Champions Online Reviews

It's time to round up another large batch of reviews for Cryptic Studios' latest entry in the massively multiplayer RPG genre.

Destructoid says "Demo It":
If personality is something that is very important to you, Champions may very well be the MMO of your dreams. There is no danger of wading around in a sea of similar looking characters, or even similar functioning ones, for better or for worse. But there is too much about the game that is unbalanced and confusing at the moment. Those who currently play other MMOs may find very little incentive to switch. Hopefully, as the game grows and changes, the actual gameplay will match the grand, enjoyable world it occupies. Right now, however, the confusing upgrade system and unsatisfying grindfest structure prevent me from fully recommending Champions Online.

GameSquad awards a 7/10:
There is a lot to like about Champions Online; the character creator is deeply satisfying, the missions are well written and entertaining for the most part and the combat is an absolute blast. But outside of that there is not a whole lot of substance to Champions Online. Some features, such as PvP, the crafting and even the gear players can use, are weakly implemented or seem rushed. The fact is that Champions Online is an unfinished, unpolished MMO with a real lack of content. It is true: the fun factor cannot be ignored - and Champions is a whole lot of fun and there is a lot of potential with this game. Unfortunately, bugs, balance issues and a lack of content may cause players to lose interest long before the game gets on its feet.

MTV Multiplayer remains scoreless:
"Champions Online" is a commendable evolution beyond what Cryptic Studios started with "City of Heroes"/"City of Villains." I'm not sure its worth abandoning characters you've sunk 80+ hours into in the other game, but there's still a lot to like about "Champions." The opportunity to express yourself offered by the character creator is reason number one, but there's also plenty more to enjoy once you actually take your hero out for a spin. "Champions Online" might not be the best MMO on the market right now, but it's definitely the best option for people who want to role-play a superhero.

And Game-Pad does the impressions thing:
Following the invasion of Millennium City, you get the choice to tackle a crisis in either Canada or the Desert. These crisis zones are once again separate instances from the open world, and you must complete the main missions in one of them before you're truly free to explore with everyone else. Many people complain that having these compulsory crisis zones in addition to the tutorial makes the first 10 or so levels of the game boring and repetitive. For players with more than two alternate characters I would agree, as I now find myself rushing through the tutorial on my third character and facing the prospect of tackling the Crisis in Canada for a second time. On the plus side, it does allow you to get a good feel for the game and build up your average crimefighter into a hero. This means the player ends up with a champion who can hold their own without help or interference from higher level players.