Age of Conan: Unchained

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 831 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 536 out of 831
  2. Mixed: 103 out of 831
  3. Negative: 192 out of 831
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. AaronG.
    May 25, 2008
    10
    Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is quite simply one of the best massively-multiplayer online games I have ever played. While it is unlikely that it will attain a player base comparable to World of Warcraft due to its demanding system requirements and adult theme, it is, without a doubt, a game of superior quality.
  2. BradT
    May 26, 2008
    9
    Very good plot basically flawless launch. Only some bugs but doesn't kill gameplay.
  3. ChrisR.
    May 26, 2008
    10
    A unique and exciting experience not met by previous MMORPG's, Great graphics, an unbelievably large and detailed world (30 Gigs of it) fun new classes, and great PvP make this one of the best games i have ever played. I highly recommend this game.
  4. MaxS.
    May 26, 2008
    9
    The GOOD: Smooth launch, fun combat, great graphics, easy addiction (not sure if that is good)... The BAD: Still many glitches to work on, very simple UI, some parts of the game feel unfinished.. but I'm sure they will be ironed out in a month or two. Warning to WoW players tho: above average PC and player's IQ needed!
  5. DaveJ.
    May 27, 2008
    9
    Excellent game. If you're like me you'll spend the first day or two thinking "well wow has better than this", "why's there no LFG system" etc Persevere, it's all there, plus some, yes it's a different game and in some ways Wow is better, but in others this far exceeds its predecessor (plus, it's early days and much better than Wow was at launch). WoW it Excellent game. If you're like me you'll spend the first day or two thinking "well wow has better than this", "why's there no LFG system" etc Persevere, it's all there, plus some, yes it's a different game and in some ways Wow is better, but in others this far exceeds its predecessor (plus, it's early days and much better than Wow was at launch). WoW it isn't, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Also there's the fact that they instance many locations when they get busy (to lighten the load, reduce lag etc in each one). Not one instance per person/group, just one per 100 players or so, which still leaves places crowded. This seems odd at first and can leave you hunting round for a friend for ages if they're in a different instance but at the same place as you and you don't realise, though there are functions within the game that help t sort this sort of thing out. On the plus side it allows you to switch to a different instance on a PVP server where someone is hellbent on stopping you complete your mission (PVP servers are open season for gankers, travelling in groups is advised!). Though the game world is twice the size of WoW it is also zoned, which means you have to travel from one to the other via a loading screen (a bit like the boats, gnometrain and airships in wow). This is where it lost 1 point for me (though I was still tempted to give it a 10). The zones themselves are often huge though and I the zoning was done for performance issues, it does seem a little awkward at times (but I soon get used to it). Most of the locations in the game are physically remote from each other so that explains some of the zoning but others are less obvious (e.g. the Nobles Quarter of one city is in a different zone to the rest). It depends how much this matters to you, for me the other good points soon outweighed this one minor flaw. I don't want to appear too negative here, to me these are minor points, I just want to prewarn the Wowers so they know what to expect in advanced! A very cool game, i saw my first mammoth rider today, THEY ARE HUGE! ;-) PS a new patch came out today which gave a much needed 50% FPS boost. My 2gb, AMD 4000+ SC, 7600GT 256mb system can now manage between 10 and 40 FPS on reasonable detail and 600m view distance, which is nice.… Expand
  6. RobertB.
    May 28, 2008
    10
    Amazing game. The fighting is just so much fun.
  7. TomasA.
    May 29, 2008
    10
    Will not go back to my old mmorpg after tried this one. Amazing game, very addictice. Hats off for quick bugfixes. Melee classes has never been this before.
  8. JesseB
    May 31, 2008
    9
    Simply put: While not as in-depth as a traditional MMORPG (ie: LOTRO), Age of Conan has, by far, the best graphics, combat and music out of any MMORPG. Period.
  9. RayH.
    May 31, 2008
    10
    The game is compelling, visually stunning, combat is something new and different from the standard MMO fare, and under it all, the RPG part of MMORPG is ingrained in the games beginning and as you quest forward. Itinvolves you, and keeps you wanting to find out more. And all of the progress to make the game more customer oriented by listening to what the player wants will make the The game is compelling, visually stunning, combat is something new and different from the standard MMO fare, and under it all, the RPG part of MMORPG is ingrained in the games beginning and as you quest forward. Itinvolves you, and keeps you wanting to find out more. And all of the progress to make the game more customer oriented by listening to what the player wants will make the longevity of the game even more appealing. But...make sure to have a good rig to run it on, as the requirements are hefty.… Expand
