Champions Online

 PC
User Score
6.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 256 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 126 out of 256
  2. Mixed: 44 out of 256
  3. Negative: 86 out of 256
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  1. Ansatsu83
    Jul 10, 2011
    6
    PvE vs PvP

    First and foremost, I do like to take part in both PvE and PvP elements in any given game. I find that this game is a decent cross between World of Warcraft (vanilla or Burning crusade wow, not wrath or cata) and CoH/CoV. The Bad: There are issues where I am getting killed in two hits on a single map, and it only gets worse the higher you level. Healers are far too overpowered    PvE vs PvP

    First and foremost, I do like to take part in both PvE and PvP elements in any given game. I find that this game is a decent cross between World of Warcraft (vanilla or Burning crusade wow, not wrath or cata) and CoH/CoV. The Bad: There are issues where I am getting killed in two hits on a single map, and it only gets worse the higher you level. Healers are far too overpowered and will not die nor will their team die in pvp. Problem is, there is only 1 healer in any given match on 1 team, not any others.

    The teleport power is by far the only power to use if you want to go into pvp as it makes you untargetable for quite a while and allows you to zip around the map and avoid death. A healer with teleport is basically an unstoppable win. You cant get a single kill in the game at that point.

    The zombie game mode is ok but the problem is, it counts towards your win/loss and I have yet to see a win. This is a massive design flaw.

    There is also a bug where if you are the last to die in a PvP match you end up dying in the game world. This causes star loss which cuts your DPS and healing ability down quite a bit.

    The customer service is basically nothing, it makes EA and Blizzard customer service look decent. They will send you a randomly generated response without reading a single thing.

    There are also random lag spikes (yes, it means ping) which causes pings to go above 2k. Problem is at 2k ping when you are already in combat, you die.

    The good: The game can run on almost any computer (mine is not too bad, I can run any game released today) but it is beneficial if you have a friend or family member who has a bad comp. But this also means it gets rated down on the graphics end (1 point off the total score honestly in this review).

    The game play and controls are fluid as well, the missions are repetitive but they throw in lots of unique NPC types to keep you entertained. The adventure packs are also decent, but only if you want to spend money on the game itself.

    Also the character customization is possibly one of the best in any mmo you will find, I think it has slightly more customization options than perfect world and that game is insane for it.

    Bottom line: It is a decent game, tons of character creation options, decent game play which keeps you entertained in many ways, but extremely broken PvP which the dev's refuse to fix. If you like PvE give the game a shot, if you like PvP you will be yanking your hair out at some of the stupid situations the dev's put in the game which are completely unavoidable if you refuse to not play PvP

    Graphics: 4 out of 10
    Sound: 3 out of 10
    Gameplay: 6 out of 10 (due to pvp being BROKEN)
    Longevity: 8 out of 10
    Controls: 9 out of 10    … Expand
  2. shipwreck58
    Jun 24, 2011
    6
    While I tried to like this game, I couldn't. I played Champions back in the day and was in Beta for a long time and as the game cleaned itself up during beta I just was disappointed. I had been playing City of Heroes since Beta so I was looking for a different take. But though there were a few nice aspects that COH didn't have (certain costume customization options, object destruction)While I tried to like this game, I couldn't. I played Champions back in the day and was in Beta for a long time and as the game cleaned itself up during beta I just was disappointed. I had been playing City of Heroes since Beta so I was looking for a different take. But though there were a few nice aspects that COH didn't have (certain costume customization options, object destruction) it just couldn't compare to City of Heroes (and I mean in its original state, not the current game which is vastly improved and expanded. The comic book coloring it neat at first (reminding me of XIII), but soon becomes tiresome.… Expand
  3. kickdacatt
    Aug 31, 2011
    5
    If you are familiar with the RP version of Champions then you're likely to be seriously disappointed with the character generation in this video game version as none of it has be preserved, sadly.
  4. gabriot
    May 19, 2014
    4
    This game is in every way shape and form a step back from a game that already came out 10 years ago - City of Heroes. Why they decided to continue Champions Online and completely shut down CoH completely baffles me, I guess the microtransaction model was already in place for Champions so it seemed more profitable. Regardless, I've lost all respect for the company for selling out likeThis game is in every way shape and form a step back from a game that already came out 10 years ago - City of Heroes. Why they decided to continue Champions Online and completely shut down CoH completely baffles me, I guess the microtransaction model was already in place for Champions so it seemed more profitable. Regardless, I've lost all respect for the company for selling out like that.

    Basically the game is your standard free to play microtransaction bullcrap that plagues the market today. Some of the ploys they use to get money are laughable. For instance, when you build your first character, there will be items included in things such as a Halloween pack and a dryad pack that allow you to select them without having an indicator by their name that you have to purchase them (even though there are other items that are selectable such as Ancient Armor cosmetics, which clearly state they must be purchased) - so basically it tricks you into thinking those items are selectable and available for your character, then once you are done finishing your character it pops up a dialogue saying you have items that must be purchased otherwise they will not show in game, because it turns out (shock) that you have to pay for things like the halloween pack and dryad pack... what an absolutely scummy way of trying to trick users into paying. On top of that the character creation is just a huge step down from CoH, half the items when you put in certain combos and certain scalings (common ones I might add) have awful looking graphical glitches like a shoulder pad having your shoulder pop right through it and show visibly from the outside. On top of that, when you get into the actual game, it's cell shaded (even though the character creation screen WAS NOT) and you basically get a character that doesn't even look like what you created.

    In general the cel shaded graphics look like ass, and it is also a huge step backward from the already gorgeous game with 10 year old graphics - CoH.

    There are also less than half the choices for unique and cool skill sets that CoH had, which is ridiculous. The only melee classes are weapon classes, so forget the cool things such as claws and spikes.

    Combat is awful, and leveling up is dumbed down, basically they made this game for people that don't want to worry about building a character rpg style, and just want to play some mindless arcade-like game.

    The game has half the character and passion the original game had, it's really sad to see this is what is left of the once glorious CoH.

    If you want to play a free-to-play mmo with superheros (or any mmo with superheros for that matter) the DC Online game is the only way to go. It's not perfect, but it's better in every way shape and form than this lackluster game "Champions Online" is.

    Don't waste your time with this game, it's trash.    … Expand
  5. ScottM
    Oct 18, 2009
    8
    I started playing about 2 weeks ago with my Pre-SW:TOR guild and this MMO really has potential. I've played WoW, WAR, etc since they all came out and I have to say so far I love Champions. They have fixed a lot of bugs with the game so thats a poor excuse to give it a poor rating. They are doing very well with pumping out constant fixes with any problem they find. The Combat system I started playing about 2 weeks ago with my Pre-SW:TOR guild and this MMO really has potential. I've played WoW, WAR, etc since they all came out and I have to say so far I love Champions. They have fixed a lot of bugs with the game so thats a poor excuse to give it a poor rating. They are doing very well with pumping out constant fixes with any problem they find. The Combat system is amazing and NOT turn-based, rather then being gear and rotation based like WoW, It actually takes skill to excel in PvE and PvP. The Charater Customization i obviously great. truthfully it's just fun and its a good change from repetitive MMOs.… Expand
  6. KW
    Sep 13, 2009
    6
    As many have said, there are alot of issues with the game. Customability of your character's looks and powers is its strength but with regards to the powers, thats also one of its weaknesses when a player can make so many mistakes and have to waste time to fix them or start from scratch. Game world's missions are very thin at some critical levels. Teaming and in game As many have said, there are alot of issues with the game. Customability of your character's looks and powers is its strength but with regards to the powers, thats also one of its weaknesses when a player can make so many mistakes and have to waste time to fix them or start from scratch. Game world's missions are very thin at some critical levels. Teaming and in game socialization (the Multi of a multi player online game) are thin to non existant. Crafting and game economy are cumbersome, over complicated, and price wise out of the typical gamer's reach. Game uses not just zoning but mini zoning(mutiple versions of a zone when numbers become too high) so the feel is even less numbers of people(this is good and bad). Overall, this is a Beta version of a game that should have remained Beta for quite a while longer(Cryptic dragged their heels making this game across 3 different publisher(Marvel/Microsoft and now Atari). Since Cryptic is infamous for turning out sloppy work, Im not confident that they will improve and maintain this game up to quality MMO standards. If you want a Sandbox(customize playing/creating) heroe game this is your few weeks to a month worth of fun. If you are looking for a Super Hero MMO with solid pve pvp crafting econ etc Give this one a miss.… Expand
  7. CaitiVoltaire
    May 4, 2012
    1
    I feel I should qualify this review. I am a lifetime subscriber to CO. Had you asked me to review the game prior to the On Alert update, I couldn't've recommended it enough.

    But the On Alert update has come and gone since then, and there's no sugarcoating it: it is terrible. Where before you had a game in the vein of City of Heroes ( no surprise there, Cryptic developed CoH as well    I feel I should qualify this review. I am a lifetime subscriber to CO. Had you asked me to review the game prior to the On Alert update, I couldn't've recommended it enough.

    But the On Alert update has come and gone since then, and there's no sugarcoating it: it is terrible.

    Where before you had a game in the vein of City of Heroes ( no surprise there, Cryptic developed CoH as well before moving on to the Champions IP ) which was full of flavour, interesting stories and characters, it's all been either clawed back, removed entirely, or rewritten into something bland, samey, and uninteresting.

    So what changed in On Alert?

    Before, when you started the game, you had a lot of story options as to how to progress in the game, because there were two hubs you could participate in: the "Millenium City" missions in its gang-themed "Westside" - sort of a much wackier Batman area - or the more "realistic" stuff in Canada whose beginning game content centers around the occult release of a powerful spirit (and then perplexingly has you fighting terrorists after this crisis arc with no given way that the two arcs tie together)

    Now you can't touch Canada's missions at all until you're level 15 (of 40). You have a good several hours worth of grind in West Side (or the Alerts) at the beginning of the game, and even at that, a lot of the content in West Side has been cut down or otherwise trimmed down.

    Speaking of things that were trimmed down in the On Alert update, the crafting system is no more. Where before you had a system that had a lot of wacky, zany, and generally-interesting items each with a little bit of flavour text usually pertaining to the game world, now every item in the world follows the same template. No, you didn't misread, every item in the world uses the same sterile six templates. It gets very old very fast and both greatly reduces immersion in the game world and the sense of reward you get from these items.

    Where before the grind was passable because it was guised with interesting stories with often interesting bad guys, they have all been watered down lately. The series' front page supervillain Doctor Destroyer, for example, gets sidelined by the games other - usually much less interesting - bad guys. Without spoiling anything - the two main 'end game' confrontations don't even give him a nod.

    The Alerts are the focus of the update of course, it being named On Alert and all ... and they are a mess. Some of them are fine if extremely repetitive - but others are balanced about as well as plate on a stick in the middle of an earthquake in a windstorm, which is to say, not very much. To give one example, some of the alerts have you fighting series whipping-boy "Kevin Poe" - who is now anything but a whipping boy. Even with a high damage team, you're going to struggle to even put a dent in him by the time the two minutes you're given are up, because he has a classic example of the Computer Cheating: he has a power called Personal Force Field, which in the PC iteration is a little annoying but not overpowered, but because of how ridiculously Cryptic amps up the Supervillain stats and such to present a challenge since their AI is so terrible, there is almost no way you're going to take down that superviallins shield in the given time, let alone his health. Don't get me started on Draconis, who combines this shield with powerful crowd control abilities, which are also amped up.

    Even if the game was otherwise perfect, this removing of the game's story and flavour has effectively ruined it for me. But it's also bugged to tomorrow and back with the update. Bad guys constantly clip out of the level geometry during alerts, preventing you from succeeding during them. And also in the old content, such as the Demonflame adventure pack - again preventing you from succeeding in it. The game constantly drops my keybindings. The game will often wait until after you're dead to apply healing items - consuming the item but doing you no good, being dead and all. The voiceovers added by the review, when they added the update are terrible - but only when they work, which isn't often.

