2005 Best Expansion: EverQuest II: Desert of Flames, Sony Online Entertainment
EverQuest II launched directly opposite World of WarCraft late in 2004 and while they lost that battle, they beat their rival with their first expansion pack in 2005. Desert of Flames previously grabbed the win as the best expansion pack we saw at E3 and did not fail to live up to its hype when it hit the live servers in September of 2005.
Sony - as the original
EverQuest showed - has expansion packs down to an art. They have distinct themes, major content additions and much more. Set around the desert city of Maj'dul, the
Desert of Flames delivers as it provides players with a wealth of new content, PvP options, new zones, an increased level cap, new creatures and - best of all - more epic content.
One major knock against EverQuest II was the initial lack of PvP options. As mentioned, this expansion solved that. There are arena-battles and a faction-based fight for the PvP city of Maj'dul. This provides players with more violent inclinations hours of content to enjoy in the new areas.
Desert of Flames builds on the initial launch and provides high-level, established players with a lot to enjoy. Some note its lack of low-level content, but honestly, most expansions are aimed at keeping those who have been paying the bills happy, not drawing in new players.
All of these reasons make EverQuest II: Desert of Flames the best expansion of 2005.
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The following eligible game did not win the category, but does deserve a nod for their efforts in 2005.
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 | Dark Age of Camelot: Darkness Rising, Mythic Entertainment Dark Age of Camelot has been around for a while, but Mythic nearly stole this category from the E3-favorite with Darkness Rising. The expansion offers epic story without the headaches of Trials of Atlantis, much needed graphical upgrades, long-promised horses and champion-levels for those who have run through all the content already out there. |
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