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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  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. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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.
  18. 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
  19. 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.
  20. 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

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
See all critic reviews »