    On Alert is a mess. Don't get this game. Don't support it with c-store purchases, which will be made a waste of money by them being made available freely in the game anyways (the 90s superhero set for example was available in the c-store for 320 cryptic points, and is now freely available in game). Don't support it with subscriptions, which they won't respect anyways. Wait until they fix it - but don't hold your breath.    … Expand
  8. Simox
    Jun 20, 2011
    2
    Poor graphics, poor playability, irritating combat gameplay even for an rpg, the initial tutorial was enough for me to delete the game from my Steam library, worst rpg I have played in while.
  9. Fideous
    Sep 2, 2012
    10
    Champions Online is now three years old and the developers have worked tirelessly to improve game play, include new content and resolve the bugs which were abundant on the initial release. Perfect World bought this game and Star Trek Online from Atari for over $50 million dollars and the new content is coming in at least twice a week. Taken at face value with all the included changes,Champions Online is now three years old and the developers have worked tirelessly to improve game play, include new content and resolve the bugs which were abundant on the initial release. Perfect World bought this game and Star Trek Online from Atari for over $50 million dollars and the new content is coming in at least twice a week. Taken at face value with all the included changes, its the most diverse, hero customizable, and tight community you would want to be a part of! It's now free-to-play, they still offer lifetime memberships as well as monthly accounts for extra perks. Graphics are great and support DirectX 11 -- posted tweaks on Steam to make them even better. The game play is fast and action oriented, the new alert system puts you in the action instantly, the characters are customizable with character points in addition to powers, you can create your own nemesis which appears in the world. It's worth travelling back to Millennium City to see the improvements -- for free!… Expand
  10. elfoxy
    Jul 8, 2011
    2
    I do not like this game, I don't know what it is that I mostly dislike, The visuals are terrible, and the story just gets boring very very quickly.I do not like this game, I don't know what it is that I mostly dislike, The visuals are terrible, and the story just gets boring very very quickly.

    Derp.    … Expand
  11. iburnaga
    Apr 27, 2011
    10
    There is always room for more improvement in this game but as it is I give it at least 10 out of 10. The graphics don't kill your eyes, the missions are fun, getting a group together is fun and the power customization is good. That being said it needs things like player hideouts, earlier introduction of a nemesis, more customization options(You have enough when people complain about thereThere is always room for more improvement in this game but as it is I give it at least 10 out of 10. The graphics don't kill your eyes, the missions are fun, getting a group together is fun and the power customization is good. That being said it needs things like player hideouts, earlier introduction of a nemesis, more customization options(You have enough when people complain about there being too much).… Expand
  12. dans
    Oct 12, 2009
    0
    I can only begin to tell you how terrible this game is! If you like farming 60,000+ low level mobs just to get costume unlocks this game is for you though. If you care to play a concept character you WILL be feeble compared to a character who only picked powers based on usefulness: ie my level 10 TK blades could kill foes my level 18 Martial arts character would die to. Melee is far I can only begin to tell you how terrible this game is! If you like farming 60,000+ low level mobs just to get costume unlocks this game is for you though. If you care to play a concept character you WILL be feeble compared to a character who only picked powers based on usefulness: ie my level 10 TK blades could kill foes my level 18 Martial arts character would die to. Melee is far inferior in every way compared to ranged to the point it should have been called "Blasters Online-also with some ignorant melee." Whole power sets are nearly useless in PvP AND PvE! The character creator everyone keeps praising is a step backwards from the one in City of Heroes, often times you pick a costume piece only to have an error message appear. I only visited 3 zones in the time i played(out of 5) and those zones seems very sloppy and piece-meal. There isn't a single landmark or interesting location in the whole dang game that i know of, and the novelty of cowboy robots wears off after about 5 seconds... Another fault I found was that unless you have graphic settings turned to MAX at character creation you don't actually have any idea what you like like as certain textures and layers of pattern only appear at max settings! I could go on and on people(travel power balance, developer responses, horrible trade skills, auction house, bank,customer service and outright thievery of money) it would be hard to find a positive thing about this game. Avoid at all costs, and if you must play don't give them your credit card info!… Expand
  13. StevenW
    Oct 21, 2010
    10
    I've been playing Champion Online since launch and while it may have started of a bit on the weak side but over the last year its went from strength to strength. During the last year there has been many changes made to champions with to major balance passes carried out on powers one on melee based powers that greatly improved how melee based characters perform and another on pets whichI've been playing Champion Online since launch and while it may have started of a bit on the weak side but over the last year its went from strength to strength. During the last year there has been many changes made to champions with to major balance passes carried out on powers one on melee based powers that greatly improved how melee based characters perform and another on pets which again has greatly improved there use and made them into viable power selections. with both these passes the developers have showing a willingness to listen to the player base beyond anything I've seen in any other game even going so far as to delay the pet specific parts of a patch so that they could do further work on the pet powers based on feedback they had received on the public test server.

    This same willingness to listen and delay releases also extends to content where they delayed the latest adventure pack daemon flame so that they could further polish it based on feedback they had received from the previous adventure pack serpents lantern.

    Of course where Champions really shines is the character creation and open power selection which allows a great deal of freedom in your characters creation. Best of all costume unlocks are now global so if you get a costume part on a character that would doesn't soot them but would look really great on one of your other characters its no problem to load that character up head to the tailor and select that cool new costume part .

