This latest offering from the Sony stable is a truly impressive package: the original game and ALL of the expansions and adventure packs together.
The game is simply vast. The game world itself - Norrath - is huge, offering tremendous scope for adventure. Players can choose from a wide selection of character types - the standard FRPG choice of fighters, mages, clerics and scouts is further split into an assortment of sub-classes, each offering a different style of play. In addition, characters can choose one of several player races, and can begin from one of four starting cities.
Gameplay itself is extremely varied; many styles are catered for: you can solo, group with up to six other players or raid (up to four groups), depending on your inclination, and of course the time you have available.
As for quests - the name of the game - there are thousands of these built into the game. None are required for progression, and you can choose to ignore these completely if you wish, and choose your own path.
Perhaps the element that makes Everquest II stand apart from the competition is the 'mentoring' system. This gives high-level veteran players the ability to voluntarily reduce their level to that of lower-level characters: this ability can be used to assist novice players, re-visit game content that a player character may have 'outgrown,' and - perhaps most importantly of all - it removes the 'you're too big for me to play with' problem completely.
In Rise Of Kunark, Everquest II has evolved into a truly beautiful fantasy world.
The game should come with a health warning - it is seriously addictive, but in this player's opinion it's worth every penny.