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 in Shadowbane: The Rise of Chaos |
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By Brad Cook The Chaos Gates may not be able to hold back the Dark Lords much longer. Already the Dark Legions have slipped through and infested the continent Maelstrom. Experience the major changes in store for the world of Aerynth in the Shadowbane expansion pack The Rise of Chaos, which features new classes, disciplines, monsters, armor and weapons, as well as a new playable race and over 30 never-before-seen areas to explore. |
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Like our own planet, the worlds of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) constantly change and evolve in uncontrollable ways, thanks to the unpredictable natures of the human beings that control the characters who inhabit them. However, the human beings who develop these games also shape and control an MMORPG world’s ultimate destiny, massaging its storyline to meet their ultimate goals.
In the case of Ubi Soft’s Shadowbane, The Rise of Chaos expansion pack offers a variety of additions that expand the world of Aerynth and move its history along, including new zones, monsters, professions, disciplines, armor and weapons, as well as a new playable race. There are even new in-game features and a variety of graphical improvements designed to enhance your experience, as if a god added brushstrokes to the sky and suddenly granted you new abilities. New Possibilities  The new race, the Nephilim, brings fresh intrigue to Aerynth. Known to most as The Tainted Ones, their demonic appearance — horns on their brows, bat-like wings sprouting from their backs, and serpent-like scales covering their bodies — strikes fear into many. Others, however, find their human-like features and striking beauty enrapturing, although the Nephilim’s renowned cruelty can quickly dispel that notion.
Two diametrically-opposed professions — Doomsayer and Sentinel — also offer more opportunities to create diverse bands of adventurers. The former, which falls under the healer and mage classes, is devoted to spreading Chaos throughout the land with a variety of dark spells and other magic. The latter, a subset of the fighter class, stands staunchly opposed to Chaos and uses a mix of holy powers and brute strength to rid Aerynth of evil. You can further refine your character’s focus with a discipline, and The Rise of Chaos includes two new ones: Darksworn, otherwise known as the Pawns of Chaos, and Conjurers, who are capable of summoning demons to fight with them. So that you can try out the new professions and disciplines without eliminating one of your current characters, the expansion pack also offers a sixth character slot. In addition, the level ceiling is now 75, which allows your characters to continue their growth and become even more powerful. Create Life From Death? As you venture forth into Aerynth, you’ll find more than 30 new areas full of demons and other dark creatures brought forth from the steadily weakening Chaos Gate. You’ll also notice new details throughout the digital world, including variable weather, which is an impressive sight to behold when you visit Maelstrom, a new continent wracked by vicious storms. Maelstrom has no fertile soil, however, so it will not support a Tree of Life, which you need if you want to build a city with other players. Without a city, it will be much tougher for any single guild to maintain a strong presence on the continent, unless someone can figure out how to do it another way. Perhaps that trailblazer will be you, eager to have the Heralds sing your praises in the Chronicle of Strife. The Rise of Chaos marks just the beginning of the changes happening in Aerynth. Stay tuned to find out what happens next. |
 By the Power of... A new race, new professions, new abilities; changes are afoot in Aerynth.  Get a Load of That Guy With Two Legs. Two centaurs stand guard, ready to smack down any intruders. Available from Ubi Soft
System Requirements:
If you liked these games, check out:  Baldur’s Gate II: Throne of Bhaal Dungeon Siege EverQuest Icewind Dale Lineage Neverwinter Nights |
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While many Shadowbane players have been hard at work creating guilds and building cities, the development team at Ubi Soft set in motion events that could prove to be the undoing of many ambitious plans. Like any important developments, these events’ origins lie in the past. In the case of The Rise of Chaos, we must go back to the beginning and fill in more of Aerynth’s troubled history.
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