June 27, 2008 - Released in May, Funcom's Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures takes players to an ancient, dark period where great kingdoms clash in feudal conflicts. As members of 12 diverse classes, they can live, fight and explore in a world based on over 75 years of books, movies, art and other materials.

Commendations
Setting character creation in the bowels of a slave ship and following soon after with a cutscene in which players are told they must kill for their freedom quickly fosters an uncommon single-player feeling. The boundaries between classes seem well defined. Even among the melee types, distinct strengths and weaknesses provide solid direction while still giving meaningful choices. The game's combination of close combat and collision detection systems may be unrivaled. The battle experience is active and feels fresh, and while the scheme was easy enough to pick up and play, it isn't necessarily simple to master. Movement is smooth and adds a level of fluidity to melee encounters that could allow the use of some creative techniques and strategies.