    All in all champions Online is well worth picking up and giving it a try best of all the box can now be picked up for a low price and you get a full month of play time included.    … Expand
  14. Spawnah
    Jul 21, 2011
    7
    The graphics are fun and look comic-like as they should, There's lots of powers and they're quite fun to play with too. All the classes seem pretty balanced. There is a tonne of character customization, so you can usually get your hero to look exactly how you want them to look, so it's got the best character customization I've seen in a game before.But the game can't stand up on justThe graphics are fun and look comic-like as they should, There's lots of powers and they're quite fun to play with too. All the classes seem pretty balanced. There is a tonne of character customization, so you can usually get your hero to look exactly how you want them to look, so it's got the best character customization I've seen in a game before.But the game can't stand up on just character customization alone, because that's just visual, I haven't gotten to a very high level, but I've been told that later on, most missions require a team to do, which makes it harder for players who mostly solo like myself. Since it's free on Steam I'd recommend you give it a try, maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't, but you haven't lost anything in trying it for yourself. For a game that's free it,s good, it might even be great, but it's not the kind of game I'd be glad I payed for.… Expand
  15. XxDdgaMerxX
    Jul 31, 2011
    4
    Not the best MMO i have played but it was average and needs alot of improvements. My main concern is the camera angles they just didn't work especially the MMO camera setting, the only one with a half descent camera setting was the Fantasy one, but even with that setting it was still hard to control. It does have MMO/RPG elements but was not as good as other Cryptic games like Star TrekNot the best MMO i have played but it was average and needs alot of improvements. My main concern is the camera angles they just didn't work especially the MMO camera setting, the only one with a half descent camera setting was the Fantasy one, but even with that setting it was still hard to control. It does have MMO/RPG elements but was not as good as other Cryptic games like Star Trek Online even with its repetitiveness. Another problem was that it took long amounts of time to load and I have high quality internet and very good PC yet it still took long to load. If the game had better camera angle settings and quicker loading times it may be a better game.… Expand
  16. mr_cupcake
    Aug 6, 2011
    6
    This game is one of the best MMORPGs i have played with a great character creator but it lacks a story and i help but notice all missions are very simular
  17. JoseRochaPT
    Sep 20, 2011
    8
    Straight 8 ! The best Steam Free RPG !
    Fails in the community system since MMORPG must have community systems like nice friend lists, party's, groups, clans, factions and stuff like that, and Champions Online is missing that, but what can we as for ? It's free !
  18. Barua124
    Oct 17, 2012
    2
    17OCT2012 - I've played this game since it first came out. When the game was purchased by Perfect World Entertainment, it really started to go down hill. They didn't really make anything new. They mostly locked off everything and tried to sell us back what we originally already had. Forced character deletions, repurchasing powers and costumes we already owned, and an ever restricting17OCT2012 - I've played this game since it first came out. When the game was purchased by Perfect World Entertainment, it really started to go down hill. They didn't really make anything new. They mostly locked off everything and tried to sell us back what we originally already had. Forced character deletions, repurchasing powers and costumes we already owned, and an ever restricting character creation for new accounts. New accounts are left with barely 10% of the costume options they once used to have and its still shrinking. I understand the model behind Free-2-Play, but this is just overkill and the customers suffer. I hate to say it, but let this turd die to teach them a lesson.… Expand
  19. Andreakossa
    Apr 22, 2012
    6
    Always wanted to be a superhero and fight the villains ?
    Want to feel the power or fly around ?
    Then this is the game for you, there's not much to say about it, only thing to say is try it.
  20. Krauserlols
    Apr 24, 2013
    7
    Its a fun game for people whit friends it really gives you the feeling to be a super hero but it has alot of grind but Criptic is adding alot of stuff so you can try it out if you want its pretty fun.
  21. David-J
    Sep 2, 2009
    10
    Finally you can be the superheroe you've always envisioned. Champions Online is an amazing product. From the box itself you can feel this game is going to be special. The character creation is amazing. You can create the superheroe you've always envisioned, tweaking it to the smallest detail. You can tweak proportions, colors, accesories, mood, stance, etc, etc, etc. It is by Finally you can be the superheroe you've always envisioned. Champions Online is an amazing product. From the box itself you can feel this game is going to be special. The character creation is amazing. You can create the superheroe you've always envisioned, tweaking it to the smallest detail. You can tweak proportions, colors, accesories, mood, stance, etc, etc, etc. It is by far the best character creation out there. All the time you feel like you are in control of the way your character is looking. When you are satisfied with your character you start the tutorial. You may think that it would be boring but the way they set it up it's pretty fun. You learn to get around in the middle of an alien invasion. So you dive into the action right from the start. The controls are pretty simple and very intuitive. You have access to all the information you need very easily and you don't waste time looking for stuff. There are plenty of missions to go around, there is a lot of content to keep yourself busy. Regarding the graphics, they are perfect for the style of the game. Looks like you are playing and living in a comic book. The characters have a lot of detail in their costumes, they look amazing. The fx in the game, specially the character powers look great. For everyone that likes comic books and superheroes this is the game to have. You truly feel like you are the superheroe the world was waiting for.… Expand
  22. MichaelT.
    Sep 30, 2009
    8
    Though there are a few rough edges I would say this game is by far an excellent choice for someone wanting to try something new that is not a WoW clone. The fact that character choices in power selection can make or break your characters solo and group viability is hard for some to grasp and is often the main complaint on the forums.
  23. StevenC
    Sep 4, 2009
    9
    Way better than any superhero game before this. From the people who made City of Heroes, I was iffy on if this would be any good. I didn't like CoH's combat system.. but they definitely did a good job with this game. the glitches are mostly visual and haven't affected gameplay so far. and the charcacter creator is the best I've EVER seen!!!
  24. Xiru
    Sep 5, 2009
    10
    Extremely solid combat, good writing and incredibly deep character customization. This one should appeal even to burnt-out MMO players with its freshness. Even if you don't play past your free month, the experience is totally worth it.
  25. MichaelPilbeam
    Sep 6, 2009
    10
    I'm giving this game a 10, because its just short of brilliant. It really is the most enjoyable mmo i've ever played. This is the only mmo that I feel can really take me away from World of Warcraft. Warhammer couldn't do it, LOTRO couldn't, but this has really ticked every box for me.
  26. AnonymousMC
    Sep 8, 2009
    5
    Looks and plays like an unpolished City of Heroes clone. Not a terrible game, but doesn't really seem to offer anything substantial over CoH, and is missing plenty of features and polish that CoH players will miss. In another year or two it may be good, but right now, meh.
  27. RavenB
    Sep 9, 2009
    2
    I'm so disappointed at this game. They took a great concept and beautiful gameplay (experienced during beta and headstart) and remade it into a boring grindfeast, I recommend you stay away, because this isn't a fun game anymore. Its a chore. And an tedious one at that.
  28. ChrisM
    Jan 6, 2010
    4
    This game has the potential to be a great game. The only problem is it crashes all the time and gives me BSOD. No other games I play give me the amount of problems this game does. When I can play and its not stuck on the launcher is trying to update box its a fun game. The crashing problems are a "driver problem" witch is what the creators of this game want me to think when in fact This game has the potential to be a great game. The only problem is it crashes all the time and gives me BSOD. No other games I play give me the amount of problems this game does. When I can play and its not stuck on the launcher is trying to update box its a fun game. The crashing problems are a "driver problem" witch is what the creators of this game want me to think when in fact it's their crappy coding work that has a problem with my drivers not the other way around. I know an MMO does not work the same as other single player games. I have played plenty of MMOs on this Rig and none of them have given me any problems. So this game gets a 4.… Expand
  29. KeithG.
    Nov 20, 2009
    3
    Very good character creator but seriously lacking any content for an mmo. You should not be able to "beat" an mmo and I have beaten this game 3 times now. Snore.
  30. KarriJ.
    Oct 1, 2009
    10
    It's the most fun MMO I've tried. It's very fun and dynamic compared to many other MMOs. There are bugs, but the game is playable, and the bugs are being worked on quickly. Does the game really deserve a 10? Well, no, probably not, but neither does it deserve the 1s and 2s it has received. I'd be happy to see it end with a score of 8.5 or so.
  31. MartinB.
    Oct 3, 2009
    2
    Wow. I bought this game after stalking it for months with high hopes, and i ended up with crushed dreams. Character creation and PvP are the only reason i even gave this blasted game a 2. I am level 20 and since i took time to read perks of abilities, i can take on mobs of level 27 at ease. I rarely to never die when I'm in PvP, and the mission are ridiculous. Mobs are over-powered Wow. I bought this game after stalking it for months with high hopes, and i ended up with crushed dreams. Character creation and PvP are the only reason i even gave this blasted game a 2. I am level 20 and since i took time to read perks of abilities, i can take on mobs of level 27 at ease. I rarely to never die when I'm in PvP, and the mission are ridiculous. Mobs are over-powered in every way, before i grabbed regeneration i could barely take on a mob of 4, if that. This game either needs serious patches, or just take off the monthly fees. Don't waste you money. I would NEVER recommend this game to anybody.… Expand
  32. JulieS
    Sep 13, 2009
    2
    Tedious really is the watchword. There are a grand total of 5 zones, and you absolutely HAVE to do every single quest in them if you want to get to level 40. There is absolutely ZERO replayability. Game lacks any semblance of balance and you will die constantly if you don't take Regeneration.
  33. SteveK
    Sep 14, 2009
    4
    I wanted to like this game, I even preordered, but it is just bad. There are a lot of liftetime subscribers who bought this game on hype alone, so take people's comments with a grain of salt as they are financially invested in this game succeeding. Three huge faults with this game: 1. The develpoers make it a habit to jerk their community around. Just do a few searches on champions I wanted to like this game, I even preordered, but it is just bad. There are a lot of liftetime subscribers who bought this game on hype alone, so take people's comments with a grain of salt as they are financially invested in this game succeeding. Three huge faults with this game: 1. The develpoers make it a habit to jerk their community around. Just do a few searches on champions online and you will see what i'm talking about. never seen a developer botch a game this bad with such shady dealings. it's a debacle and unacceptable. 2. the powers are extremely unbalanced. the game promises limitless customizablity, but its too bad that many of the powers are terrible and its really difficult to decypher how the stats work with a given power. this wouldnt be so bad if the devs didn't make it so hard to re-spec and allowed for people to experiment a little. 3. it's just not that fun. hardly anyone ever groups together. the community is flooded with elitist lifetime subscribers who are now forever biased cryptic suck-ups because they are so invested in this product's success even though it is undeniably bad. There is some good to it, hence the 4 rating, but not enough to recommend. Spend your hard-earned money elsewhere. This one is a disaster waiting to happen.… Expand
  34. Jack
    Sep 18, 2009
    9
    Anyone who gave this game a bad review has obviously not been facing it with the right mindset. With many criticisms being levelled at easily fixable and changeable problems which will inevitably being smoothed out. Champions offers a fun combat system, excellent customisation and and a solid core game. It time time of writing it has only been out 2 or so weeks so OF COURSE It has little Anyone who gave this game a bad review has obviously not been facing it with the right mindset. With many criticisms being levelled at easily fixable and changeable problems which will inevitably being smoothed out. Champions offers a fun combat system, excellent customisation and and a solid core game. It time time of writing it has only been out 2 or so weeks so OF COURSE It has little content. It's an mmo, it only expands as time goes on. Recent patches have done well for stability. The levelling curve is consistent, and it is constantly entertaining. The one reason, I believe, some people disagree with game mechanics is because they simply cannot mindlessly spam buttons like in many other MMOs - your character requires thought. In all, this game is enjoyable alternative to the mainstream MMO and I for one are expecting decent things in the future. I heartlity recommend you check it out once the game has fully stabilised.… Expand
