EverQuest: The Ruins of Kunark adds a new continent to explore, a new playable character race, and graphics enhancements to the fantasy online world of EverQuest. Current EverQuest players will be able to buy Ruins of Kunark online from Verant, while newcomers to EverQuest will get all of the original game--as well as the expansion--in this box.

New players will be able to create and play as any of the standard EverQuest races (human, elf, dwarf, troll, ogre and so on) or as an Iksar, a member of a lizardman race that once ruled the continent of Kunark but has since fallen from grace. Even veteran players may be tempted to start a new Iksar character, as Iksars begin play on Kunark and are the only race other than humans that can advance in the Monk character class.

Visually, EverQuesthas always wowed players with 3-D accelerated graphics cities, dungeons, waterfalls, creatures and other fantasy vistas. The creatures and terrain in the new areas have three times as many polygons per model and much larger textures, which means that Kunark is an even greater visual feast.

But Ruins of Kunark is more than pretty graphics and a new race. Over 20 new adventure areas of varying difficulty await explorers of this ancient and mysterious continent. Braving these dangers brings great reward: players who have the Ruins of Kunarkexpansion will be able to achieve a higher experience level (and therefore more power) than those who fail to upgrade.

EverQuest is an achievement in online role-playing games and quickly became the most popular game in its class. The graphical tweaks, unique new race, new adventure areas and increased power cap introduced in Ruins of Kunark makes much more addictive and fun. --Jason Hooley