Last year, Snowblind Studios and Sony Online Entertainment scored a hit for the PS2 with the release of Champions of Norrath, an Everquest branded hack-and-slash RPG. It was met with both critical and commercial success, no doubt based upon the feverish popularity of the Everquest brand. A year later, the franchise returns with Champions: Return to Arms, a direct sequel to Norrath. Like the original, it's a fine hack-and-slash RPG that's both lengthy and challenging, and sports vastly improved online play. A couple of silly bugs hamper the game, but they do not ruin it. Like most hack-and-slash games, it can become repetitive, but if you're a fan of this genre, RTA is a no-brainer, and definitely one of the better action RPGs on any game console despite some notable flaws.