Asheron's Call 2
| Asheron's Call 2: Fallen Kings | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Developer(s) | Turbine Entertainment Software |
| Publisher(s) |
Microsoft Game Studios (2002–2003) Turbine (2003–2005) Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (2012–2017) |
| Platform(s) | Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP |
| Release | November 22, 2002 |
| Genre(s) | MMORPG |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 83.34% (29 reviews) |
| Metacritic | 82/100 (22 reviews) |
Asheron's Call 2: Fallen Kings was a fantasy MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) for Microsoft Windows-based PCs which was released on November 22, 2002 and shut down on December 30, 2005. In 2012, it was relaunched as a beta for active Asheron's Call subscribers. It is a sequel to 1999's Asheron's Call, although content, graphics and gameplay dynamics differed greatly from its predecessor.
Both games were developed by Turbine Entertainment Software and originally published by Microsoft Game Studios, until Turbine purchased the Asheron's Call franchise in December 2003. The Microsoft to Turbine transition was completed in spring 2005. In 2004 and 2005, Turbine entered business arrangements with Jolt Online Gaming to operate AC2 in Europe and with Sony Online Entertainment to distribute the game's first expansion, Asheron's Call 2: Legions, under the Station Publishing label.
The original Asheron's Call continued to be operated, even after AC2 was shuttered. In December 2012, AC players were given the opportunity to play AC2 once again, on a new server. On December 20, 2016, it was announced that once again the game would close on January 31, 2017. On January 31, 2017, the Turbine ran AC2 server subsequently shut down, for a second time in history.
Both Asheron's Call and Asheron's Call 2 were set on the (fictional) planet of Auberean. The "Call" of Asheron's Call refers to the urge followed by people on several different "home worlds" to enter portals to Auberean, created by the Empyrean mage, Asheron Realaidain. Asheron's Call 2 took place following a major cataclysmic event on the planet, resulting in massive changes to the topography of one continent on the planet (Dereth). The three races inhabiting the continent at the time of the cataclysm high-tailed it into the safety of shelters hidden in portal space until it was safe to emerge. The basic premise of Asheron's Call 2 was that the players represented people emerging from the shelters to reclaim the world their ancestors left behind. The three warring factions that brought about the original cataclysm were still present, and still fighting for power. In addition to these three warring factions, there were other, older and perhaps more powerful forces also fighting for control of Auberean's fate.
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