With the MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) wars have been raging for the last few years, this summer/early fall is shaping up to be a climactic battle as new players enter the field and the old guard don new armor.

Anarchy Online is one of the longest running MMORPGs and is certainly the oldest of the sci-fi-flavored online experiences. Though the game has the unfortunate stimga of having the worst launch of an MMORPG in the history of the industry, after over a dozen version updates and a successful booster pack, The Notum Wars, Anarchy Online is one of the most visually appealing and engrossing online RPGs available on the PC.

Late this summer, the folks at Funcom will be releasing the fruits of several years of hard labor, the long awaited "true" expansion pack to Anarchy Online, Shadowlands. Upping the ante for the game in both visual and gameplay arenas, Anarchy Online: Shadowlands promises to take an already rich online experience and take it in a direction few could have imagined.

Today, Evan takes us deep into what could be the sci-fi MMORPG to beat this summer with this preview first-look. To further enhance your reading, we've overhauled and expanded our already massive gallery of the game. Fans of Anarchy Online are sure to get a treat over some of these latest screenshots and artwork from the game.

From what we've seen so far of Shadowlands, Funcom may prove that the underdogs always win in the end.

• Anarchy Online: Shadowlands Preview First-Look
• Anarchy Online: Shadowlands Gallery Update