  35. MaxD
    Sep 19, 2009
    7
    Its has the bare minimum of missions to get one character to level 40, you are forced to do PvP for the extra XP to fill level gaps and there is no real reason or incentive to get to level 40, since your character looks the same no matter what gear you get from difficult instances or missions. The other reason why theres no real incentive to get to level, is that if you are level 30+ and Its has the bare minimum of missions to get one character to level 40, you are forced to do PvP for the extra XP to fill level gaps and there is no real reason or incentive to get to level 40, since your character looks the same no matter what gear you get from difficult instances or missions. The other reason why theres no real incentive to get to level, is that if you are level 30+ and you join a PvP instance, you automatically get leveled to 40 as well as everybody else. The gear you acquire through missions is only really 15% effective, your build is where you generate the most damage/healing/buff to stats bonus and thats difficult to change due to an extremely pricey Retcon system which only allows you go back a few steps before costs rise rapidly. All in all I am only playing this game now, because I bought the reduced rate 6 month sub before release, If i was paying monthly, i would probably not have gone past the first free month since this game lacks content (level gaps), which is not fun at all.… Expand
  36. KevinS
    Sep 20, 2009
    10
    The worst thing about this game appears to be the communities lack of understanding. Champions online is a very complex game, with more customization than any other MMO in existence. And with it comes a bit of a learning curve, which many MMO players are not happy with. If your coming from WoW, where everything is spoon fed to you very obviously, and you only have 1 path to take, then The worst thing about this game appears to be the communities lack of understanding. Champions online is a very complex game, with more customization than any other MMO in existence. And with it comes a bit of a learning curve, which many MMO players are not happy with. If your coming from WoW, where everything is spoon fed to you very obviously, and you only have 1 path to take, then champions online with its 'you can do anything' approach leaves people wondering what the heck is going on. Granted, there are not a lot of sign posts in champions to tell you where to go and what to do , and this is a flaw certainly. But the game as a whole is really robust, and in a word fun. It's just a bit of a learning curve. And aparently some peoeple dont like having to make choices. (holy crap did you see that gamespy review? LOL) This game is about playing the way you want to play, choosing ANY of the powers in the game for your character, and looking ANY way you want to look. I guess some people just aren't ready for that?… Expand
  37. DaveT
    Sep 22, 2009
    3
    Unfortunately for die hard comic fans like myself, Champions Online has not brought anything new to the Hero gaming genre. In fact the developers at Cryptic brag about innovation and freedom of design. As an Ultima Online player 13 years ago I found more diversity and innovation in that old relic. I left WoW to get away from grinding and that feeling that I wasn't playing as much as Unfortunately for die hard comic fans like myself, Champions Online has not brought anything new to the Hero gaming genre. In fact the developers at Cryptic brag about innovation and freedom of design. As an Ultima Online player 13 years ago I found more diversity and innovation in that old relic. I left WoW to get away from grinding and that feeling that I wasn't playing as much as working. Champions Online sold itself as a hop on and play at your own pace type of game. I pre-ordered and played in the beta and headstart. The game was laid back and just let you have fun. Release day came and a game changing patch was dropped, it seems Cryptic wanted to be taken seriously by 'hardcore' MMO's and so they ramped up the difficulty and nerfed every character. Day 1 - the grind begins. Agonizing. It's Sept 22/09 as I am writing this and I have decided to cancel my subscription and wait for either a full turn around in game direction or for something new to catch my eye. Here's where the most troubling issues begin. I click my account page and click on the link to cancel my subscription. I get a '404' type page saying that the page doesn't exist and that an evil villian must have taken it. So I check out the forum and find a developer post stating that anyone experiencing this problem should PM him(which is very odd because his signature says his PM box is broken and to twitter him. yes they use twitter for game updates) I send the gentleman a message stating that I am unable to unsubscribe because the link is invalid. 10 minutes later I refresh the forum to see if I had a reply... I now have a message saying that I am banned from the forum and that the ban will expire... get this... at 6PM on the day that my credit card will be charged for a 6 month subscription. There must be a mistake, right? I go to the champions mainpage and find that I am also banned there. I cannot access my account page at all. This is nonsense. I call the 800 number and speak with a rep only saying that I would like to cancel my subscription. I am told she cannot process that request because I was banned. The rep informed me that the ToS states that refunds will not be given to anyone who is banned for whatever reason. Flabbergasted.… Expand
  38. AliceT
    Sep 23, 2009
    2
    Started off well but the development team at Cryptic are on drugs. They and or/their puppetmaster seem determined to ruin their own game, through ignoring test server feedback, an endless stream of nerfs and buggy patch after buggy patch - none of which have any playtesting before making it live. Fail.
  39. EricC
    Sep 23, 2009
    5
    I was in early closed beta, open beta and headstart. I had seen the game change and applaud the developers for their ability to create an amazing world. However, on launch day an appalling number of poor decisions were made including constant nerfs to powers. Most of the powers hit with nerfs were identified in beta as needing so changed so why wait until launch? With all of the power I was in early closed beta, open beta and headstart. I had seen the game change and applaud the developers for their ability to create an amazing world. However, on launch day an appalling number of poor decisions were made including constant nerfs to powers. Most of the powers hit with nerfs were identified in beta as needing so changed so why wait until launch? With all of the power changes they didn't anticipate the players' reaction and had to create a retconning system that allowed full retcons. Again, poor decision-making. They also nerfed xp gains which resulted in a significant leveling gap so it is not unusual to have your hero stuck at about level 31. For an mmo it has one of the worst social toolsets including making it a nuisance to team up with others. The game doesn't seem to have a general consensus on what it wants to be and how hard it should be leaving some players feeling like it is still in beta. Like I said, I have seen the game change and grow and was looking forward to some stability. I didn't get that. Maybe in 6 months I will take another look at the game, but I canceled my subscription for now.… Expand
  40. BrentB
    Sep 23, 2009
    8
    First, the game is fun. Its a refreshing change from typical fantasy MMO's and it is less repetitive than City of Heroes was when it launched. The game is deep in complexity, there is plenty to figure out and explore. The UI is basic and not overly complicated to figure out. Creating new characters and figuring out powerful and fun power builds is a meta game all in itself. The First, the game is fun. Its a refreshing change from typical fantasy MMO's and it is less repetitive than City of Heroes was when it launched. The game is deep in complexity, there is plenty to figure out and explore. The UI is basic and not overly complicated to figure out. Creating new characters and figuring out powerful and fun power builds is a meta game all in itself. The combat/travel/crafting animations are well done. The zones are huge, and about half way through the nemesis creation spices things up a bit. Content and feature (free) expansion are coming in October. It is heavily instanced, but it is handled gracefully by labeling where your supergroup/team/friends are in the instance list. Because of its instanced design, there's only 1 realm, so you get to play the game with everyone else and don't get stuck on separate servers. The playername@forumname design allows for getting the character name you want. Its well worth the box purchase to play this game. There are fun and challenging instanced encounters like Dr. Destroyer's Robot Factory full of scripted encounters and puzzles. That said, there are some new MMO problems that this game has, and it will take a few patches to get things working better. Reduced respec costs just went live, so now recovering from a bad build is very viable. The UI can be sluggish to respond. There is no macro or addon support. What remains to be seen is what the game at level 40 is like and how Cryptic will respond to player feedback. If you like a super hero themed mmo that is ust plain fun to play, then this may be the game for you.… Expand
  41. TmC
    Sep 24, 2009
    5
    If i were only grading this game on character outfit customization, I would give it a 10. The power mechanics in this game are so FRUSTRATING. With such a wide variety of powers very few are worth investing in. Aspiring "Champions" will likely make poor choices on powers they choose as they learn through trial and error. Unfortunately is is near impossible to undo power choices once made If i were only grading this game on character outfit customization, I would give it a 10. The power mechanics in this game are so FRUSTRATING. With such a wide variety of powers very few are worth investing in. Aspiring "Champions" will likely make poor choices on powers they choose as they learn through trial and error. Unfortunately is is near impossible to undo power choices once made as the cost is too high. Players will likely run through the starting zone several times to find the right damage/defense build. Considering there is only ONE starting area, the game quickly loses it's appeal.… Expand
  42. LewisR
    Sep 27, 2009
    4
    The game itself is fun. With fast combat, pretty graphics, and enough to do to keep players who like solo play entertained until well into the later levels. it's a pretty good game considering it just came online. What's screwed this game around (not to mention it players), is Cryptic. Simply put, they're idiots. Banning entirely unoffensive names and words, abusing their The game itself is fun. With fast combat, pretty graphics, and enough to do to keep players who like solo play entertained until well into the later levels. it's a pretty good game considering it just came online. What's screwed this game around (not to mention it players), is Cryptic. Simply put, they're idiots. Banning entirely unoffensive names and words, abusing their ToS to get the most money out of people and replying to help requests with arrogant crap. If they even reply at all that is. The constant nerfs and imbalanced powers sets means that themed characters are gimps, and either you have specific powers, or you're going to have a LOT of trouble. I really wanted to like this game, a newer and better City of Heroes was what I was hoping for here. But it's more like WoW, minus the content, balance, customer service and PvP worth doing. Seriously suggest that people don't play this, not because the game is bad, but because when people with qualms about abusing bans to get the most of you money have your credit card details... Problems arise.… Expand
  43. AlexL
    Sep 3, 2009
    0
    Horrible controls, crappy story, corny/crappy music & voice-overs, ultra-boring grindfest, teaming is beyond broken, way too many costume parts need to be unlocked & can only be unlocked per char & not account-wide, atari & cryptic want to drain your wallet through microtransactions on top of a subscription. graphics also get old fast & are tiresome to look at when the new game hype disappears.
  44. ChrisW
    Sep 5, 2009
    2
    If you're not a hardcore MMORPG gamer, then don't waste your money on this title. It comes with little guidance beyond "insert disc, press play". The improved character creation and travel powers don't make up for missions that are tedious, boring and ridiculously easy; for a lack of a world to explore (just a few small zones - nothing comparable to other MMORPG's); If you're not a hardcore MMORPG gamer, then don't waste your money on this title. It comes with little guidance beyond "insert disc, press play". The improved character creation and travel powers don't make up for missions that are tedious, boring and ridiculously easy; for a lack of a world to explore (just a few small zones - nothing comparable to other MMORPG's); and for one "cutesy/little kid" add-on after another. For the love of God, don't get an "action figure" or you'll have to suffer a 2-ft tall pet following you everywhere that does nothing except cast your sexual orientation in doubt. (the Wal-mart edition gives you one of these things for free, making their insufferable presence unavoidable) What a waste of money.… Expand
  45. FernandoF.
    Sep 8, 2009
    4
    brilliant.
  46. MacMacca
    Sep 9, 2009
    8
