Champions: Return to Arms Reviews

A whole slew of new reviews for Sony and Snowblind’s Champions: Return to Arms hit the web over the past few days. The first is at Cincinatti Weekly with no overall score:

Though RTA may seem more like an expansion pack to its predecessor than a new release, it is still a worthwhile game. Definitely try this one if you like any type of action or slashing game. Just be careful if you rent it from Blockbuster. It’s so addictive you might lose track of the days and end up buying it for quite a bit more than $50.

The second is at OCGN with an overall score of 8.4/10:

Overall Return to Arms is a good follow up, but for the diehard players that loved Norrath, they might be disappointed with the lack of new. The feeling of a been there, done that just reeks from this game. Not that it’s a bad game by any means, players who never played the first will be sure to love Return to Arms.

The third is at LoadedInc with an overall score of 7.5/10:

Overall, Return to Arms doesn’t deviate much from Champions of Norrath not nearly enough to be convincing as a true sequel. It carries the torch from the first game and is still just as fun as the original. Players expecting new advances in gameplay may be disappointed but don’t let that detract you from buying an otherwise fantastic hack-and-slash experience.

The fourth is at Gameailla with an overall score of “Fans Only”:

Champions: Return to Arms is still a solid dungeon hack, but after four years of the same, the formula is wearing a bit thin. Return to Arm’s biggest failure is that it feels too much like an expansion pack instead of a shiny, brand new game. For fans of the first Champions of Norrath, this isn’t a bad thing, but since so little has changed between the two, rookies to the realm of Norrath might want to check out the first installment in the series at $20 instead of Return to Arms.

And the fifth is at GamePro with an overall score of 4.5/5:

Visually, Return to Arms pleases with slick magical effects and atmospheric 3D environments, which range from dingy dwarven mines to eerie water kingdoms. Only the repetitive dungeon layouts hold back the game’s look. Sound-wise, the foreboding music and melodramatic voice-acting lend a fitting aura of mystery. Still, these sensory features almost seem secondary to the compulsive gameplay. After all, who needs pretty sights and sounds when you’ve got demonic hordes to slay?