  10. RyanW.
    Jun 13, 2008
    10
    Wow, what a great game. This game reminds me of Everquest 2 for its graphics and World of Warcraft for it's Graphical User Interface. In my opinion, it has amazing potential to be one of the best (if not the best) MMORPG out in the world today. 10/10
  11. TaleS.
    Jun 29, 2008
    9
    After 3 years of playing WoW this game has most certainly grabbed me, and continues to impress as Funcom irons out a few quirks and adds even more content. Don't listen to all the bashers, pick it up and give it a try, it's well worth the price of admission even if you don't decide to stay. I've fallen in love myself.
  12. AronR.
    Aug 19, 2008
    9
    This game is recieving a lot of flame for no reason. People seem to have gotten way too used to WOW that has been running for years. An mmo that launches without bugs and balance issues is completely impossible. Funcom is working hard on the patches and they have fixed endless ammounts of problems. The game is original and it breaths new life to the MMO genre that is so vastly dominated This game is recieving a lot of flame for no reason. People seem to have gotten way too used to WOW that has been running for years. An mmo that launches without bugs and balance issues is completely impossible. Funcom is working hard on the patches and they have fixed endless ammounts of problems. The game is original and it breaths new life to the MMO genre that is so vastly dominated by WOW. The only downside of the game is funcoms paranoia of hotfixing obvious issues concerning game balance and gamebreaking bugs. Been playing AoC since start and currently have 2x lvl 80 and done with all endgame material which is quite nice compared to what other MMOs has had to offer this early in the game.… Expand
  13. TerryW
    Aug 31, 2008
    9
    been playing since beta and to me its a very good game.i agree with Aron R ppl got to used to wow cause wow is to easy to me aoc has a good story line, grapics and its fun to play sure it has bugs and the content thens out past lvl 50 a bit but Funcom is listening and fixing the just give it a chance
  14. CorraghC
    Dec 3, 2009
    9
    After reading through previous reviews I get the feeling that most of the poor reviews are from lazy kids or from peeps that didn't really ever play into the game far or long enough...it has evolved quite a bit since release. Have played all of the top titles starting with EQ over the last 10 years and there is really nothing better on the market these days for MMORPG vets.....kids After reading through previous reviews I get the feeling that most of the poor reviews are from lazy kids or from peeps that didn't really ever play into the game far or long enough...it has evolved quite a bit since release. Have played all of the top titles starting with EQ over the last 10 years and there is really nothing better on the market these days for MMORPG vets.....kids and juvi's will still like WoW and we don't mind ;) The expansion will likely give it another boost if they live up to the promo material.… Expand
  15. Alex
    Oct 27, 2009
    9
    An incredible amount of new ideas and implementations to appreciate. I could never go back to playing any other game after playing Age of Conan, despite some of it's shortcomings like buggy sieges. Classes are unique and interesting, combat system is visceral and challenging without being frustrating. Melee combat provides one of those rare gems that's easy to learn but hard to An incredible amount of new ideas and implementations to appreciate. I could never go back to playing any other game after playing Age of Conan, despite some of it's shortcomings like buggy sieges. Classes are unique and interesting, combat system is visceral and challenging without being frustrating. Melee combat provides one of those rare gems that's easy to learn but hard to master. Cannot recommend enough.… Expand
  16. Joe
    Mar 27, 2009
    10
    I have never seen such a huge improvement in any game ever. I picked this up the day it was available only to find my hardware could only run it on low settings at 15 FPS...But now let me tell you...without changing a single piece of hardware i can max everything out and still have it run at 50-60fps! i don't have a super rig (Geforce 8800GT / Pentium D 3.2GHZ/ 4G Ram) and it still I have never seen such a huge improvement in any game ever. I picked this up the day it was available only to find my hardware could only run it on low settings at 15 FPS...But now let me tell you...without changing a single piece of hardware i can max everything out and still have it run at 50-60fps! i don't have a super rig (Geforce 8800GT / Pentium D 3.2GHZ/ 4G Ram) and it still looks and plays amazingly well! they have added tons of content, and now DX10...Godrays...need i say more? Awesome and refreshing if you're like me and sick of the same old Orcs vs Human vs Elves garbage. Game rocks now plan and simple! pick it up its only $20!… Expand
  17. FredBob
    Jun 21, 2009
    9
    Sorry for the length, but I feel like doing a full review on this game because i feel that AoC deserves far more recognition than it already has because of the massive amount of bugs upon release, 99% of which are now fixed and the game is far superior to any other MMO i have played so far (Incl WoW)

