Mitra's Method: Stephen "weezer" Spiteri's Age of Conan Column

Can Funcom deliver the fullness of Howard's dark, gritty, brutal and sleazy world as he penned it? What does it mean to be playing a "Mature" game? Are we getting the Hyborian Age "full frontal", or something a bit more "modest"?

The "excessive" violence in 'Age of Conan' is acceptable because it is of the true nature of the literary genre Howard was writing for: Sword and Sorcery. When you think about, given the nature of the characters and setting, the violence isn't excessive at all, but more "proportionate".

What can you do to keep yourself occupied between now and October 30? How does your knowledge of the Conan lore stack up? Inside are a few recommendations of things you can do between now and release, and a self-confessed Robert E. Howard/Conan noob's first steps into the Hyborian age.

The Conan stories are beautifully written, to say that least. Howard is a writer that has gone through a great deal of trouble creating a delicately composed picture of the world of Hyboria and Conan's exploits. His writing is incredibly descriptive, so the reader does not have to use a great deal of mental energy to picture the people and places entwined in the stories.