    It is true in other comments that a lack of obvious tutorial is missing, but note the word "obvious". If you take the time during the actual tutorial to read the information given out at mission providers instead of just clicking and going to the waypoint, you will learn quite a lot about the various aspects of the game. As to the game being too easy? Well I can only assume these players It is true in other comments that a lack of obvious tutorial is missing, but note the word "obvious". If you take the time during the actual tutorial to read the information given out at mission providers instead of just clicking and going to the waypoint, you will learn quite a lot about the various aspects of the game. As to the game being too easy? Well I can only assume these players who claim so didn't get past level 20, as at this stage the game becomes really quite hard and in some cases extremely hard when it comes to some of the instanced solo missions. As for the game being solo only? Well yes, for the first 10-15 levels this is the case. However, after that there are more "group based" missions which were beefed up when the game recieved it's first patch which coincided with the official release date. Later in the game there are group based instances (Evil lairs) with named bosses that as in other MMOs drop valuable loot, and are redoable. The character creation is a dream come true for anyone who really likes to try and be different, and there are masses of unlocks, which yes, may be character restricted and not account wide, but so what? There are also hundreds of extras, like pets, which are mini versions of the many different NPC's in the game. As for microtransactions mentioned by another reviewer - there are no items you can "buy" that cannot be gained from playing the game, with exception to the planned extra character slots. Overall, I've been playing this game since Closed beta thru till now, and the game's so called "classless" base still throws up new ways to tinker with how I want my characters to be. The game (as of 9-9-09) is still effectively less than two weeks old. Sure it has it's faults, and some areas feel a little rough around the edges and some that feel downright unfinished, but I don't know of ANY game in this genre that was any different, in fact, I've played pretty much every recent (post WOW) MMO and beta tested in most of them too (AoC, WaR, Aion to name but a few) and none of them feel as good to play as CO. It needs work - i'm sure it will improve on many aspects - and yes, they are in the middle of creating an online manual that actually explains things better. Definately one to try.… Expand
  47. Dirk
    Sep 9, 2009
    5
    Where to begin? 1. Teaming is ridiculously clunky and hard to do. 2. Powers are extremely unbalanced. 3. Cannot respec because prices are ungodly. 4. No manual or power information anywhere to be found. For example: Power A can be upgraded to add a chance to apply Accelerated Metabolism. (Then they offer no explanation or numerical data on what Accelerated Metabolism does) 5. UI is clunky Where to begin? 1. Teaming is ridiculously clunky and hard to do. 2. Powers are extremely unbalanced. 3. Cannot respec because prices are ungodly. 4. No manual or power information anywhere to be found. For example: Power A can be upgraded to add a chance to apply Accelerated Metabolism. (Then they offer no explanation or numerical data on what Accelerated Metabolism does) 5. UI is clunky and lags behind the action. At times you will click and hold a maintain power only to have it register as a tap power and get minimal effect from it. 6. 5 zones. 5 Freaking zones? Thats it? Although they have said they are adding another zone soon. 7. Crafting is elementary and seems to have been thrown together in a hurry. It does have some good things going for it... 1. Combat is cool and pretty fluid, except for the UI issues. 2. Character generator is really good, but hard to navigate at times. 3. Can choose any power from and powerset you want. 4. Tankmages are pretty much the only way to play.… Expand
  48. wallymcgee
    Sep 9, 2009
    10
    excellent game, its still under construction though, so you can expect a few bugs, pve is good when you can get a team, but i have found myself soloing most of it. pvp is kinda crap with all the travel powers, when someone is about dead they just teleport, dig, fly away and get health.
  49. JohnR
    Sep 9, 2009
    4
    The Good.... Character creation is amazing. The Bad.... Awful controls that feel very slow at times, lack of quest/content so expect to grind alot to level up, underpowered skills so expect to die alot over and over on quests 2-4 levels higher than your character due to lack of quests, weird crafting system that dosent show you the stats on items so its pot luck. And the Ugly Insane The Good.... Character creation is amazing. The Bad.... Awful controls that feel very slow at times, lack of quest/content so expect to grind alot to level up, underpowered skills so expect to die alot over and over on quests 2-4 levels higher than your character due to lack of quests, weird crafting system that dosent show you the stats on items so its pot luck. And the Ugly Insane respec system so expect to be poor all the time as correcting a skill choice from 1 or 2 levels previous will empty your pockets fast. Broken public quests and random rewards from the ones that do work. Huge lack of world content with only 4 large zones. Zero replay value as when you level up a second character you will do everything exactly the same as with your first character.… Expand
  50. DavidM
    Jan 3, 2010
    5
    Well then, boys and girls, lets get this started. I played a demo of Champions Online a while back and thought "hey, this is kinda fun, but lacking in some regards. Maybe in a few months when its more established (like most other MMO's) it'll be even better." So I gave it that wait that MMO's deserve to get the bugs and stuff out of them. I've played CoH and CO and I Well then, boys and girls, lets get this started. I played a demo of Champions Online a while back and thought "hey, this is kinda fun, but lacking in some regards. Maybe in a few months when its more established (like most other MMO's) it'll be even better." So I gave it that wait that MMO's deserve to get the bugs and stuff out of them. I've played CoH and CO and I can honestly tell you that there is no difference between them. I bought the game through steam when it was 10$ and I'm glad I didn't pay more for it. The game isn't bad - its just obviously not for me. It has its strong points - the character creator is amazing, the graphics are intriguing, and the grouping system is very okay, but not super especially when compared to WoW, the current MMO king. The main problem I had when playing this game is that I simply did not feel like I was a super hero. Look you can fly! I can do that in Aion. And thats as super as I felt was when I was flying. I noticed alot of people making angel characters and to them, I say go buy Aion instead. So, in a nutshell, it was definitely worth the 10$ I spent to try it out due to the fact that its a blast to make a character and the fact that the game is very accessible and somewhat fun. However, I wouldn't pay retail due to the fact that after a while it gets dull after a while after the charm wears off and there is no real feeling of being a superhero. If you want to feel like a superhero, play Arkham Asylum. If you want to fly around, play Aion. If you want to play an MMO, play WoW. And finally, if you want to play a GOOD MMO, play EVE. :)… Expand
  51. JimM
    Nov 30, 2009
    8
    Anyone reading all the comments can see this is a love it or leave it game. I love it! One thing to note it can be really hard or way too easy to level a character. A lot has to do with what "power set/s" your start with and choose as you level. Think of each power set as a branch in a research tree. Staying in only one or two branches lets you pick up high end powers, but you can pick Anyone reading all the comments can see this is a love it or leave it game. I love it! One thing to note it can be really hard or way too easy to level a character. A lot has to do with what "power set/s" your start with and choose as you level. Think of each power set as a branch in a research tree. Staying in only one or two branches lets you pick up high end powers, but you can pick from other branches as well if you feel the need (and meet the prereqs). Added to the unbeliveable character generator, and you can pretty much make what ever hero you want. That's one place where the game doesn't really fail so much as stumble a bit. You really need to: 1. Research.... a lot. Like anything where you have limitless options, it's easy to make mistakes and not know why. There are a number of forum posts, a wiki (still in the building stage). One guy has even built a java based level/power set tool that will help guide you. 2. Have a solid idea on what type of character you want. Sounds easier then it is, but with so many choices if you don't have an soild mental roadmap when you start you can end up regreting it. 3. Try to limit how many power sets you draw from. There are some pretty sweet ablities the supernatural set has a passive power that to be honest needs a nerf. It's just too good a self heal buff. But if you "cherry pick" too much you can find yourself lacking at higher levels. 4. Test your powers before you leave the powerhouse (power vendor area). You can drop any before you leave, once you leave it costs you to drop it. Then test again in the questing areas. It's a total pita if you realize you need to change something you took 10 levels ago. So if you don't see a tangible result, try something else instead of leaving it as is. 5. Learning how to effectively use the combat system is very important. Unlike any other MMO I've played this is the closest to a real time system. This is even better then the one in AoC which was supposed to be RT, but as you reached higher levels became another "press the button" system. In CoL you have a much more indepth system, and knowing what to do and when to do it is very important. As well many powersets will use the system differently, so you really need to take that into account before you enter in to combat. Now as for the bugs some people have mentioned. There are some bugs of course but they don't really produce a unplayable game. In fact for how new this game is it's quite stable, and none of the bugs I've so far encountered has reduced my enjoyment by any great degree. I've played a lot of MMO's any there is always some nimrods who think it should be a complete final game right from the start. This is an evolving world, and from what I've seen so far it's going to be a great one eventually. I mean I played WoW right from the start, and I've actually died sitting in the Inn in IF. Seems the server thought I was in Blasted or something. Bugs are normal and to be expected, and none of the bugs in CoL are deal breakers. As for the quests, there are quite a lot of varied quests. so don't let the nimrods make you think it's a grindfest because it isn't. Again this is a work in progress, so expect it to only get better. Is it a perfect game. Not at all, in fact there are still a number of issues that need to be addressed Such as: Other then extra XP a better loot, there is really no reason you have to group up. This great if you want to solo, but makes finding a PUG harder. The economy and crafting aren't really there in any major way. You don't have to really grind for reasourses you get too many as it is just from breaking down loot. There's really nothing you can craft that is any better then what you loot or get from turning in quests. In fact unlike other MMO's it's the talior in stead of the auctioner that everyone crowds around Finally I strongly suggest giving it a try your self before making up your mind. It has so much to offer it's fantastic. As well the whole world is a bit light hearted, and there's a lot of little extras thrown in to make you chuckle. For example as a Canadian, it was reall funny to see Bob and Doug Mackenzie as quest vendors, laughed my @ss off on that one.… Expand
  52. BJ
    Oct 17, 2009
    8
    Pretty good game overall. There are still some things to be worked out, but I'm impressed. The balance issues aren't nearly as bad as some would have you believe (if you're dying to level 4 mobs you probably shouldn't be playing any video games) and Cryptic seems to be trying to fix the major ones asap (to the point of making a lot of people who use the OP builds very Pretty good game overall. There are still some things to be worked out, but I'm impressed. The balance issues aren't nearly as bad as some would have you believe (if you're dying to level 4 mobs you probably shouldn't be playing any video games) and Cryptic seems to be trying to fix the major ones asap (to the point of making a lot of people who use the OP builds very angry - most negative reviews I've read on other sites come from this group). The game itself feels like a console action-RPG. Something like the old Spiderman games as an MMO. You can build any type of character you want. Personally, I just throw characters together based on what I think looks cool and I haven't felt like any of my characters are particularly weak at all. The main thing you have to learn to be able to compete at all is how and when to block. It's not that hard, but most people who think the game is particularly hard simply don't block or don't know when to block (I've run into them in game, where they think one of my characters is OP because of how many enemies I fight at once, but then when I watch them fight they NEVER block). The main thing I don't care for much in the game is the pvp. I've only participated in two styles of pvp matches. One is more or less a team deathmatch in a small circular room with a cage in the center, the other is a free for all death match on the streets. The street BG is the better concept for me (the cage match is too narrowly focused), but the free for all kills it. If you have a character that fills any kind of support role, you may as well not bother going in. It ends up being a fight where everyone is trying to kill the person who's being ganged up on while trying to avoid notice themselves. The other minor complaint I might have is that for many people the zones don't stand out a lot. I thought they were pretty cool, standard comic book fare, but a friend of mine got bored with Canada and pretty much just quit playing before I could even start. It does help to keep in mind that the zones you start in may not be the ones you finish in. For instance, when you start Canada is being assaulted by forces creating a blizzard. The blizzard limits how far away from the base you can go. If you stick with it, you'll eventually stop the blizzard and have much larger access. It works something like the phasing in wotlk, but it's zone-wide (you go from a canada during the storm zone to a canada after the storm zone). If you like comic books and you like the general game style of something like The Force Unleashed, you'll probably like Champions Online (just remember to block!). If you're huge into pvp, you're probably better off somewhere else.… Expand
  53. MaxDestruct
    Oct 20, 2009
    0
    The game was fun during Closeb Beta, the XP rate was fast, the mobs fell quickly and even the retcon was affordable, even if it did only allow you ten steps back.