    This game, after playing WoW for 2 years (and 2 years on private servers prior to    Sorry for the length, but I feel like doing a full review on this game because i feel that AoC deserves far more recognition than it already has because of the massive amount of bugs upon release, 99% of which are now fixed and the game is far superior to any other MMO i have played so far (Incl WoW)

    This game, after playing WoW for 2 years (and 2 years on private servers prior to that), offers a far better experience than WoW. There is far more blood and gore and the fatalities are just an incredible aspect of the game, even when someone lands a fatality on me i sit there and go WHOA and both my arms get lopped off, followed by my head, while my friends have a good laugh at my scenic and brutal death ^^

    The game is hugely PvP oriented (if you dont like ganking, go on a PvE server, it can get very annoying for some people), however i am in love with the whole PvP idea and huge battles can spring up in the space of a few minutes, 20-a-side wars that are only too fun :) The classes are rather balanced, however Rangers and Necromancers especially can deal massive damage at a long range, making them very OP in ganking situations :( The PvP takes A LOT of skill (coming from someone with a WoW rogue with 27k HKs of experience) and is certainly not for anyone not up to learning game mechanics and persisting through a lot of failed pvp battles, hence the fact that 90% of AoC players are very mature and adult, offering a far friendlier and happier community than WoW's large community of helpless 12 year olds because you just simply have to be mature to play it, else fail :D (I'm not saying that there arent some great people in WoW and plenty of skill required, but after playing AoC, you'll see what i mean ;) )

    The graphics are uncomparable to any other MMO, especially now that DX10 is released, my 8800 handles everything cranked to the MAX and the graphics are just stunning, the water is interactable with people and objects, and so does the grass, plus ambient occlusion/godrays/water caustics just make this game very very satisfying to look at, on par with crysis in certain locations.

    Raids are very easy and bosses are tank and spank for a lot of the time, which kinda annoyed me a bit :/ however gear is no where near as important as in say, WoW, because PvE/P is based largely on skill. Raids, however, are quite atmospheric and awesome simply because of the enhanced graphics and lighting as well as certain very cool ideas by the devs... i did a solo instance once where the floor had traps and spikes came out of the ground etc when u ran over them, was very fun :) However, i will say that raiding is better in WoW because there are far more tactics and cool effects used.

    Cities and landscapes are perfectly formed in AoC, looks like they took something out of a photograph and remade it, whereas in WoW they used rounded brushes to create topography (mountains, hills etc) which has a very unrealistic effect, as well as the same buildings being cloned into every settlement >.<, and the lighting, well sucks. In AoC, the sun moves across the sky in dynamic day/night cycles and if you watch long enough, your shadow, the trees' shadows, buildings' shadows etc move across the ground with the sun, which, IMO, looks awesome and Hide (Stealth) takes advantage of these shadows in real-time, which can be used to a rogue's advantage (there are 3 rogue sub-classes), for example they are far more effective at night because Hide takes into account light levels (including the advanced shadows), awesome! :D

    Leveling is very immersive compared to other games, quests have audio talking connected to them and you can select what to say to the characters, rather that one-click quest accepting where nobody reads the quests at all like in WoW, and the only objective is "kill x of y" or "collect x of y" or "talk to y". In AoC (especially in the first 20 levels) each class has its own destiny quests where you find out your identity etc, which is continued throughout the next 30 or so levels, for example the barbarian (rogue subclass) one has a very 'Splinter-cell' type effect involving missions to eavesdrop and assassinate at night, with a far more immersive effect than "talk to marshall mcbride... kill 10 kobold vermin" (WoW human start quests) as a start quest, followed by more of the same.
    The overall leveling in the game is just more fun and you have to actually think about the combat as you attack in 3 different directions (5 at level 40) which are chained together into combos, much the same in spellcasting/ranged classes, because the opponent has 3 shields that he can assign to any of 3 different directions (default is one per side, you can change to any number on any side upto 3 total) to reduce or block incoming damage from that direction, requiring a lot of knowledge of combos from different classes, AI and players alike.

