Champions of Norrath: Return to Arms

Champions of Norrath: Return to Arms builds on the successful action RPG set in the world of EverQuest, expanding it with new areas, additional classes and races, and richer multiplayer content. The structure remains the same — players work through dungeons, fight hordes of monsters, and collect ever-better gear — but the sequel adds a deeper crafting system, more elaborate item management, and new special character abilities, bringing the game closer to players craving longer staying power in a world of loot collecting and experimenting with different gear loadouts.

On Xbox, the title supported up to four players on one screen as well as online multiplayer via Xbox Live, a notable step forward compared to its predecessor at the time, allowing cooperative play with friends remotely as well. The visual presentation was only slightly improved over the first game, but speed and smoothness of the action remained a priority, so even in large battles with dozens of opponents at once the game held a stable frame rate without unnecessary slowdown. The atmosphere is rounded out by gloomy music and careful sound design of the underground corridors, caves, and ancient ruins the player passes through while hunting for ever-rarer gear.

Return to Arms was received as a successful expansion of the proven concept, praised especially for its multiplayer options, the depth of its item system, and its wider roster of characters compared to the first game. For fans of the action RPG genre, it represented one of the most comfortable ways to enjoy hack-and-slash fun on console together with friends and online, without the need for complicated setup. It's still remembered today as the pinnacle of the Xbox Champions of Norrath line, partly thanks to its online cooperative play, which was by no means a given for console games of the kind back then and foreshadowed the later boom of online multiplayer on consoles, whether in big action titles or specifically in the action RPG genre.

Why play it: For fans of hack-and-slash RPGs, it's the pinnacle of the Xbox Champions of Norrath line, thanks to a richer item system and online cooperative play that wasn't a given on consoles at the time.