Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning

 PC
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 386 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 283 out of 386
  2. Mixed: 45 out of 386
  3. Negative: 58 out of 386
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  1. ChrisR.
    Dec 25, 2008
    5
    Ok so while the reviews on this one are a little bloated for the most part your right. It is a fairly good PvP based game. (or RvR if you will). Now PvP is fine and dandy but MMORPG's are based upon the simple fact that there will in fact be a RPG part of the game. None non-existant. You want to raid? unfortunately the only raiding is done by 6-mans. You can take 20 people in, but theOk so while the reviews on this one are a little bloated for the most part your right. It is a fairly good PvP based game. (or RvR if you will). Now PvP is fine and dandy but MMORPG's are based upon the simple fact that there will in fact be a RPG part of the game. None non-existant. You want to raid? unfortunately the only raiding is done by 6-mans. You can take 20 people in, but the rewards are the same. So save some time and frustration and 6 man it. Note* this is the second game to come out with no end game content and raiding this year. Fail AoC. Fail War.… Expand
  2. gwarbob
    Sep 13, 2008
    6
    Summary: Uninspired, Uninspiring, Bland, Unpolished, Not bad but definitely not worth spending money on unless all you want to do is BGs with character classes which have so little customisation and near enough no true variety. Not to be cruel but this is simply not good enough to pay for. This game is a basically Guild Wars with a longer levelling process. The gear is given to you as you Summary: Uninspired, Uninspiring, Bland, Unpolished, Not bad but definitely not worth spending money on unless all you want to do is BGs with character classes which have so little customisation and near enough no true variety. Not to be cruel but this is simply not good enough to pay for. This game is a basically Guild Wars with a longer levelling process. The gear is given to you as you go with little or no gear hunting aspects. The pve solo quests are truly terrible, generic dross. The mobs are offensively bad, constant mob porting doesn't even beging to hide how terrible the mob ai is. The Public Quests are truly excellent and innovative a feature though and a true highlight. The PvE isn't the point of the game and the game itself is a series of same old same old BGs which are the end game. Imagine the pvp aspect of wow taken out and made into a game and you pretty much get War. Now there's nothing wrong with that but the implimentation of War is actually very uninspired. The character graphics, movement and spell casts are horrible, graphically the game is utterly uninspired with some amazing buildings but also some terrible geometric hills and simply textured ground. Gameplay, due to there being a ridiculous number of classes, is actually fairly shoddy too. Whilst the colision detection ads a true team aspect to the pvp, the classes are bland to the extreme, samey and lack excitement. There are simply too many, the differences are purely graphical in many cases and there is no actual character customisation to speak of. The PvP combat itself is a bit of a downer. The poor character animations result in an estetically repulsive and hugely simplistic experience where a lot of generic looking characters in pvp reward gear run around casting the same sequences of spells. The combat also suffers from pace issues, the casts arent seamless and the gameplay simply doesnt flow in PvP. People keep saying "it's like the old tarren mill battles"... er... yay? that really sucked? People generally hated it after a week because it was pointless and stupid? Why has this become a celebrated feature? And as to overall contribution of your pvp, allegedly making it meaningful, fiddlesticks. It's just bg grinding!! There is really nothing wrong with this game as such, it's playable despite not being as polished as we may have hoped. Its problem is that it's simply not captivating, there is very little to it, it doesn't inspire that mmo feeling, there is no true gear hunt and the end game gameplay are just BGs. I personally hate wow's raidin system but how can this compete when all it has is some pretty average group based pvp scenarios? the pve content, despite the brilliant public quests, simply isn't there. There are no instances, no reps as such, there is no progression and there is just an endless set of bgs to grind through... i totally fail to see the appeal of this game as anything else but a squad based pvp game. it simply lacks everything else an mmo should have.… Expand
  3. Scanton
    Apr 20, 2011
    5
    Played this every day for over a month, nice ideas executed poorly I expected so much more from this but it ended up being a real disappointment which is a shame really as it got old very quickly and so the initial novelty soon wore off The interaction with the other players and the environment felt very disjointed the progression past level 20 was excessively slow and the tradePlayed this every day for over a month, nice ideas executed poorly I expected so much more from this but it ended up being a real disappointment which is a shame really as it got old very quickly and so the initial novelty soon wore off The interaction with the other players and the environment felt very disjointed the progression past level 20 was excessively slow and the trade skills were confusing and hard to level.… Expand
  4. ABNMP
    Feb 4, 2012
    5
    Played this game for almost 2 years. Waited for the company to address many player versus player issues. A good ride until you realize the top tier experience is very one sided. An unbalanced PvP game does not deserve a subscription. The guys involved with this title moved on to help with Star Wars The Old Republic. That game has tanked as well. Wait for another title, or try a free to play game.
