga
Now that the Queen of Monsters has been freed, she plans to raise each of the eight Elemental Titans that are scattered across the shattered continent of Drakonus. The Elemental Titans were created by the Elemental Avatars to represent them. As not all of the Elemental Titans were consent with their roles where they stepped on lesser creatures and fought dragons, the Elemental Avatars put the Elemental Titans to sleep in the different parts of Drakonus. The Queen of Monsters plans to use her minions to awaken all eight of the Elemental Titans so that a new era can begin. After Phedra: Elemental Titan of Fire and Gaiazor: Elemental Titan of Earth are awakened, a minion of the Queen of Monsters asks if they would awaken the Elemental Titan of Darkness. The Queen of Monsters dismisses that idea and states that they will take "another path."
Throne of Darkness saga
The Mysterious Figure gathers Vaden the Death Knight, Xeight, Ziri the Sneevil Daemon, Warlord Pax, Pharaoh Sekt, and Queen Scarletta Tyrall at his castle lair to learn about their encounters with the players. Following the story of the sentient table Plank who mentioned how he, Dr. Dryden Darkwood, and their Trolluk servant Skudly had captured the players, the Mysterious Figure is revealed to be Dr. Dryden Darkwood as he tells the assembled villains that he has players in his dungeon. When the players defeat Dr. Darkwood and Skudly, they borrow Dr. Darkwood's hooded robe and pose as him in order to listen to the villains' story. Upon unmasking themselves, the players defeat the villains and return their cursed items to them in exchange that they listen to his proposition to help them against a greater darkness. The villains agree to the terms while Plank has an idea on who the threat is.
Book of Monsters saga
At the time when the players are fighting the Queen of Monsters' forces, a Rrift opens in the Neverglades as the Elder Monster called Extriki the Destroyer emerges and renders the surrounding areas toxic. When the players defeat, capture, and interrogate the toxic monster Zognax, it tells the players that Extriki and the monsters that came from the Rift thrive on toxic and can't survive in non-toxic location. In addition, Zognax states that Extriki is one of the Queen of Monsters' earlier children. With help from the Heart of the Grove from Brightoak, the players are able to weaken Extriki and slay it.
Reception
Kotaku's Mike Fahey praised the idea of using advertisements when the player died.[9] Pete Davison, from GamePro, also noted the advertisements at death, calling it an "interesting" idea.[10]
References
- ↑ "Classes". www.aq.com. Retrieved 2016-01-28.
- ↑ "Artix Entertainment Announces April 15th Musical Event in AdventureQuest Worlds – Web Games News at IGN". Pc.ign.com. 2011-04-13. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
- ↑ "Artix Entertainment Releases Witty George Lowe Bites App for Android and iPhone – Wireless News at IGN". Wireless.ign.com. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
- ↑ "AdventureQuest Worlds: Chaos Lord Live Event with Musical Guest One-Eyed Doll – Web Games News at IGN". Pc.ign.com. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
- ↑ "AdventureQuest Worlds Premieres Music Video and War for Halloween – Web Games News at IGN". Au.pc.ign.com. 2010-10-29. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
- ↑ "AdventureQuest Worlds Celebrates Most Successful Friday the 13th Event – Web Games News at IGN". Au.pc.ign.com. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
- ↑ "AdventureQuest Worlds teams with Web comic Ctrl+Alt+Del – Web Games News at IGN". Pc.ign.com. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
- ↑ "AdventureQuest Worlds Gets Main Storyline". IGN. 13 February 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
- ↑ Mike Fahey (5 July 2011). "Death Is the Perfect Time for In-Game Advertising". Kotaku. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- ↑ Pete Davison (5 July 2011). "AdventureQuest Worlds Punishes Death with Advertising". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2011-12-01. Retrieved 10 August 2011.