Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures - (PC)
Developer: Funcom
Format: PC
Genre: MMORPG

Muscle bound fantastical mayhem

Should the idea of scantily-clad princesses, half crazed scaly monsters and bulging biceps of man warriors be your thing, then this will make your 2008. Unashamedly retro in gaming outlook, nevertheless the sheer beauty of Hyborea, the complexity of the action led combat systems and the breadth and depth of gameplay in Conan will blow you away. Should you be bored with GTA IV that is.

The world of author Robert E Howard is brought to staggering life and given a longevity to make your head ache by its online multiplayer capabilities not least by the initial character tweaking. Your avatar, your chosen warrior, can be fashioned down to the very smallest of details - want slightly differently angled eyes? Off you go and edit them.

Once you've logged on and decided your hair colour (and indeed your gender in some instances but let's leave that one for now), it's up to you to band together with other players or go solo exploring the world and the huge variety of barbaric quests available. Fancy hunting down some crocs and retrieving the jewels around the necks of the pilgrims they've swallowed? You got it. It's not got the Conan tag for nothing this one.

Plus points for newbies to the online RPG world include a simplified but efficiently bloody combat system that's more in tune with an FPS than an RPG. With enhanced level ups in weapons and armour, side stories that will lead you off into the far reaches of Hyborea (from desert lands of Khemi to the jungle of the Baruchan isles) and yes, a smattering of scantily clothed lady warriors, your online RPG dreams, for the moment, should be sated.

To view more images, click here