All in all the game is a WoW clone with a slightly different combat system more gore and different graphics setting.
You can't have space in names. So your name will be "onewordonlyname" .
Graphics:
On a high end system the graphics are better than the other MMOs out there. They cannot compare of course with single player RPGs graphics not Oblivion's and the like but not even Morrowind. They are better than WoWs but well WoW has still far more character in it's graphics. Perhaps this is because it's easier to make cartoonish like graphics with less textures compaired to the AoC graphics that try to imitate a more "reality" enviroment. So although WoW graphics are inferior they are able to rapresent WoWs world better than AoC achives in it's own world rapresentation goal.
Sound: AoC has very good sounds. Especially the initial music that seems inspired by Mozart's Requiem (dies irae part) really captures you. The sound really helps into the immersivity into the game.
Gameplay:
The new combat system is positive and offers some variety from the usuall click click click but not perfect. The actual goal the player has to achieve is to watch the opponent's defence bars and hit at the side the foe is less protected. It sure offers more interactivity but it is not a real breakthrough but more of an additional task. What keeps mattering are the "combo" shorcuts. "Combo" is another word for spell like abilities. They are not actual combos. They are just named so to make an impression. They are used exactly like the correspondent WoWs class spells and special attacks. The highly advertised fatalities of the game although pleasant to watch they are not some kind of super attacks that kill but only visual rapresentations of final blows that trigger this special visual effect aka "Fatality" . PvP is a joke since what happens in pvp servers are tha certain groups camp the passages and the only way to move around is stealth. Although stealth drops the stamina bar preety fast so is not a very possible option for non stealth specialist classes. Genearly there is lack of flexibility you chose a class at the begining and you will stick with it's ways till the end. I prefer much the flexibility of Guildwars or Eve online were you can try different strategies.
The actual difficulty is at the way you control the character When you get attacked by multiple enemies you actual defence will be to kill them faster than they kill you. You can't use the enviroment in any way and you lack any actual defencive moves (you can press X in attempt to defend but its random based and is counter productive trying to guess where the foe will hit you from to move your shields toward one side) Run runing will lead you to more foes the ones you just killed a couple of minutes ago but they are by now respawned... So if you see that you are going to lose a battle, well there is no way you can avoid death. Runing won't save you if you are deep into an area. The spellcasters work exactly like in WoW and there is no way you can kite. What will mostly happen is to shoot 1 or 2 spells before they reach you then you pray that your slowed casted spells will be able to kill them first.
User interface:
Is almost identical to WoW. The lvl up works like WoW although at least here you are granted the abilities for free . On each lvl up you automaticaly get the new aditions. After some lvl you also get feat points just like in WoW.
Shortcuts etc just like WoW
Storyline/immersion:
Seems more convincing than WoWs but in the end the goals are similar to WoW. Kill 10 of these gather 10 of that. The problem with the game is that it feels much more zoned compaired to WoW that feels completely open. Also there are no indications warning you how hard a foe will be so you ll have to find out the hard way.
Bugs:
Occasional crashes. Sometimes you may stuck into something ,gets fixed by reloging. Official forum had a bug they woudln't recognise the name i had set. Still they don't work for me and many others.
Conclusion
All in all is not a bad game but it lacks character and it also lacks the feeling of a real world society composed of players. The world feels very static and empty everyone runs around trying to do quests and earn xp. I would hope of a more RP credible enviroment like that offered by some online player mods in Neverwinter Nights. In the end i don't see the reason to prefer play AoC instead of Oblivion or Morrowind. Of course AoC is an online game but in the end of the day what you are doing in AoC is soloing around with a bunch of others that happens to solo around in the same area as you as if it's some kind of competition on who will reach higher lvl sooner only to rise lvl be happy about it and go kill monster type B with the new skills in the same exact way as he did before. I find the way battles and group PvE happens in Guildwars were battles are far more frenetic and fun and because there partying with is a "Must" people get used to cooperate right from the start. That way they learn to have fun together which is what an MMO should aim to anyway. Anyway bottom line is "been there done that" although the diversity is pleasant at start.