If I have to score this game, I would rank this game with 40/100, YES, YOU SHOULD NOT PASS! (lolz)
Ya, in the point of a hardcore gamer's view, this expansion is rather disappointing. Deficiency in original HG:L still exist in this expansion, for example : repeative scene, dumb bosses, boring gameplay and lacking of replaybility. I can tell that I played once, and never wants another time.
Total gameplay time is about 6-7hr(for my Lv50 Elite Marksman), and half of it is wasted in finding Beast Essence, it is a critical point to adjust.
Ok, lets see whats new in Stonehenge Chronicles.
All Stonehenge expansion consists of 14 zones, respectively Stonehenge base, The Wild for grouping propose, Wake Hallow + 8 zones for questing, and Moloch's Step+Necro fall + Master's Court for final boss fighting. In order to enter 4 wings connect to Wake Hallow, you must collect 4 types of essence. They are Demon(to Hallow Deep=>Heart of Hell), Necro(Skull Step=>Lair of the damned), Spectral(Shadow Pass=>Torment) and Beast(Blood Walk=>The Maw). Each wing has a boss in, you must kill all of them to collect their head. In order to enter Moloch's Step you must have all 4 heads, it is all questline in Stonehenge.
Lets introduce these zones.
Stonehenge :
There is 5 vendors in this base, selling level varies items, and no crafter here. Just like regular station base, it provides nano-forge, augmatrix3k and de-modder. For now it provides no quest, just some guide. There is 3 platform in this area, and maybe you can see some of them are hollowed, maybe for use of further expansion.
Wake Hallow :
This area is a big jungle, a new tileset in this expansion. There are 4 wing area connecting here, they are Demon(Hallow Deep=>Hell's Heart), Necro(Skull step=>Lair of the Damned), Spectral(Shadow Pass=>Torment) and Beast(Blood Walk=>The Maw). In order to enter these sub-area, you must collect each type of essence of 5. For example, 5 necro essence is required if you want to enter Skull Step. Every time you "unlock" the door, the door will remain unlocked until wing boss is killed, no matter you relog, rezone or so. Beast essence is most difficult to obtain, because lots type of beast can never appear in rare quality or above(such like coils, spawning felborn, felborn lashers strikers archmugus or mega-sized revangers). Fastest way to collect beast essence is farming Big Ben in Lower Kingsway Sewers. He have about 0.5 ratio to drop this, so you can almost sure you can get at least 1 in 10 min(about 2-3 runs).
Demon Wing :
Hallow Deep=>Hell's Heart
Boss : Errgoth
Hell's heart uses tileset which is used in St.Paul Hellgate's Hell, and enlarged to about 3-4 times. Boss is named as Errgoth, a greater size version of Shulgoth with decent hitpoints. The major different between him and his brother is he blast high power electric balls instead of inferno flames. He is a dumb boss with weak melee damage, but his electric steam is lethal. In Marksman's case, just like the way to slay his brother, hit and run, and avoid the electric steam.
Necro Wing :
Skull Step=>Lair of the Damned.
Boss : Oriax
Lair of the Damned uses Church tileset, and have some texture improvement. Although it is an old tileset, but this improvement makes great unique optical effect. Oriax himself is a zombie summoner, much more HP, and summons zombie....a greater size and much more powerful Gutgore, the ironfist huge zombie. For marksman he is a formidable foe, because Gutgores is one of worst mob for Marksman. Anyway, just use R+R and get in good position, he would be a history :).
Spectral Wing:
Shadow Pass=>Torment
Boss : The Nicor
Another 314's mind, and of course, much bigger. This is another proof that FSS makes nothing effort in improvement tileset :(. Boss in this area is named The Nicor, looks like flea(Lost One), acts like flea, even hitpoints like flea too. His hitpoints is equal to fleas you can see in some maps, so you may unexpected overrun him without notice, and feel strange why theres lots loot on ground lol. He is nothing worth to report, and always act with a horde of fleas, nothing special.
Beast Wing:
Blood Walk=>The Maw
Boss : Ash
The Maw is just another Wake Hallow, and smaller. Ash is a flying fiend with lethal fireball attack. He have 3 attack mode, regular melee, fire field splash and fireball. His hitpoints is insanely high and he will flying here and there, so you must take a long time to fight him. His fireball is extremely lethal, will 1 hit kill somebody with 180AC, 2.2kHP plus 500ish shield, so when fighting to him, main object is avoiding his sick fireballs.
Boss wing :
Moloch's Step=>The Necro Fall=>Master's Court
Boss : Moloch
Moloch's Step is another another another jungle, nothing special. Necro Fall use crypt tileset, and add some unique features to make it looks better, not bad. Master's Court is the boss room of Moloch. I must admit, Moloch looks really cool, but too weak. He have only 2 attacks, in ranged he uses Flame column stream will ignite player, and in melee range he use tailspin to AE stun players. Both makes weak damage, like Bloodblade(lol).
He seems always drop an amount of Nanoshards, I got 3 in this battle. Just like 4 wings, while you killed Moloch, the warp gate leads to Moloch's Step will be locked, and require 4 heads from slaying his generals again.
Too repeative, a pity =P
