Rating: 
Summary: Still Needs Work
Review: Summary of major areas: (all info as of beta 10/24/02)1. Graphics - Outstanding overall with many ways to tailor them to your system performance. However, I would highly recommend that if you do not have a GeForce based video card, evaluate and purchase one to fully enjoy this game. 2. Sound - Extremely good sound with controls to lower different types of sounds in the game. Sounds can decrease game stability/usability. 3. GUI - The GUI needs major work. One open inventory with no way to organize items; text in the chat interface cannot be modified color/size/font wise. Opening one informational window means closing another. GUI elements appear to be static. No ability to increase/decrease transparency of items. 4. Skills - Skills still need major balancing. Human missile skill has superior range to other two races' missile skills, allowing archers to solo more easily while doing the same damage. Some skills do not work, period. Pet pathing is poor and pets have no commands for guidance. 5. Crafting - Crafting is good but needs improvement. Higher quality crafted items require drops that are hard to find while creature drop items are often equal/superior to crafted items. 6. Portal spells such as portal recall are in the game but do not work as they did in AC1. Many other issues. Has a lot of potential but missing the mark.
Rating: 
Summary: Ovreall, a good game. But I won't be buying it.
Review: I've been beta testing this game, and while it is great overall, there are some problems with the game, one of which is keeping me from buying it. This problem is the rate of advancement. If you played Everquest, did you think the rate of advancement was way too quick? If so, you'll love AC2. After level 20, you'll be leveling twice as slow as EQ. After level 30 or 40, that climbs to three times as slow. In a decent pickup group in EQ, you can level in 5 or 6 hours, up to level 50. In your early 40s in AC2, in a decent pickup group, you'll level every 15 or 16 hours. That doesn't count time spent traveling, chatting, etc. Just pulling and killing. There's NO indication that this issue is even on Turbine's radar, so I expect the leveling rate we're seeing now in beta to be the rate you'll see in retail. The advancement rate is my main issue, the one which will keep me from buying the game and the one which caused me to give this game a 1. If they were to fix this problem, I'd give it a 4. If they fixed the other problems I list below, I'd give it a 5. Here are a few other things to expect:
o No banks, player houses or mounts. These will be added sometime during the first year after the game goes retail.
o No bags, backpacks, or other means of organizing your inventory. You just have one scrolling page of inventory slots.
o Loot rights go to the individual who does the most damage. This applies even in a group. This means that support characters, like healers, will never get loot rights, and will have to depend on whatever the other party members are kind enough to give them.
o You've probably heard about vaults. They take about 5-10 minutes to go through. Seriously. Actually, its closer to 5 minutes than 10.
o Imbalances. Melee, archer and mage types all have the same armor, health (hit points), and, for the most part, damage. Mages have longer ranges than melee, and archers have an even longer range. See any imbalances here? Here's a hint: the player base in beta is roughly 75% archer.
o More on imbalances: PvP has had no significant testing. As of now (Oct 24), their KvK server has only been up for a few hours, and wasn't KvK during that time. They will only bring the KvK server up when they fill up their Red server (currently the only on up) with 3000 people. They announced that almost a week ago. They haven't hit the mark yet. Best case scenario at this point: the game will go live with about a week of serious PvP testing.
o In many cases, the base tree attacks are not usable with the weapons from the specialization trees, so you'll wind up untraining all your base skills when you spec. (Check out a website that has the skills trees listed; there are many such sites. You'll get a better idea of what I'm talking about.)
o For the most part, you can't enter buildings.
o The loot generator gives dull and uninteresting items. There are a number of bug and content issues, which I expect to be resolved shortly after, if not at, the game goes retail. I'm only covering challenges that Turbine has given no indication of fixing, or have indicated are working as intended. There are some positives, of course:
o Hands down, the best graphics in the MMORPG industry, bar none.
o We haven't seen this in beta, but based on Turbine's track record with AC1, I expect the industry's best monthly updates, events and story line.
o The skill trees allow for a great deal of character customization.
o A number of cool items, like being able to play musical instruments, etc.