    Since then however game balance has taken a nose dive in terms of heroics, in place characters now feel bland, toned down heavily and unable to solo effectively unless ceertain defensive passive powers are taken and slotted    The game was fun during Closeb Beta, the XP rate was fast, the mobs fell quickly and even the retcon was affordable, even if it did only allow you ten steps back.

    Since then however game balance has taken a nose dive in terms of heroics, in place characters now feel bland, toned down heavily and unable to solo effectively unless ceertain defensive passive powers are taken and slotted (used).
    Good luck if you planned on being an offensive character while leveling up!

    The other issue that just arose and which made me cancel my sub and un-install, was when it dawned on me that Cryptic is capitalizing on subscribers to the fullest degree by making in-game balance of re-specs cost a fortune (would take months to save for one respec), yet they give you the option to pay just over a months game subscription fee on 1000 cryptic points to buy 1 full respec which would normally cost 850G (alot of resources atm), in-game.

    The result is that they devalue their players in-games efforts, the real life subscription and initial game purchases by putting in vital micro transactions.

    Do not bother with this MMO, its really not worth it.    … Expand
  54. BenB
    Oct 26, 2009
    2
    I think I'm seeing a pattern here. I've read through most of the reviews, and while the low scores often mention City of Heroes, the high scores don't. It's all about expectations. I, along with many others, played City of Heroes for years. Five years, myself, only stopping when Champions was nearly out. I waited over a year to play Champions, hoping for the equivalent I think I'm seeing a pattern here. I've read through most of the reviews, and while the low scores often mention City of Heroes, the high scores don't. It's all about expectations. I, along with many others, played City of Heroes for years. Five years, myself, only stopping when Champions was nearly out. I waited over a year to play Champions, hoping for the equivalent to a sequel to City of Heroes, only to be extremely disappointed. While City of Heroes relied heavily on grouping, forming teams or even Task Forces to accomplish great things with other players over the course of hours, Champions made teaming almost pointless, so no one did it. It probably comes all the way down to character building, since in Heroes you needed one of each archetype for a solid team. Here, however, people choose any powers they want, making a team just a random group of characters just as effective (if not less) than one solo hero. The game itself was horrendously linear. In Heroes, you meet one contact, then another and another, choosing most yourself, then learning about Task Forces and other challenges later. In Champions, each zone was a completely linear experience, grinding through the same few contacts until you accomplish what you're there to do, then you leave for the next zone. There is almost no variety, no choices at all. For a MMO, linear game play with one month's worth of content is unthinkable. Plus no point in teaming, because characters are not broken into categories like Healer, Tank, or Blaster to give each person a role in combat. If you are familiar with City of Heroes and enjoyed it, this will be a crushing disappointment. If you have never tried a superhero MMO before and have no expectations, you might like this. It seems like everyone either loves it or hates it, separated only be expectations from what I've seen.… Expand
  55. PeterJames
    Sep 1, 2009
    10
    This game is what city of heroes should have been. Cryptic is doing an amazing job an fixing new bugs, fast maintenance times, adding new features, even working on a free expansion. Cryptic should be role models for developers like sony who offer little to no customer satisfaction. The game itself is the most addicting game I have played since the original everquest.
  56. SAnsell
    Sep 12, 2009
    10
    This game is definitely in its early days, but it simply is the most enjoyable MMO I've played in a long time. It's easy to get in to, albeit with bad default manuals so you will need to check out the forums too, but it doesn't deserve the low metascore it's getting so far.
  57. AnthonyM
    Sep 13, 2009
    8
    This is a great game and all, the only reason it's not a 10 is they still need to work on the graphics. If I can run City of Heroes on medium / high at 30fps but cant run this above 15 with everything off then, well, it'll stay a 8.
  58. Jonathan
    Sep 14, 2009
    10
    Well first of all let me say that I come from City of Heroes and more recently WoW. OK....I'm not sure, maybe most of the people who are rating this game never make it through the tutorial, or perhaps are running max graphics on crap computers...who knows....but nonetheless....one of my recommendations would be to use the 360 controller....it makes combat feel alot more..."right"...I Well first of all let me say that I come from City of Heroes and more recently WoW. OK....I'm not sure, maybe most of the people who are rating this game never make it through the tutorial, or perhaps are running max graphics on crap computers...who knows....but nonetheless....one of my recommendations would be to use the 360 controller....it makes combat feel alot more..."right"...I guess would be the term. As for UI lag....I've never experienced any....for detailed data on power enhancements...they have clickable text that says "show advanced data" or something to that effect. Teaming is as easy as right-clicking someones character in the world or name in the chatbox and selecting invite to team. My highest level character so far is only 22...but I haven't had to do an OUNCE of grinding to get there...in fact...I'm still overwhelmed with quests...now don't get me wrong....it most certainly has it's bugs and overpowered power sets...but ffs....the game has only been out for 2 weeks...and cryptic is really putting a lot of work into fixing all the problems. And before I get any hate from WoW fanboys I DO have an 80 dk and a 64 warlock, as well as a 24 hunter, 21 belf pally, and a multitude of 1-12's, I've done my share of H VoA's and WG bg's (I will admit....wintergrasp is hella fun, lol) I'm not saying that I'll quit WoW either....but CO is DEFINITELY going to hold me over until Cataclysm comes.… Expand
  59. JayWhitmore
    Sep 15, 2009
    8
    Well done game. Better than most it certainly has issues with UI lag. The quests are fun and the transportation and character builder/progression system is awesome. Missions are interesting if just a tweak of the same ol MMO collect/kill. Public quests are fun to do but not many people out doing them. It still early I expect more but need a reward system to encourage grouping double the xpWell done game. Better than most it certainly has issues with UI lag. The quests are fun and the transportation and character builder/progression system is awesome. Missions are interesting if just a tweak of the same ol MMO collect/kill. Public quests are fun to do but not many people out doing them. It still early I expect more but need a reward system to encourage grouping double the xp for super groups of 3 or more.… Expand
  60. CameronB
    Sep 16, 2009
    10
    I'm posting here to express my love of this game. It's been a long time for me since I last enjoyed a game to the point of daydreaming about it. I've played a lot of MMOs over the past 10 years (EQ, CoH, EQ2, Vanguard, LoTRO, WoW) and only a few really held my attention (I'm talking over 4 years). Those being EQ and EQ2. I already know after only 3 weeks of play that I'm posting here to express my love of this game. It's been a long time for me since I last enjoyed a game to the point of daydreaming about it. I've played a lot of MMOs over the past 10 years (EQ, CoH, EQ2, Vanguard, LoTRO, WoW) and only a few really held my attention (I'm talking over 4 years). Those being EQ and EQ2. I already know after only 3 weeks of play that this game will join the ranks of those games, but not because it's like those games. But because it is an entirely different kind of MMO... Leveling/Playstyle It isn't a grind fest; it progresses at just the right speed. In EverQuest leveling just a single level took days or even weeks sometimes. In World of Warcraft I reached level 40 in a week. I'd say Champions finds a middle ground. I expect to hit level cap (level 40) in about 2 months of play. While this may sound like an extremely short play time for a game that should take years to fully enjoy, you have missed the point here. I have already made 5 other characters I want to play to max level and I've daydreamed hundreds of other characters I want to make. The game is going to be entirely different every time I play through it because I can choose to build a character using ANY power in the game! So I can make a teleporting cat-like ninja that uses quick and deadly double blade attacks to kill enemies before they even have a chance to fight back, or see me. Or I can make a character that is a brain enclosed in a robotic body with only one "eye" that uses "mind bullets" and has a tendency to start fires everywhere he floats. Yes he floats instead of walks. Walking is for normal heroes. Not for Super Heroes. This game is very different from any MMOs before it. Grouping The teaming is fun as heck, but you don't need to have specific classes to form a viable group like in other MMOs. No need to wait for a Tank/DPS/Healer for a group to kick ass. Don't take that to mean the combat is so easy that you don't need people to pay attention and pull their weight. The super villains and large group dungeons need everyone in the group on their toes to succeed. Content I'm loving the content so far. The first 8 levels are deeply enjoyable, but doing the same old quests over again could be a problem on my next play through. At level 27 I've done EVERY quest I've seen available, even the ones that are grayed out. On my next character I might get bored by doing the same quests again, but Cryptic has foreseen this problem. In a few months they are going to have a major game update that adds a ton of new content, a new power set, and lots of other goodies. Hopefully I won't have to repeat any content, but I probably will do it all again anyway. I'm a bit OCD... The escort missions are the most fun for me. You never know what crazy thing the person you need to guard will do next. "Is he going into that group of 10 henchmen? Oh crap, he is! ATTACK! Hey who's that shooting missiles at the enemy? Oh it's the guy I was supposed to be 'protecting'!" And the names and actual dialog for the missions is the funniest thing I've ever read. Almost all mission names are spoofs of pop culture references! Like this one quest: "The Ordeal of Oceanica 408: Defeat ice demons and rescue crash survivors." The names of the passengers? J.J. Shepard, John, Cathy, Finn and Furley. The content is full of laugh-inducing quests, dialog and missions. Customization Champions owns all other games in the customization arena. Period. The character creator is limitless in options, and you gain new items to deck out your character with as you complete quests and earn special items and you can even purchase new exclusive costume pieces with perk points. The customization goes even one step further. You can customize most of your powers color and also where the power emits from. I love my flaming "mind bullets"! Graphics The graphics are simply stunning. I get lost in the graphics sometimes. It's just so damn pretty. Its not realistic (and I don't want it to be), but more modern comic book looking. Also it doesn't take an uber rig to run the game. If you drop the graphics down a little it will run on very low end computers. In fact I'm going to try to run it on my EEE PC soon. Developer One thing I really like about this game so far isn't actually part of the playable content. The development company, Cryptic Studios, so far has amazed me the most. They have responded to every objection I try to find with this game within 24 hours of it coming to my attention. It's like they are reading my mind and have a group of super-human programmers and developers waiting for the next issue I find. There are a bunch of people griping about how the first day patch messed up the game, but I don't understand what they are smoking. I agreed with every change they made. The henchmen weren't even a challenge before the patch. You could kill them with nothing more then your starting energy builder (auto attack)! I'm still able to pwn groups of 15+ henchmen, but its through smart tactics and proper fighting techniques. Champions Online isn't a game you play on your cell phone! For early start players they offered Lifetime Subscription until the release of the game, but then unexpectedly took it away because they were selling to many. A lot of fans on the forums protested the change of plans and within a day they reversed their decision and offered it as promised until the release of the game. I can't remember the last time a company admitted they were wrong and then took steps to correct their mistake! And more importantly this company has actively listened to the posts on their forums and actually RESPONDS to questions and requests! This is a rare thing to see in a developer, or any company. Overall, I'm loving this game. Champions Online gets a 10 because it's extremely fun, offers TONs of re-playability, has great graphics, is mostly free of bugs and has one of the best (almost super-human) development teams I've ever seen backing it with fast, regular bug fixes and promising, new content in the near future.… Expand
  61. JohnJ
    Sep 22, 2009
    3
    Wild imbalances in the game systems mean you either do your research before hand or you're going to be left with a gimped character. The poorly concieved retcon (respec) system means if you did make a mistake with your character you probably won't be able to reverse it, so you'll need to re-roll. This leads to the content, which isn't horrible at all but it's the Wild imbalances in the game systems mean you either do your research before hand or you're going to be left with a gimped character. The poorly concieved retcon (respec) system means if you did make a mistake with your character you probably won't be able to reverse it, so you'll need to re-roll. This leads to the content, which isn't horrible at all but it's the same uninspired fare we've been seeing for the past five years. Unfortunately, there isn't enough of it so you'll reach dead spots. Given that mobs reward tiny amounts of XP, you're in for some grindy hell levels if you want to see 40. So even if you manage to choose the "right" powers, you're still up against a brick wall. If there were three weeks worth of real entertainment in this game it might be worth a buy but honestly, there's not even that. Maybe it'll be better in a year but I would not recommend it right now.… Expand
  62. willtehthrill
    Sep 23, 2009
    2
    Game kinda sucks for many reasons. Character creation is awesome, then i just goes down hill from there. the skills and abilities are few and meaningless. i got to lvl 10 spamming the same two abilities. All you can do is quest, and the PVP is meaningless. The actual instanced areas are repetitive and at that point you are forced to group and there is no real strategy besides rage and Game kinda sucks for many reasons. Character creation is awesome, then i just goes down hill from there. the skills and abilities are few and meaningless. i got to lvl 10 spamming the same two abilities. All you can do is quest, and the PVP is meaningless. The actual instanced areas are repetitive and at that point you are forced to group and there is no real strategy besides rage and spam kill everything. IT looks nice, visually appealing, but the game play is mindless, repetitive, and altogether uninteresting. I would never recommend this game.… Expand
  63. TomX
    Sep 23, 2009
    9
    I have 20 years of PC gaming experience and I can honestly say this is one of the most amusing and highly playable games ever created. While appreciating a game is highly subjective in terms of personal preference, breaking down CO reveals an extremely functional mmo. Firstly, the graphics engine is efficient and the worlds are brilliantly detailed. Consider zones akin in size to GTA4, I have 20 years of PC gaming experience and I can honestly say this is one of the most amusing and highly playable games ever created. While appreciating a game is highly subjective in terms of personal preference, breaking down CO reveals an extremely functional mmo. Firstly, the graphics engine is efficient and the worlds are brilliantly detailed. Consider zones akin in size to GTA4, except you can pick up almost any visible object and throw it at your foe; bottles, tables, cars, tanks, toilets.. you get the idea. The physics are spot on, and the character animation is above average. Audibly quite appealing, although nothing spectacular. The music tracks are perfect for the fun and comical or often intense enviorments and transitions are smooth. Weapon sounds are satisfying; npc scripting is humorous and often cheesy. I havenâ??t had a video game make me consistently laugh out loud in years. Iâ??m reminded of the glory days of Sierra with the brilliant tongue-in-cheek humor. In terms of features generally specific to MMO's, Cryptic have covered basically every area. Account-based mail and friend system; mission system is intuitive and it is EXTREMELY difficult to not find something to do. There are public/open quests, where you can hop in at any time (akin to Warhammer albeit much more immersive and enjoyable) More than that, I often find myself killing mobs because it can be just that fun. While I'm yet to reach the level hardcap, the public raid content I've enjoyed up to 30 is extremely fun very replayable. I look forward to the same events on different characters. PVP is accessible at any level, hell you can start at one if you want, but it takes barely 30 mins to finish the simple tutorial zone and hit level 5+. There is an average wait time of 0 minutes when queing for hero games due to the localized server. While there are excellent scenarios (think TF2) and rewards/xp gain, there are imbalances in the power system. Obviously there are some skills which are far suited to PVE than PVP, as the case with a lot of MMOs, but the game is barely 2 weeks old, and it is being patched almost every day. Judging from the good changes they have made in this short time, Cryptic are well aware of the state of their game, and take PVP balance as a high priority. It's nice to note that when they have modified the skillsets, they have given every player a free complete respec. Bugs? I've crashed twice so far, three other people I play with have never crashed. If you are crashing, there's probably a fix on the forums you haven't found. There are practically zero visual, audio or core anomalies to be found Iâ??m concerned about what a person has played before this if they consider it a grindfest. The quests take probably 2-3 minutes on average to complete. By that i mean the entire process; pick up the quest, get to the area, do required task (which are numerous and fun, not just KILL â??xâ?? this many times) and get back to the NPC to turn in. I canâ??t honestly tell you have long it takes to level, because Iâ??m generally having so much fun blowing things up, summoning zombies, grinding flesh with a chainsaw or flipping about the screen with any of the amazing travelling abilities (you can fly, teleport, tunnel, swing, jump about with rocket boots or ride a giant chunk of ground â?? like a piece of pavement, turf or snow depending on what you were standing on) Also, in regards to its â??terrible control systemâ??, Cryptic have been ingenious enough to include this amazing Control Options menu. Fancy that! Grouping is literally as simple asking in zone chat. Which, it turns out, is pretty simple. Iâ??ll end by pointing out the highly advanced character creation system, which gives you literally billions of options to create the hero of your choice. You can be a zombie pirate, a robot cowboy, a telekinetic hippy, a gun-toting lizard, a horny demon, an armoured mecha-suit, an evil doctor or even a freakn leprechaun. Itâ??s more than possible to recreate any of your favourite super-heroes, and thereâ??s more than likely a set of skills which match. If you want to enjoy an extremely fun, highly expandable and very reasonably polished mmo that doesnâ??t require full-time hours to reach the content you desire, give CO a try. Warning; Attention span is required.… Expand
  64. CrawfordM
    Sep 23, 2009
    10