  5. Gratson
    Oct 14, 2011
    7
    Decent game, but it was just too similar to WoW for me and it didn't have nearly as much content. That was probably what really killed it, if WoW had not been out I think it would have done much better. The pvp was fun though, I just quit before I had leveled to the maximum level so I never experienced the end-game (I went back to WoW instead). Still, it's not a bad game by any means, andDecent game, but it was just too similar to WoW for me and it didn't have nearly as much content. That was probably what really killed it, if WoW had not been out I think it would have done much better. The pvp was fun though, I just quit before I had leveled to the maximum level so I never experienced the end-game (I went back to WoW instead). Still, it's not a bad game by any means, and today it might be worth trying out since it probably has a lot more content now than it did when it was newly released.… Expand
  6. SteveK
    Nov 19, 2008
    6
    I really wanted to like this game. I like the accessibility of it, I like that it doesn't suck your life away. I like that some of the runaround of the other MMO's (and you know what I mean by "other"...) is largely eliminated. It's not built aorund raiding, there aren't annoying and unnecessary 10 minute flights while you do nothing. You can start PvPing pretty much I really wanted to like this game. I like the accessibility of it, I like that it doesn't suck your life away. I like that some of the runaround of the other MMO's (and you know what I mean by "other"...) is largely eliminated. It's not built aorund raiding, there aren't annoying and unnecessary 10 minute flights while you do nothing. You can start PvPing pretty much right away. All that is cool, but in the end, there seems to be remarkably little to do (that is worthwhile) OTHER than do the same scenarios over and over and OVER. The world itself seems a little limp and not enough people doing PvE stuff. The cities are empty, there seems to be very little community feel outside of your own guild. I will give Mythic this: they are VERY responsive, they change and tweak things all the time. That is great, but overall the game is not, it is underwhelming, almost like an undercooked WoW. There are some great ideas here, but just not compelling enough for me. If you like PvP (and only PvP), you will probably like this game. If you like to actually have role playing in your role playing games, then this is not for you.… Expand
  7. libno
    Sep 24, 2010
    5
    I'm not saying Warhammer is a bad game. It's just that we've already seen things like it. If you've played WoW or LOTRO, this won't have you hooked.
  8. MikeH
    Sep 21, 2008
    6
    nice to see some original idea's actually make it into the game unfortunately bad implementation of some features and complete removal of others have left this so called wow beater, reeling in the corner. in addition terrible eu launch problems and bad game performance for an already aging engine wont help make this the classic it should have been :(
  9. BrianS.
    Sep 21, 2008
    5
    Any vote above 5 for this is pretty much the same thing the votes above 5 for AoC were, people desperately hoping and praying that their new purchase will meet their hopes and expectations of being able to be the one in their peer group that was "right" that their new game purchase would beat WoW. Simple facts are, WAR does not beat WoW...in any respect. WAR's PvP is alright, but Any vote above 5 for this is pretty much the same thing the votes above 5 for AoC were, people desperately hoping and praying that their new purchase will meet their hopes and expectations of being able to be the one in their peer group that was "right" that their new game purchase would beat WoW. Simple facts are, WAR does not beat WoW...in any respect. WAR's PvP is alright, but lacks speed and a true feel of impact in what you do. Also you get immediately immersed in PvP...which is good, but also bad because fighting in a PvP instance with two abilities and zero understanding of your class is what you'll be doing for the first few PvP instances, the play of PvP in WAR is slow, awkward, badly animated and mostly confusing...even for experienced PvPers from other games. The PvE experience is archaic, mobs don't move around at all unless based at a camp, the early level PvE experience throws a ton of quests at you that are all relatively boring Kill X Number of X quests and fetch quests that bring nothing new to the table. The class balance is questionable, especially on the RvR level, and to top it all off the character art style is no more advanced than WoW's really. 7 faces, various hairstyles...welcome to being identified by the armor you wear...oh wait everyone else is wearing the armor you've got too. WAR is to WoW what DAoC was to Everquest...an alternative, but not a competitor in any sense of the word.… Expand
  10. jimbob
    Nov 1, 2008
    6
    I desperately wanted to like this game, but simply uninteresting to play, with bland character class design, and poor technical implementation. It'll take a big overhaul to pull this one up to a reasonable standard, and to be frank, I don't think it'll last long enough for the coders to try.