    The game has certain flaws, such as the fact that you cant fight back if someone ganks you while interacting with an NPC until you hit Esc and by then you're probably fighting a losing battle, and the fatalities sometimes bug if you are moving while they execute, and that the ganking is enough to make ANYONE rage at some points/areas *cough* Noble district *cough*, but all of the original graphics bugs (playing on low with 20 fps for example on release) have been fixed entirely, i have already said that i play with everything ticked and all sliders maxed very happily and playably on an 8800, and athlon x2 6000+, nowadays a standard gaming rig, fps anywhere from 15 in the laggiest loading areas to 50+. Classes have been well balanced for the most part, and more balances to come, but most deaths are simply lack of skill and experience.

    DO NOT buy this game if:
    You hate getting ganked
    You have no skill/do not wish to spent a lot of time getting it (because you will)
    You only ever raid
    You are 12.

    DO buy this game if you:
    Love PvP (world pvp and capture the skull = win)
    Love ganking (even being ganked is fun, its hard to explain but the graphics + random fatalities just make me laugh every time i die :D)
    You have skill/are willing to try your best to get good
    You are mature
    You love hacking limbs off
    You have a similar/higher spec pc than mine (you will not be dissapointed)
    You have 32GB of free hard drive space :D

    Most of my guild have quit WoW for this game and, although both have their pros and cons, all of them agree that the PvP and leveling gameplay is just far superior and are much happier here, this game deserves recognition :D If you have the maturity and patience to learn the game mechanics, this game is just awesome. Buy it.    … Expand
  18. lukesesler
    Jun 22, 2009
    10
    Not sure why people bash the game. Ive played em all so far this is the one for me. I guess most of these reveiws are old because they have done alot of fixing. Balances are constantly being added along with content. Graphics are nice if you have a good card. Leveling is a bit easy but other than that ill be sticking with this for a long time.
  19. scotth
    Sep 25, 2009
    10
    This game is amazing now after the patches. You will enjoy it much more with the newest PC hardware out there though. This game is a combination of a WoW+Warhammer+street fighter+ counter strike with the graphics of mass effect!
  20. MattiM
    Nov 17, 2009
    10
    PROS: -Beautiful world, weather effects, awesome graphics (even with dx9) -Hyboria, Conan lore is different from other fantasy rpgs -Sounds, music. You can hear the wind, leaves and other things in the wilds -PVP, its intense and requires skill to master -PVE content is interesting, for the first time in an MMO I enjoy doing quests -Community, on my server (Fury EU) you know all the PROS: -Beautiful world, weather effects, awesome graphics (even with dx9) -Hyboria, Conan lore is different from other fantasy rpgs -Sounds, music. You can hear the wind, leaves and other things in the wilds -PVP, its intense and requires skill to master -PVE content is interesting, for the first time in an MMO I enjoy doing quests -Community, on my server (Fury EU) you know all the guilds and how they act, make war with them. -Support, GM:s are always there, funcom staff answer question in the official forums CONS: -Minor bugs still present, some patches have made my game to crash (they're fixed now of course) -Invisible walls, they are going to make the world more open in the upcoming expansion thou. AND: Population has been increasing atleast in the EU, patches and fixes and new content are really great and everyone who even partially liked AOC in launch should give it a go. Trials are there with great offers for new and old customers.… Expand
  21. iceice
    Aug 22, 2013
    10
    Even though the game had a rough start the company really has turned it around. They seem to have listened to their playerbase more, dropped the subscription fee and the payment transaction system is pretty fair considering how these games can get.

    So glad to see the company is stable and sticking it out for those in this market that enjoy the great art and lore. Some of the better    Even though the game had a rough start the company really has turned it around. They seem to have listened to their playerbase more, dropped the subscription fee and the payment transaction system is pretty fair considering how these games can get.

    So glad to see the company is stable and sticking it out for those in this market that enjoy the great art and lore. Some of the better writing ive found in a MMO    … Expand
  22. Beatart
    Jan 29, 2020
    10
    The best MMORPG ever! 12 different classes. Best fighting combo system. Perfect adventure world!
next
Page:

Awards & Rankings

33
#33 Best PC Game of 2008
9
#9 Most Discussed PC Game of 2008
45
#45 Most Shared PC Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 44 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 44
  3. Negative: 0 out of 44
  1. GameZone
    94
    This game marks the next generation of MMOs in many ways. It looks good, is very entertaining and plays very well. This is a journey well worth taking.
    Read full review
  2. AtomicGamer
    92
    It won't put WoW out of business, but then again, nothing will for a long time, and that doesn't mean this isn't a great game with tons of appeal and a hopefully more mature audience
    Read full review
  3. GameSpy
    80
    Age of Conan going forward should become a delightfully savage second home for plenty of howling on-line barbarians.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »