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Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle

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6.4 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 37 critic reviews
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Based on 27 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: NCsoft

Developer: NCsoft

Genre(s): Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Players: Thousands

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: April 27, 2004

Summary

NCsoft brings a whole new experience to the fantasy role playing game genre with Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle. This all-new game, developed and published by NCsoft, is a prequel to their blockbuster hit, Lineage. Set 150 years before Lineage, as the kingdom of Aden becomes a unified state, Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle is designed to show the struggles that take place during a time where several provinces come under one rule. Old loyalties must change, new structure must be established and national sovereignty and pride must be formed. However, a group of lands coming under single rule doesn't equate to immediate peace... In this world, many players fight for control over any and every piece of the new kingdom. [NCsoft]

Also On Metacritic

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Also On The Web: ActionTrip Preview GameSpot Hands-On GameSpot Preview GameSpy Preview IGN Preview Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Just RPG

Lineage II will be as revolutionary as "EverQuest" was for its time, and we are looking at the benchmark that all other MMORPGs (retail and free) will have to hold a candle against.

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Gaming Illustrated

The graphics are absolutely stunning and the characters are well designed.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

With such a high investment of time needed in order to see any real gains, it’s more likely to grab the attention of the hard core of MMORPG players.

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Gamer's Hell

Brutally Hardcore would be a good quote I think. Lineage 2 is an unforgiving game and makes no apologies, a laudable stance in the dollar-whipped, weak-willed world of MMO Live Teams.

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GameZone

If Lineage II has one main problem, it is that it is a treadmill supported by an economic system that is inane.

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Gamezilla!

A game that grows on you, the more you play it the more you will like it, unfortunately there are enough missteps early on to dissuade many players from sticking with the game and realizing its full potential.

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GameSpy

There have been a few MMOs that have tried to build stable gameplay structures based on universal PvP/guild play system -- "Shadowbane" being the most high-profile example. Almost none, however, have done it as well as Lineage 2.

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IC-Games

One part that really sparkles however is the graphics; the Lineage world is one with a stunning backdrop, large, sparkling cities will surely take your breath away.

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Game Informer

The potential sweetness of participating in a globe-spanning conflict between thousands of players is huge. [July 2004, p.122]

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Xequted

Low-level players have very little guidance if they can’t form relationships with other people or clans. They will be lost and confused.

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Loaded Inc

Pretty, very pretty but PvE gameplay is one long level grind.

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Armchair Empire

Sure it starts to build up interest when you reach level 40 but it takes forever just to get to level 20.

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AtomicGamer

Lineage 2 is a brilliant game with a few very brutal rules that will wind up being its undoing.

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IGN

I can't simply go through the motions, grinding out level after level in anticipation of greater fun to come. I want something fun now, not twenty levels from now.

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PC Format

It lacks enough of a hook for existing MMORPG fans to sink into, and there’s many, many competing titles that offer a more exciting holiday in the land of orcs, elves and shrieking demons with gold up their bottoms.

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Gamers' Temple

There’s just too much of a time commitment, too repetitive and slow advancement to recommend the game to anyone other than those who really, really want to be a part of a game that supports a clan war system.

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1UP

Once its player-versus-player elements are fully implemented, Lineage II could become the tense, harsh, and Darwinian experience it's supposed to be. At this point, it's basically an occasionally chaotic, and aesthetically attractive level-grind.

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Game Chronicles

Despite the fact that the whole purpose of the game is to sock it to your fellow players, Lineage II is accomplishing something that other MMOGs have been trying to do for years, it gets the players to actually work together. To me, that fact is pretty huge.

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Gamers Europe

Pros for Lineage 2 include the good graphics, castle sieges and the sound. Cons include the interface, the blatant lack of interesting quests (especially for low level characters/delivery boys) and the soul sucking experience grind.

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My Gamer

The Chaotic Chronicle has its positive elements, but you don’t really get to them until after level twenty. The lower levels aren’t terrible, just dull.

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PC Gamer

My biggest complaint is the excruciating grind, where you hunt creatures for experience points and money. [July 2004, p.66]

Computer and Video Games

The way I see it, the only reason you might want to carry on playing is because you've already invested so much time in getting to where you are - which sounds like a lot of hard work to me. [PC Zone]

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Frictionless Insight

Briefly, as good-looking as it is and as interesting and novel as its character skill/profession system is, Lineage II feels much like yesterday’s MMOG. To the extent you’ve enjoyed such games all along, this may not be an issue. But many of what seem like minor advancements in the genre are missing here, such as a centralized market system for selling goods.