    I'm surprised this game is getting such rough reviews. I gave it a try based on the recommendation from a friend and have had an absolute blast. The character and power customization have allowed me to put together the superhero I always wished I could be. The game certainly has some flaws, but because they are patching them over time, I definitely consider this game a 10.
  65. EmmaG
    Sep 23, 2009
    4
    It's not an awful game, not nearly as awful as some reviewers would have you believe, but neither is it a terribly good game at the moment. Due a poor launch characterized by constant changing, nerfing and re-nerfing (and, on occasion, re-re-nerfing) the game is not in what you would call a stable state. Documentation is laughably out of date, omitting entire classes of powersets. It's not an awful game, not nearly as awful as some reviewers would have you believe, but neither is it a terribly good game at the moment. Due a poor launch characterized by constant changing, nerfing and re-nerfing (and, on occasion, re-re-nerfing) the game is not in what you would call a stable state. Documentation is laughably out of date, omitting entire classes of powersets. Even the tooltips for powers are frequently incorrect. Content-wise, there is very little content; there are only five zones which become overly-familiar and boring as you crisscross them in search of enough content to level. Sadly, this search will often be in vain during the last ten levels of the game. Now add to this mess extreme overmoderation of the playerbase. Various inoffensive words are bannable for uttering (a note to the cautious: do not abbreviate the word "roleplayer" if you value your account!) and certain intentionally repeatable content is bannable for repeating. This is a game that needs much love, balancing, and content to be worth the time or money. There is a kernel of a good game here, let's hope they nurture it.… Expand
  66. stevenw
    Sep 24, 2009
    8
    Been playing CO for just over a month now and i'm liking it a lot the character creator is great and allows a great deal of possibilities. Game play is also interesting i really love the way random NPC will run up and ask for your help.
  67. GL
    Sep 26, 2009
    8
    Anyone who says "there isn't enough power" or "PvP" is meaningless boring etcetera hasn't played the game for more than 3 hours. Once you hit past level 10, far more things opens up. Each power can be customized to suit your need. There IS more than one PvP instance. I'm at level 21 and was surprised to see that the PvP map changed to multi level map. Free for all PvP is Anyone who says "there isn't enough power" or "PvP" is meaningless boring etcetera hasn't played the game for more than 3 hours. Once you hit past level 10, far more things opens up. Each power can be customized to suit your need. There IS more than one PvP instance. I'm at level 21 and was surprised to see that the PvP map changed to multi level map. Free for all PvP is also available. Tactics is important despite what people say, just far more involved since power is so varied. There is no specific class for a character. You can bridge multiple frameworks to create exactly what you want. Only annoying thing is that framework is somewhat unbalanced and there are some bugs. However, compared to how broken any other MMORPGs were at its launch, yes that includes your beloved WoW as well, it has been relatively problem free. As far as MMO goes, it refreshing change that does not require sado-masochistic grinding that people seems to enjoy.… Expand
  68. JimC
    Sep 28, 2009
    1
    This game has too many issues to make it worth 15 dollars a month. First of all, The quality is Beta. This game has obviously been pushed out the door and it shows everywhere. Public quests not working, NPC's stuck in walls, AI problems, unbalanced powers, graphical artifacts, auction house not working properly, LFG tool, while basic, still not functional. Its horrible. Also the game This game has too many issues to make it worth 15 dollars a month. First of all, The quality is Beta. This game has obviously been pushed out the door and it shows everywhere. Public quests not working, NPC's stuck in walls, AI problems, unbalanced powers, graphical artifacts, auction house not working properly, LFG tool, while basic, still not functional. Its horrible. Also the game claims to have reinvented the combat system, it has not. In CO defense though, combat does feel fast and more like an action game than typical MMO turn based combat. The downside is that it is incredibly repetitive, combine that with the most boring quests you can come up with and a handful of (mostly bugged) extremely small instances and you have a game that is not going to last long. Also, this company, Cryptic, has no problems changing their game without even notifying their own fanbase. On day one for example, they completely overhauled the game for the worse, making characters weak, not having enough content to even get to max level etc. And when you hit 40, there is little endgame. you can get a few dailies etc but nothing feels epic. the only epic thing i experienced at endgame was that i picked up a level 42 item, while the cap is 40, so i must be good at it somehow. Anyway, spend your money elsewhere, as this game is nothing more than a hollow, bugged, empty Beta product, with very little content. (a single player game like oblivion has more).… Expand
  69. briant
    Sep 3, 2009
    10
    As far as MMO's go, this is a very polished game. Normally the first few weeks of an MMO are horrible, but I have not seen many issues with it. The game play is fun and charector creation is a blast.
  70. JensH
    Sep 3, 2009
    6
    The game is relatively bug free, and the combat is enjoyable. However, each powerset feels like every other powerset out there, and no character feels unique. Furthermore, they completely missed the point of a "MMO". The entire game is a solo game. Don't expect to team up with other heroes, as there is very little point to do so. Overall, a decent combat system, but the game just The game is relatively bug free, and the combat is enjoyable. However, each powerset feels like every other powerset out there, and no character feels unique. Furthermore, they completely missed the point of a "MMO". The entire game is a solo game. Don't expect to team up with other heroes, as there is very little point to do so. Overall, a decent combat system, but the game just feels lifeless and dull.… Expand
  71. DarrenC
    Sep 5, 2009
    8
    Fantastic game so far. Combat is extremely fun and quick, Graphics capture the Comic book feel perfectly, and enough Character Customisation options to make sure that every character is unique. PvE is definately a strong point of this game with plenty of group and solo content.
  72. ChrisT
    Sep 8, 2009
    9
    After having played through every major MMO launch in the last 5+ years, I can honestly say that this one was not without it's bumps. The gameplay, however, was certainly not a cause of this. The bumps game in the pre-game issues with people not getting in or outside-game issues such as people not getting their alotted items/content on-time. As far as the game goes, I've got to After having played through every major MMO launch in the last 5+ years, I can honestly say that this one was not without it's bumps. The gameplay, however, was certainly not a cause of this. The bumps game in the pre-game issues with people not getting in or outside-game issues such as people not getting their alotted items/content on-time. As far as the game goes, I've got to say I love it. I like Age of Conan. I wanted to love Warhammer Age of Reckoning (didn't so much), WoW is and always will be near and dear to my heart, EQ2 was a great time for me as was SWG initially and subsequently well after teh CU debacle. I've also been all over City of Heroes/Villains. So where would I place CO in there? I'd have to say right behind WoW at this point. 1. WoW 2. Champions Online 3. Eve Online 4. Everquest 2 5. Anarchy Online.… Expand
  73. BrianP
    Sep 9, 2009
    8
    Most accessible MMO I've played. It minimizes the grind and makes you feel heroic from the start. Teaming needs sorting out as do a few other issues, but I've got high hopes for this one.
  74. RobertUy
    Sep 12, 2009
    1
    So slow so bad. no support from support lines. superjump can get you killed if you use it. Tunnel power is cheap but one of the coolest powers. Any land based travel power will get you killed running around.emergency maintence can happen at any time during the day. Lifetime membership is for the monthly fee. You still need to buy the game from a retailer so you end up paying 250 dollars.
  75. anaxanaxanaxa
    Sep 12, 2009
    3
    Fun character creation system...but that's where the fun ends. There are many more "wrong choices" for your power selections than right ones -- meaning you can gimp your hero severely by choosing powers/stats that aren't a documented easy-mode combo. Feeling adventurous or want to make a themed hero? Go for it. Once you get in your 20s-30s (out of 40 levels...so call it 10 hours Fun character creation system...but that's where the fun ends. There are many more "wrong choices" for your power selections than right ones -- meaning you can gimp your hero severely by choosing powers/stats that aren't a documented easy-mode combo. Feeling adventurous or want to make a themed hero? Go for it. Once you get in your 20s-30s (out of 40 levels...so call it 10 hours or so), you'll see. Want to feel SUPER? This isn't the game for you. I feel like much more of a superhero as a Hunter in WoW. Also, you have to subscribe to even get your 30 free days...you can cancel your subscription after activation, though -- and you won't be charged. Hopefully, they keep doing major patches & balances every few days like they have been doing -- that way, in a few months, it'll be playable.… Expand
  76. DaveN
    Sep 13, 2009
    4
    Avoid this game. Misleading at launch, lack of content: nerf bats swinging in every direction, server is persistently going offline. Expensive, no sense of teamplay, incredibly difficult gameplay since an unannounced patch nerfed everything. Lack of customer support. Has already had thousands of subscribers cancel including myself.
  77. AdamC
    Sep 17, 2009
    8
    I've really enjoyed playing Champions. Everyone talks about the character creation and it is great. The powers feel powerful. It's exactly what I would expect if a comic book were to come to life. I like the animations. The quests are no better but no worse then other MMO's. Travel is fun, the instance dungeons seem well designed. Both solo and multiplayer seem fun, though I've really enjoyed playing Champions. Everyone talks about the character creation and it is great. The powers feel powerful. It's exactly what I would expect if a comic book were to come to life. I like the animations. The quests are no better but no worse then other MMO's. Travel is fun, the instance dungeons seem well designed. Both solo and multiplayer seem fun, though I wish it were easier to group. I understand they are going to tweek the grouping ui. I would probably get more into the story of the game if it were not presented as a bunch of tiny font monologues from the NPC that offer you missions. They should have used the chat bubbles or something to give it a real comic bookie feel. Still a great game. I see a lot of potential and I think that it has a good group of developers that are going to try and improve it a lot over the coming months.… Expand
  78. FranklinG
    Sep 17, 2009
    10
    Great game, many of the negative reviews are coming from WoW heads who are judging the game by the PVP combat and the game is obviously PVE focused. Iâ??ve only picked powers to fit my character theme and havenâ??t had a problem yet soloing up to level 20. Thereâ??s not a select few powers you have to choose or else youâ??ll get owned, people that complain about Great game, many of the negative reviews are coming from WoW heads who are judging the game by the PVP combat and the game is obviously PVE focused. Iâ??ve only picked powers to fit my character theme and havenâ??t had a problem yet soloing up to level 20. Thereâ??s not a select few powers you have to choose or else youâ??ll get owned, people that complain about this suck at games, itâ??s not hard. Great graphics, character creator, power editor, pretty good mission ideas, team combat isnâ??t broken, loot system is cool and it has a very nice and involving crafting system as well. Donâ??t get me wrong there are still bugs, balance issues etc. But itâ??s an MMO (and itâ??s at LAUCH) so over time these things will be fixed and there will be addition content and powers added. Donâ??t let people who canâ??t handle a different style of MMO that actually makes you think scare you away from trying this game out.… Expand
  79. Mark
    Sep 17, 2009
    9
    Enjoyable, non typical mmo action. Great graphics, gameplay and pvp (in the forms of arena) up to level 20. Post 20, I cant comment on yet. I understand there is more to add, but so far this game is very very fun (alot of recent mmos have missed this vital aspect). Customisation junkies and alt making addicts will be in heaven with this game.
  80. HaroldB
    Sep 18, 2009
    9
    Not sure what's with all the hate on this game, I guess people just love to hide behind their keyboards and spread misinformation. I've been playing this game for a while now, first in Beta and then during the pre-order head start and now in the live game and it's a lot of fun! Yes, Cryptic made lots of changes to the game, but they were very needed to keep people Not sure what's with all the hate on this game, I guess people just love to hide behind their keyboards and spread misinformation. I've been playing this game for a while now, first in Beta and then during the pre-order head start and now in the live game and it's a lot of fun! Yes, Cryptic made lots of changes to the game, but they were very needed to keep people interested and to keep the gameplay balanced. Just because your broken, overpowered super-power got FIXED and you think it was nerfed only shows that you're just crying because now you have to work for your experience. This game has all of the cool features of WoW and many other really cool things that are unique! So much flexibility in the powers system alone! Not to mention the immersion of the Nemesis stuff! Go Cryptic!… Expand
  81. MarkT
    Sep 22, 2009
    7
    First of all, in my scheme 7/10 for a game is not bad. It starts off very well, character creation great, lots of choice, but as countless others have said, you need to dedicate hours of research in the forums to have a clue what powers to choose, and if you choose the wrong ones you are scr*w*d. I chose very good powers, and have had none of the difficulties people have encountere, but First of all, in my scheme 7/10 for a game is not bad. It starts off very well, character creation great, lots of choice, but as countless others have said, you need to dedicate hours of research in the forums to have a clue what powers to choose, and if you choose the wrong ones you are scr*w*d. I chose very good powers, and have had none of the difficulties people have encountere, but it's luck. And in the latest of one nerf patch after another they have kicked many of my powers in the teeth. It's irritating in an MMO to live in so much flux. And they made an ENORMOUS mistake. I repeat, ENORMOUS by pricing retcons/respecs so high. Fools. Graphics are great. Missions are OK, a little generics. Atmosphere is fun enough... I say this is a game you buy, play the free month, then forget.… Expand
  82. chuckJones
    Sep 22, 2009
    5
    Game has been a boggle since release after beta. They suckered everyone into subs by making their "heroes" feel like "heroes" than as soon as game launched..BAM...nerf bat hit and it is getting worse everyday. Stay away for about 5 months and see if it is still alive.
  83. SugeW
    Sep 22, 2009
    8
    A great game. Needs some tweaking but so do all MMO's after launching. It requires a little more use of "brain power" and what you have available to your character to survive at points, and i find that interesting. If you go in expecting to just pewpew and win, you may be disappointed.
  84. KW
    Sep 23, 2009
    1
    Powers are seriosuly imbalanced. Multiple content gaps at various level brackets. Many broken missions. Economy is virtually non existant. In game grouping and socialization is also virtually non existant. Reports of bugs or game breaking issues are being ignored on the test server and patches going live and then requiring multiple mini patches to fix after complaints pour in on thePowers are seriosuly imbalanced. Multiple content gaps at various level brackets. Many broken missions. Economy is virtually non existant. In game grouping and socialization is also virtually non existant. Reports of bugs or game breaking issues are being ignored on the test server and patches going live and then requiring multiple mini patches to fix after complaints pour in on the servers. Developer responses to players in patch notes and other forms are patronizing, arrogant, or worst of all ignorant to the mechnics and statistics of their own game. Advertised product is not what is actually presented in game. And the list goes on. If you want a sandbox to make pretty characters and piddle around for a few hours with some mix matching of powers to mess around with then this will keep you happy for a few hours to a month. If you're looking for an MMO, this game is more of a beta single player shallow action rpg than anything. Cryptic didnt learn from their mistakes with City of Heroes/Villains, their fiasco with the original version of Champions under the titling of Marvel Universe Online(which Microsoft and Marvel ditched due to Cryptic incompetence prompting Cryptic to sell city of heroes/villains so they could stay afloat etc etc. Give this game an unfortunate wide berth. Im sorely disappointed and regretting I bought it.… Expand
  85. EricAustin
    Sep 23, 2009
    8
    This is a very fun game with much more to come. If you have a problem with the game atm you should check back in a few months . These types of games are always working things out shortly after launch and gain ground at a steady pace. It has lots of room to grow!
  86. BradK
    Sep 29, 2009
    9
    After reluctantly getting into Champions Online when two of my friends had just got into it(i say reluctantly as i've never really enjoyed MMO's... apart from Guild Wars) i got started and enjoyed the Character Creation process... However, it really just got better and better for me. I've enjoyed the small amount of PvP i've played, but i've REALLY enjoyed just After reluctantly getting into Champions Online when two of my friends had just got into it(i say reluctantly as i've never really enjoyed MMO's... apart from Guild Wars) i got started and enjoyed the Character Creation process... However, it really just got better and better for me. I've enjoyed the small amount of PvP i've played, but i've REALLY enjoyed just playing through the quest, up to creating my Nemesis and so on and so forth. You just feel like a Superhero in a world that needs Superheros. I have to recommend it, as the combat is fresh and fun, the character customization is great, and i haven't had to grind through the first 27 levels - and still have a HEAP of quests left. I also can't stress how the combat is actually FUN, something i haven't experienced since Guild Wars and their limit on 8 abilities at one time.… Expand
  87. TravisN
    Nov 12, 2009
    9
    Champions online is an MMO that is doing things differently. It is a lot of fun, sure it has some issues, but what game doesn't? It is better than WoW for me after they messed with to much stuff. The updates for Champions Online have been great and the team has done a great job of keeping the customers updated on what they are working on for upcoming patches. I wish more companies Champions online is an MMO that is doing things differently. It is a lot of fun, sure it has some issues, but what game doesn't? It is better than WoW for me after they messed with to much stuff. The updates for Champions Online have been great and the team has done a great job of keeping the customers updated on what they are working on for upcoming patches. I wish more companies worked like this group is with Champions Online.… Expand
  88. darknothing
    Sep 4, 2010
    3
    What pisses me off is what your paying for.
    19$ for the game + 16$ a month.....THEN more money for the C store for more items/costumes.... the c store should be currency you earn from in-game.... not real money... its just a cheap way to gouge players even more...

