Three's a crowd: SOE reveals new Everquest Next classes

Eight down, thirty two more to go. That's the number of classes now revealed in SOE's upcoming Everquest Next. The first five were revealed during Next's SOE Live presentation and mainly fell into the typical Warrior, Wizard, Rogue archetypes. Now SOE has given PCGamer UK a small look at three new classes: the Necromancer, Beast Lord, and Cleric.

As you might expect, each of these classes follow a similar design from those that have come before it. The Cleric's duty in battle can be that of buffing and protecting allies, or just utilizing the cleansing power of light to wipe out enemies before them. While Cleric's are all about the light, Necromancer's summon destructive chaotic energies and feature a companion that grows in power alongside the player. The Beast Lord is also a class featuring companions, although these are a little less of the "I will suck out your soul" demeanor and more furry.

Each class can wield two different weapon types, with each weapon changing the wielder's fighting style. The Cleric for example, wields either a two-handed hammer or a hammer and shield, while the Necromancer can utilize a tome or a dagger and focus object. Finally the Beast Lord has access to a flail and shield set, or a spear good for medium range attacks.

When it comes to classes, only time will tell if SOE's "more is better" mentality will work in favor for them. Having the ability to interchange abilities from 40 classes does open up opportunities for diversity, but limiting the number of abilities in use to only a handful may prove to hamper those efforts. What do you think?