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Play.tm

Eventually the grind is going to get you.

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GameSpot

Depending on how you look at it, Lineage II offers either a repetitive grind or a stiff challenge. In any case, the game isn't suited for more casual players who may only have time to play for 30 minutes to an hour.

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Game Revolution

The monotonous gameplay, unrealistic economy and slow leveling keep it from ultimately adding much to this ever-crowding genre.

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Strategy Informer

If you’re a casual MMO gamer and like the nice quiet solo life then look elsewhere – co-operation is vital in the later stages for increasing wealth and your characters power, it’s just too bad the chat and group system makes that too, a chore.

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GMR Magazine

This MMORPG is so difficult, long, and slow that playing it feels more like work than a game. [Sept 2004, p.85]

Thunderbolt

So that's L2 "PvP" for you -- seemingly dangerous at first, but then a disappointment and apparent breeding ground for grief and exploitation. Under any other name, it would just be consensual duels. And other companies were doing those competently years ago. The catch is that this is supposed to be the main draw of this modern MMOG. Without it, there's nothing but a steady stream of intolerably slow-moving experience bars and arrogant, immoral players.

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GameShark

My vote for funkiest feature included in a collectors edition has to go to the 3D paper figure included with Lineage II. It stands at just about 22 inches tall, includes 32 sheets of paper and 128 pieces. [DVD Review]

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Computer Games Magazine

The worst abuse of all are the 'bot macros, that allow high-level character "bots" to farm areas for loot and experience, automatically attacking anyone who trespasses into "their" zone. [Aug 2004, p.68]

Cheat Code Central

A derivative, persistent online RPG that is trying to compete with older and much better games in the genre. Lineage 2 is too little, too late.

PC Gameworld

A more significant problem, though, is that the gameplay just isn’t much fun. You’ll spend a lot of time running (slowly) from place to place, undertaking repetitive quests, such as fetching a list of items, killing all the undead in an area, or retrieving a large number of wolf pelts.

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Adrenaline Vault

For anyone new to the genre, this isn’t the best place to start due to the technical flaws and PvP griefing. Even veterans of the online role-playing genre will find the many errors impeding their fun.

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G4 TV

A gorgeous boilerplate game with little innovation and many sections of tedious play.

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GamerFeed

This one is only for those who need clan-based pvp warfare very, very badly, as they will have to go through twenty levels of the most monotonous gameplay ever experienced.

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Computer Gaming World

There isn't much variety in character appearance, which is disappointing, since other games are offering an incredible amount of customizability. [Aug 2004, p.74]

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 6.4 (out of 10) based on 27 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Dan gave it a2:
Possibly the worst MMO I ever played. Absolutely beautiful graphics I'll give you that, but everything else was terrible. Especially the community, and the community is what makes an MMO. All the cool "espoinage and pvp politics" that people keep talking about don't really amount to much if you haven't been playing for 2+ years. There is a serious gap between the "upper class" and the "noobies". Also the economy in the game is possibly the imbalanced of any MMO on the market. I love the idea of being able to create clans and alliances that reshape the land and effect the economy in an almost entirely player driven world, but in order for that to be successful the players must be outgoing and inviting. Instead you have maybe 200 people on every server that basically control everything.

Andrew H. gave it a10:
To anyone reading these older comments above this post, just disregard them and jump in. As a player who has played since just after the game going live, all I can say is that it has just gotten better and better, to the point to where the only FUTURE MMO that will be able to compare to it is, of course, Lineage III, which doesn't come out until Q4 2008... All I can say is that this game is worth it, completely and totally worth it.

Manu R. gave it a10:
Is a game of PvP, PvP where you want and when you want.

[Anonymous] gave it a0:
I dont think a game could possibly get more buggy, worse set out and damright annoying if it tried.

Adam gave it an8:
immersive and creative, this game is picture in motion, the graphics are incredible and the detail great. ONE HUGE draw is the weapons they look crap, 2d and quite frankly look like paper.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
best graphic, best idea and best peaple. and is free on the world:)

Erik gave it a7:
i think its a briliant game but the BIG disadvantage is that the servers are almost always full :S but u can do great team work and being in a clan is really fun in this game.

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Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle

Game Info

Summary

Also On Metacritic

What The Critics Said

What Our Users Said

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