Current mood:

awake

Champions Online review
OK, since I was home very sick today, I was able to pass the time and try out "Champions Online" after resolving some computer bug issues this morning. What does Tanuki, a diehard "City of Heroes" player think? Let us take the path of good and bad Frogurt, and I will share my impressions.

1. Counter-intuitive (that's bad) The game was created by former members of the City of Heroes team, and there are many similar mechanics. However, I have to say the Champions Online interface is a lot less easy to figure out than City of Heroes. I was into several missions before I realized those wacky little items I was picking up had to be fit into slots to buff up my character. (shakes head). Given how long the tutorial was, some in-game character couldn't have mentioned it to me?

2. Character Creation and Powers (that's good). I did enjoy the character creation system a lot. It's more open than City of Heroes, so if you want a gunfighter/martial artist, you can do that. That was cool. Costume design was similar to COH, Minette was a bit annoyed when she found out that there are two female physiques, "really busty" and "Playmate of the Year Busty." That said, I really liked the outfit and weapons I gave to my gun-fu female adventurer, Indigo Hawk. Also, characters are really, really dynamic in Champions Online...I was getting a kick out of my character whipping out two pistols, blazing away, and then cartwheeling as she shot enemies surrounding her. Thumbs up there. I also REALLY approve of the basic super-power recharging your other powers when you use it.

3. Tutorial and missions (that's bad). However....I feel City of Heroes really takes the lead when it comes to game world and missions. Champions' tutorial is an alien invasion and has a nice epic feel to it...but it drags on, and on, and on..... I also notice a theme. 1) Tutorial: Kill a lot of alien invaders. 2) Canada: Kill a lot of ice zombies. COH has two major things going for it: 1) the feeling you can move around freely and a true sense of epic scale to the city. Even though I went to Canada, the zones feel tight. The missions feel too much like a "hunt and loot" cookie cutter so far. In COH, you feel like the missions are a real comic book plot.

4. Graphics and sound (that's mixed) It's not too bad. The cell-shaded look is very comic-esque (I found out you can remove it if you want, which is good.) Cut scenes are lengthy, perhaps too much so. Listening to spoken lines is amusing.

5. Overall? I'd say Champions has more of a feel of an "arcade MMORPG" than COH. Enemies pour out of the woodwork, you spend a lot of time running, blasting and fighting. But...I'd say Champions Online loses out in three areas. 1) Tech support...it's pretty darned poor, and it took 3 hours for me to upload the patch so I could play. 2) Missions....COH tailors your first missions to your origin, Champions just plops you down among the Canadian zombies whether you are Hulk-esque or Rorshach-lite. After my 70th or 80th zombie battle, I was like, "Can I go back to the U.S. yet?" 3) Lack of teamwork...normally I LIKE being able to play solo, but there are so many wandering monsters around I was really wanting some help on some of the missions.

It's not bad. But I find myself saying "Boy, I wish COH would copy some of these features" rather than "Time to switch over!!!"

(I do have to say, Indigo Hawk is teh sexay and dangerous lookin'. Rawr.) :P