Rating:
Summary: Taking a step Backwards
Review: After spending lots of time with AC2, I'm amazed that Turbine/MS has the nerve to release this stripped down unfinished product to the public. Instead of moving the genre forward, they have moved it backwards. This game is much more of a console type shooter than a MMORPG in everyway. They have removed NPC's from the world so you can't even shop for equipment. Also, while I did except the towns to be in shambles, I didn't expect the fact you couldn't even enter the buildings. In fact, Turbine has released a statement saying that even when restored, the buildings can't be entered. Forced PvP gank fests, No NPC's, level limits on boring items, char creation straight from Pac-Man and nothing to do except kill-kill-kill, make this game the biggest dog in years. Selling this game should be considered a crime.
Rating:
Summary: High Hopes Lead to Bitter Disappointment
Review: My daughter played Asheron's Call for two years. She grew bored with it in time and eagerly anticipated the release of Asheron's call 2. After playing the AC2 beta for one week she quit in disgust. My wife loved (and still loves) Asheron's Call. She was very excited when she got the chance to play in the Asheron's Call 2 beta. For three or four weeks she struggled along finding less and less to like. But she always hoped it would improve. I'd play in the beta with her once in a while. Then one day we stopped playing, looked at each other and she said "it's awfully hard to find much fun in this game." We haven't been back since. Very disappointing game; simple-minded and totally lacking in any long term fun or satisfaction.
Rating:
Summary: Don't buy that game
Review: I played AC1 for almost 3 years. AC1 was so much fun, i got addicted in minutes first time i played it. AC2 is a big disapointement. Beside nice graphics and monster with similar name, this is not the sequel of AC1. It will be to long to list everything that is bad with AC2. No way of healing yourself, no real mages, slow combat, poor chat interface, level base equipement and weapons, etc.. If you like DAOC you will probably like AC2, but if you like AC1 you probably won't like it.
Rating:
Summary: Asheron's Pall
Review: If you spend your money for this game, you are easily entertained. You like soaps, and can spend a day watching ants.
I have played the beta from inception, and tried to find enjoyment in this game, but have failed.
Rating: 
Summary: Most Excellent
Review: This is by far the best Massive Multi-Player Online Role-Playing Game ever created. I imagine it will be 15 years before anyone tops this classic effort by Turbine. It has everything a game could ever need. In essence it is the perfect MMORPG! The perfect MMORPG:
1. Would be as stable as DAOC
2. Have as much content as UO
3. Have graphics as nice as AC2
4. And have a justice system like MUME This is Asheron's Call 2, in a nutshell. Buy this game as soon as possible. You will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Not Truly A Sequel - But LOTS of Fun!
Review: AC2 doesn't have a huge amount in common with AC1, and this is a huge positive in its favour for most players. Its system thoroughly reexamines every aspect of MMRPGs, and works hard to remove tedium at every level. Crafting is viable, hunting solo or in groups is fun/possible at every level, and the range of combination classes possible through the skill-tree system is amazing. Definitely a good game on which to get hooked for months/years to come.
Rating:
Summary: A MMORPG With Training Wheels
Review: Well, It's only in beta (I'll change the review if necessary when released) but this is a STARTER MMORPG.
There is nothing complex in this game.
Everything is point and click, and very simply to play use and understand.
This makes it VERY boring for those people who have played other MMORPG's before (UO, AC, DaoC, Everquest).
But for those new to the MMORPG game genre, then you might enjoy this!! Especially once the live team comes on board.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic But Unexpected For The AC1 Player
Review: First, The Beta version of this game is jaw droppingly beautiful. There are some ballance and rouch patches that need to be worked out but the servers are stable and the game runs now with no real lag even with stress testing beta events. There are many elements from other MMRPGs in AC2 and if you enjoyed Dark Age of Camelot I think you will enjoy this even more. The problem I see is the AC1 player community. This is the second generation of their game and they have pent up expectations that frankly are unreasonalbe and unrealistic. Several AC1 beta testers have mounted a campaign to smear this game out of some sort of vindictive revenge for not having their personal pet peeve from AC1 addressed. I have read several reviews such as the one rating this game as 1 star because "they did nothing to address kill stealing". Ask yourself if this seems like a rational conclusion about the entire game system. If you have the time (it is addictive) and the computer to play this game you will be amazed. Unless what you are expecting is a new painbrush on AC1. In that case buy the expansion pack.
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