The ambient sounds effects in the game haven't really changed much that I can tell, but them any less rich and layered. Marketplaces are filled with the sounds of hustle and bustle, horse neighing, and fountain waterfalls flowing. I would certainly be remiss if I didn't mention the artful compilation of sound effects that enrich the overall feel of Camelot. Even more enjoyable than the sound effects are the many snippets of background music that permeate the Atlantean lands. I've never really perked up my ears to listen to background music until Dark Age of Camelot and I'd have to say that the musical interlude present in Trials of Atlantis are no exception to this. Much like the ambient sound effects referenced earlier, the music present in the game brings a completely different layer to the immersive nature of the game universe.

Now that the aesthetics are out of the way, let's talk about the meat and potatoes of this bad boy. No one buys a massive multiplayer game expansion pack for the alluring soundtrack and "Oooh pretty!" visuals, right? (Ok, there was one time I...err never mind). I'd have to say that Mythic's innovation in the MMO genre isn't limited to style alone. They've added a whole slew of features to both game play and character advancement that bring a greater depth to the game-play and some particularly ingenious twists to the high-end game. As delineated by the name of the title, the largest portion of the gameplay expansion "meat" has to do with Atlantean trials. Players activate the "Trials" series of quests by speaking to a character in the game called the Arbiter. At that point, players must decipher the clues he is given to complete each "Trial." Inevitably, the quest will take the player through the many new locations in the game and pit him and his comrades against powerful boss monsters with some very interesting abilities. One in particular uses magical powers to turn his body into a nest of scarabs, for instance. As the trials progress the level of planning and coordination between players increases significantly. The ToA expansion offers players additional tools that facilitate these battle requirements. Players may form a "battle group" of up to 200 (including the leader) in which experience for the designated encounter is shared among the contributors. What would merit such a feature, you'd ask? As one can well imagine, the bosses encountered in the trials are far from easy "zerg" kills. Each monster presents a unique challenge for the players to overcome. One might call reinforcements that have to cross a bridge, players must take out (of course there's engineers ready to repair these bridges when they break). Quite an interesting level of gameplay strategy that encourages players to work together for greater benefit and self-preservation, wouldn't you say?

Once a trial is completed, players are rewarded with master level experience. This master level experience allows characters to gain additional honorary levels. These honorary levels in and of themselves also allow players to improve upon their character's skills by giving them the opportunity to chose from seven master level skill tracks. Each class is given two options to choose from as far as those skill tracks are concerned. Mythic felt it was important to give players a choice because of the many types of play styles that the game itself offers. For example, a rogue type character (Infiltrator in Albion) would have the option of choosing a skill track that would allow him to gain a pick-pocketing skill. This skill would provide additional monetary loot for himself and fellow team members. However, a player with more realm versus realm combat leanings might chose "Faultfinding," skill that allow additional damage to be done to objects (most notably, siege weapons).