  11. JexterD
    Nov 5, 2008
    6
    This is a Warhammer game that does not really feel like Warhammer. I think developers have gone too far to make this to appeal those looking for instant gratification and forgot that there are players who enjoy MMOs because they provide a long-term challenge for character and guild development in social environment. I gave this a 6 because it's an OK game, but nothing to write home This is a Warhammer game that does not really feel like Warhammer. I think developers have gone too far to make this to appeal those looking for instant gratification and forgot that there are players who enjoy MMOs because they provide a long-term challenge for character and guild development in social environment. I gave this a 6 because it's an OK game, but nothing to write home about. It takes MMORPGs to a wrong direction in my opinion.… Expand
  12. LeahR
    Oct 18, 2008
    6
    I wanted to love it, and I tried my best, but the game is so rough, buggy, unstable, unpolished, and imbalanced that it drove me away in frustration. It plays like a fun if lopsided game still very much in beta. The problem is we're now paying money for this. It's also disheartening that Mythic has failed to address the vast outcry about class and population imbalances, and CEO I wanted to love it, and I tried my best, but the game is so rough, buggy, unstable, unpolished, and imbalanced that it drove me away in frustration. It plays like a fun if lopsided game still very much in beta. The problem is we're now paying money for this. It's also disheartening that Mythic has failed to address the vast outcry about class and population imbalances, and CEO Mark Jacobs displays erratic and troubling behavior where he caters to the demands of a vocal minority (on the IGN VN Boards) while ignoring the rest of his customers. I want WAR to improve and succeed, but right now I can only recommend most people avoid this one till it has had several months to half a year to climb out of the buggy mess it's currently in.… Expand
  13. MikeS.
    Oct 2, 2008
    7
    As a WoW PVP junkie who lost interest in raiding post BC I thought this game was going to be the perfect medium between the gear-centric grind of WoW and the overly guild centric, unbalance, realistically bland Age of Conan- I wanted fast flashy fantasy with never monotanous PVP. I played WAR as a CE closed beta tester and although at first I was skeptical the game really grew on me As a WoW PVP junkie who lost interest in raiding post BC I thought this game was going to be the perfect medium between the gear-centric grind of WoW and the overly guild centric, unbalance, realistically bland Age of Conan- I wanted fast flashy fantasy with never monotanous PVP. I played WAR as a CE closed beta tester and although at first I was skeptical the game really grew on me quickly. WAR offers a lot of no-brainers that really help the game flow easily (quest locations shown on the map, easy to find groups, PVPing always a click away). But just as quickly as the new features impressed me, the same old issues arouse. Mythic nerfed the EXP from Beta to release and as a result the leveling process became every bit as tedious and arduous as any other MMO. Leveling via PVP sounded like a great idea, but quickly feels every bit as painful as gaining reputation in War Song Gultch. The combat is far slower (more HP, less burst), the healing is very HoT focused and the debuffs/buffs seem to be the focus of PVP (wearing your enemy down as gruelingly slow as possible). Clearly the game is balanced around large combat of organized forces, and while hyper competitive guilds will have a blast getting top honors on the server, there's not much here for the single player. I have never played any other Mythic MMO, but I'm sadly disappointed. Although far far more polished than Age of Conan, I'm not sure Mythic could do enough to win over WoW converts who are used to a similar PVP game play. Basically, unless you played (and absolutely loved) other Mythic MMO's you'll likely find WAR inferior after a while. Even though I no longer play WoW, I would sooner level to 80 in WotLK than finish leveling to 40 in WAR.… Expand
  14. GregT.
    Sep 28, 2008
    5
    While a lot of the new features are nice, the core of the game seems weak and unpolished. Combat is slow, and leveling is even slower. You gain the same amount of xp for a quest from T1 to T4 - which frankly needs fixing.