    with a monthly fee everything else should be free........
  89. digitalbeachbum
    Nov 18, 2014
    0
    I played Champions RPG in high school and was really looking forward to this game. The PnP version was one of my favorite RPG's ever so when I got a chance to join in I was ready to sell every thing I owned just to get involved in the development of the game.

    I happened to get in on the Alpha and thought things were looking really awesome for the game. I had played City of Heroes from    I played Champions RPG in high school and was really looking forward to this game. The PnP version was one of my favorite RPG's ever so when I got a chance to join in I was ready to sell every thing I owned just to get involved in the development of the game.

    I happened to get in on the Alpha and thought things were looking really awesome for the game. I had played City of Heroes from beta to close also and thought things were going to be different. When the beta was done I convinced seven of my friends from CoH to join CO, which we all bought the lifetime membership.

    We played it for a few months and as nerf after nerf came about we all started to fade from playing. They had completely ruined a good game and it never came to be as good as CoH. In fact, it wasn't even half as good as CoH, even with all the problems CoH had until the end.

    CO became a kiddie game. It was a game where people worried about getting a special set of wings or a special aura and maybe a rare vanity pet (which did nothing to help you in battle).

    The monetary system never worked and was actually better in the beginning but now was absolutely worthless. Crafting was ridiculous and ended up being worse the WoW leaving you to kill thousands of one mob just to get enough of one drop to make an item which was actually worthless.

    The game play itself went down hill and powers became weaker, convoluted and misplaced. It no longer felt like being a hero but more like a store mannequin, with how good did you look today? They threw in vehicles and other crap which just brought the game down more.

    The worst MMORPG I've ever played.    … Expand
  90. TheGrindeR
    Jul 13, 2012
    2
    Hard to tell any good thing about this game, maybe the graphics witch looks like than a comic strip style. The sounds are horrible and the quests are very booring. Not really have players. The Non-playable characters movement are abnormal. The cars are scripted and just driving round and round in the city. I found an invisible wall in the city and i couldn't move to the another place ofHard to tell any good thing about this game, maybe the graphics witch looks like than a comic strip style. The sounds are horrible and the quests are very booring. Not really have players. The Non-playable characters movement are abnormal. The cars are scripted and just driving round and round in the city. I found an invisible wall in the city and i couldn't move to the another place of it. I think not really need invisible wall any MMORPG games. And this game have an absulutely horrible controlling. If you like the super heroes i think you try the DC Universe Online that game much better and skip the Chapions Online.… Expand
  91. WildFire15
    May 5, 2015
    2
    Champions Online is a great example of a game that was fantastic on paper, but a mess in execution. The potential still exists, but isn't utilised as the game has moved more towards themed archetypes (which in reality are just a list pre-chosen powers). The world and characters aren't follow the golden age design without ever having any of the personality beyond 'I am heroically good!' andChampions Online is a great example of a game that was fantastic on paper, but a mess in execution. The potential still exists, but isn't utilised as the game has moved more towards themed archetypes (which in reality are just a list pre-chosen powers). The world and characters aren't follow the golden age design without ever having any of the personality beyond 'I am heroically good!' and 'I'm evil, mwahaha!' while the gameplay itself doesn't seem to know what it's trying to be.
    Worst of all, the game's a balance mess. Jack Emmert's complete inability to balance player and enemy abilities is in full effect here, leaving only a small handful of workable powers and others which are next to useless in comparison.
    Champions Online's character creator is still a fantastically powerful tool that can allow you to create almost anything (though you can't really escape the goofy feeling of the art design), but beyond that there's nothing to recommend, besides an example of what not to do.    … Expand
  92. Krazkog
    Jul 26, 2011
    6
    Champions online was in the beginning great, but from time to time I became a little bored. The character customization is great, I loved it that you had so many options to choose from, aswell as the archetypes and freeform. However, the quests in it are mostly the same, plus the leveling takes a lot of time. I'm normally not a fan of fast leveling, but I really urged to get to the nextChampions online was in the beginning great, but from time to time I became a little bored. The character customization is great, I loved it that you had so many options to choose from, aswell as the archetypes and freeform. However, the quests in it are mostly the same, plus the leveling takes a lot of time. I'm normally not a fan of fast leveling, but I really urged to get to the next level, and it felt like I was spending an eternity. All of those bad things aside, I think Champions Online to be a great game, but it just needs to work on its gameplay. I admit however, that the pvp and the pve are great. It's just the quests that bother me. Conclusion: Champions online is a good game, but it has a few issues. I, however, still recommend it to people who like to play a hero based MMO.… Expand
  93. BernardTheBeast
    Feb 3, 2020
    4
    It was good. It was worthy of maybe 7/10 in the past. But today it's been entirely taken over by a company that doesn't much care about the source material, and has converted the game into a Lootbox Simulator overflowing with microtransactions, lootbox keys, currency conversion, obsessive grinding (for in-game currencies), and pretty much everything else that is horrendously manipulativeIt was good. It was worthy of maybe 7/10 in the past. But today it's been entirely taken over by a company that doesn't much care about the source material, and has converted the game into a Lootbox Simulator overflowing with microtransactions, lootbox keys, currency conversion, obsessive grinding (for in-game currencies), and pretty much everything else that is horrendously manipulative and exploitative.

    It's a nightmare to see a game where creativity was the core game mechanic, turned into this disgusting excuse for catering to people who can be manipulated to buy bytes and pixels for cash.

    Give it a try if you want, it has probably the best character creator of any 3D game developed, ever, and being able to select your own superpowers has its pleasures. But steel yourself in preparation for artificial barriers that will continue popping up, encouraging you to hand over more of your time and money than this game deserves.

    Do I recommend this game? I hate answering "No". I really do. This game was my life for years. The people, the community, they've stayed with me. But the game has fallen behind, dragged down by the weight of its new, corrupt, cash-grabbing nature. Such a heart-rending a shame.    … Expand
  94. Jounk33
    Oct 11, 2013
    8
    My very first MMORPG, the first sight was neutral. But I see the developer work intensivly for the game, and the game is 4 years old.
    I like the mass of outfits and cloth so you can have a hero you ever dream for.
    The game is very good for me. I play it every week for some hours.
    The only negativ fact is the sound. The sound and music seems to me very strange. Okay 8now
  95. totalknowledge
    Sep 25, 2013
    7
    This game is pretty fun. It does grab a hold of you, but if you have some time to kill, and have grown tired of what your playing now, its worth a go.
  96. KaienShiba
    May 10, 2015
    4
    This game almost requires you to team up, especially for melee characters, the story line which I think it does have one, seems to meander and goes off track now and then.
  97. Ecresis
    Jun 24, 2014
    7
    The main advantage of this game is that you are a super hero. The very cartoony style of this game is what makes it special, and considering it's free to play, let's not be picky.

    Hours of fun with friends, lots of missions too, and you can without any problem enjoy yourself without spending money on it. The different ways of travelling are a nice detail (flying, running, jumping..),    The main advantage of this game is that you are a super hero. The very cartoony style of this game is what makes it special, and considering it's free to play, let's not be picky.

    Hours of fun with friends, lots of missions too, and you can without any problem enjoy yourself without spending money on it. The different ways of travelling are a nice detail (flying, running, jumping..), and the customization of your character is well developed.

    It is indeed highly suggested to not invest money in this, as you can't do a lot more once you've bought it. More slots, a nicer cape, and some special quests, that's all. The cap level at 40 is pretty low, you get bored pretty fast after that.

    Conclusion : It's free and fun, have a go !    … Expand
  98. Vamrem
    Aug 17, 2016
    8
    Having played Freedom Force, DC Universe Online and City of Heroes, I can say that this is the best superhero game ever created (its only flaw is to not have an offline mode to mod it). Art and music makes you feel that you are in a comic book, practically unlimited appearance customization, a vast combination of superpowers, at level 30 you can design your nemesis that will attack youHaving played Freedom Force, DC Universe Online and City of Heroes, I can say that this is the best superhero game ever created (its only flaw is to not have an offline mode to mod it). Art and music makes you feel that you are in a comic book, practically unlimited appearance customization, a vast combination of superpowers, at level 30 you can design your nemesis that will attack you randomly, and also you can have a super-transport and a hideout, among many, many, many things to do.… Expand
  99. Nanostar
    Aug 10, 2017
    4
    The successor to City of Heroes yet it does nearly everything worse than CoH. Yes it has more costume options and in some ways more power variation.. but that doesn't compensate for the childish gameplay boss ninja-ing and constant re-spawning that makes careful planned preparation that some CoH/CoV builds allowed. It also fell away from the CoH instancing model which also detracts. IThe successor to City of Heroes yet it does nearly everything worse than CoH. Yes it has more costume options and in some ways more power variation.. but that doesn't compensate for the childish gameplay boss ninja-ing and constant re-spawning that makes careful planned preparation that some CoH/CoV builds allowed. It also fell away from the CoH instancing model which also detracts. I bought a lifetime subs to this hoping to see an updated improved version of CoH.. but alas got a childish click fest instead. a waste of my money.… Expand
  100. Corefitz
    Feb 15, 2020
    8
    This is a game that I cannot stop playing, after almost 10 years with it, I believe it's time I give it its due credit.

    Pros: -Hands down has the best costume creator ever, which is also ever-expanding with lockboxes. -Friendly community, Even including trolls. (Elitist are present) -Has that old-but-gold feeling to it. -(If you care) Superhero based storyline, which actually does a    This is a game that I cannot stop playing, after almost 10 years with it, I believe it's time I give it its due credit.

    Pros:
    -Hands down has the best costume creator ever, which is also ever-expanding with lockboxes.
    -Friendly community, Even including trolls. (Elitist are present)
    -Has that old-but-gold feeling to it.
    -(If you care) Superhero based storyline, which actually does a good job.
    -Game still gets good under-the-hood updates.

    Cons:
    -Lockboxes (lootboxes for new players) which is technically gambling.
    -No new playable content for quite a while, such as Adventure packs or new missions.
    -LTS (Lifetime Subscription) to get the most fun out of this game with FF (Freeform) characters.

    CONCLUSION!
    The game has good and bad sides, no question, but one thing that people use the game for is costume creator, creatives who make their own original characters tends to use this game because it offers a lot of variety though said creator.
    If you plan on sticking around, you’re going to meet people who’re interested in helping you get better at the game, if you ask nicely and some of us has been playing this game for a long time now.

    Now raising your account to gold with the LTS, DOES give you a lot of extra stuff right off the bat, you're even able to color your own powers! The price is a matter of debate though, on one side, it IS a lot of one-time money, but on the other side, you never have to worry about paying to the game again, and like I said, if you stick around long enough, the game technically pays you to play it, I mean you even get 500 Zen (currency you get from microtransactions) free each month as a gold member.

    All in all: Champions Online is old, but not in a bad way, it’s fun and enjoyable to play, though repetitive, and while it is a rather small game, it does have a place and in identity of its own. As a superhero MMORPG it’s still one of the better ones out there and REALLY offers a lot of variety in terms of character customization.

    Also, on a side note.
    Champsion Online is NOT CoX, please stop hating on this becuase your game got shut down.
    We get it, it sucks. But there's no reason to hate on Champions Online because of that.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

99
#99 Best PC Game of 2009
29
#29 Most Discussed PC Game of 2009
72
#72 Most Shared PC Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 40 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 40
  3. Negative: 1 out of 40
  1. PC Gamer
    Apr 14, 2011
    70
    Free-to-play limits player choice and hurts the game's longevity, but Champions remains a pretty, if passable MMO.
    Read full review
  2. Ten Ton Hammer
    Feb 25, 2011
    81
    Champions Online : Free For All is a fantastic F2P option if you've never tried the basic Champions Online.
    Read full review
  3. Gamers.at
    86
    Champions Online might not rise to supreme MMO-excellency, but it's a damn good game nonetheless. If you're waiting for DC Universe to come around, the least you can do is go and kill some time with Champions Online.
    Read full review
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