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. 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
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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!!!
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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.
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. 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.
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. 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
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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

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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.
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  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.
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