  15. MattL
    Jan 13, 2009
    7
    As of Jan 13, 2009: Technical Graphics: 7.5 Art Style: 8 Audio: 6.5 PvP Dynamics: 8.5 Instances and Raiding: 5.5 Questing: 6 Crafting: 3 Character Differentiation: 4 Exploration: 5 Combat Feel: 8 UI Customization: 8.5 Lore and storyline: 8 Class skills and abilities: 8 Long-term enjoyment: 6 Mod support: 9 Revolutions: public quest system, next gen PvP implementation, tome of knowledge. As of Jan 13, 2009: Technical Graphics: 7.5 Art Style: 8 Audio: 6.5 PvP Dynamics: 8.5 Instances and Raiding: 5.5 Questing: 6 Crafting: 3 Character Differentiation: 4 Exploration: 5 Combat Feel: 8 UI Customization: 8.5 Lore and storyline: 8 Class skills and abilities: 8 Long-term enjoyment: 6 Mod support: 9 Revolutions: public quest system, next gen PvP implementation, tome of knowledge. Flaws: requires populated servers to work, lack of diversity in things to do outside of keep sieges - which can become uninspiring after you've been there and done it many times.… Expand
  16. jaecue
    Oct 24, 2008
    5
    The real fact of the matter is that most people have respectibly gave up on MMO's like myself, and for good reason, great concept, poor delivery. Now I'm in no way a WoW "fanboy", I got WoW when it came out and wnet on and off with it till about a year ago, and sadly as insignificant as it is its probably best MMO, the real problem lies with the gameplay, its gpoing on 2009 noThe real fact of the matter is that most people have respectibly gave up on MMO's like myself, and for good reason, great concept, poor delivery. Now I'm in no way a WoW "fanboy", I got WoW when it came out and wnet on and off with it till about a year ago, and sadly as insignificant as it is its probably best MMO, the real problem lies with the gameplay, its gpoing on 2009 no one wants to play a turnbased board game with a huge board. I mean targeting and watching ur guy swing a sword while u cast a spell everytime it regenerates wont give u as much joy, as prowling through the savannahs of far cry 2 or blasting through the great storyline of stalker: soc.. and soon every fps will be extreme open world.. OFP2 220 km of pure action packed bliss.… Expand
  17. HarewVista
    Sep 22, 2008
    5
    I ain't pretty but it refines the WoW formula into something instantly rewarding. This immediacy means the immersion factor suffers in comparison to a slow-burner like LotRO, but if you're looking for quick PvP thrills, WAR is the only choice. It remains to be seen whether early balancing issues will be resolved. Perhaps best to wait a couple of months before purchasing.
  18. TylerL
    Dec 19, 2008
    5
    I give it a 5 because although it is a pretty good game for PvP, after awhile you grow tired of the PQ farm, the Renown Farm and eventually all the zones and quests meld into one and it in the end does not have a good experience. On top of that the game still has many FPS and performance issues on top of the line systems. I have an 8800 GTS, Q6600 with 4 gigs of ram and I get about 20 I give it a 5 because although it is a pretty good game for PvP, after awhile you grow tired of the PQ farm, the Renown Farm and eventually all the zones and quests meld into one and it in the end does not have a good experience. On top of that the game still has many FPS and performance issues on top of the line systems. I have an 8800 GTS, Q6600 with 4 gigs of ram and I get about 20 frames in every zone. I emailed EA support about this but none of their solutions can fix it and their responding times are extremely slow.… Expand
  19. Ztride
    Dec 21, 2011
    7
    Had so much potential, but failed, largely due to lots of lag and that the player base was spread out on far too many servers. Many of these issues were fixed in later patches, but there are still to few players, and ideas such as Public Quests and RvR is something that I think Guild Wars 2 will do several times better, when it it released.
  20. boucquillon
    Jun 22, 2012
    5
    is beat by wow and age of conan, the latter impressing me the most with epic 24man raids, and great openworld pvp
    more importantly warhammer seems to be dying some more(maybe bioware is too)

Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best PC Game of 2008
17
#17 Most Discussed PC Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 52 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 54
  3. Negative: 0 out of 54
  1. Eurogamer
    80
    Mythic has dutifully done everything it needs to to compete with Blizzard's jack of all trades and master of most. Crafting is weak, and dungeons - the small, instanced experiences that really cement the group dynamics in an MMO - are frustratingly rare, but aside from that WAR does it all, and does it well.
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  2. Gameplanet
    80
    Touted as being the pretender to the throne of MMO games, expectations for Warhammer Online were running high. Whilst brilliant in a lot of ways, the lack of polish and a fundamental flaw in the game dynamic does not bode well for its longevity. It is certainly worth playing, but it will leave you wondering why it was not finished before release.
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  3. PC Gamer UK
    88
    Whether your preference is for PvP or PvE, the frustrations of aimless wandering and vague directions are gone.
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