City of Heroes can and will be viewed as an "MMORPG Lite" by a lot of people, but that doesn't make it any less fun. What you get with this shiny little package is a fast-paced superhero MMOG (a first) with fun, dynamic combat, excellent character customization potential, a decent series of plotlines, and not much else. Don't let the seeming lack of options dissuade you though, City of Heroes is all about fun. The details have been covered elsewhere, so I'll confine this to a vetern MMOG player's view on the game. For starters, combat is fast and fun as I mentioned. You'll frequently find yourself taking on multiple foes and coming out on top. This gives you quite a feeling of power and gives a bit of a rush the first few times. Bosses and lieutenants offer a sufficient challenge and can require a change of tactics, thereby introducing a bit of variety to battles. Most people find tracking down the thugs and villains fun, which is excellent since there's not really anything else to do in the game. The other major point I want to cover here is the mission structure. Missions are the heart of City of Heroes and something that it does well, if you're willing to put in the time and effort to work with them. If you don't read mission descriptions, the system will seem shallow and repetitive as there are only a few types of missions in the game. Those that take the time to read mission descriptions and invest some emotion in the game will be rewarded by a rich, detailed story line that wraps around your character and culminates in souvenirs and battles with arch-villains. (Souvenirs being text "badges" that remind you of arcs you finished; they're offer nothing more than the satisfaction of a job well done.) If you shun the missions and simply try and get to the top, you’re going to find yourself burned out fast. This is where my main complaint about City of Heroes comes in: Once you hit the level cap (currently level 40), what is there for your character to do? With a lack of any sort of “uber loot” aside from a few types of special enhancements, there’s really no way to continue developing your character after you reach the cap. This is something the developers are going to have to address in coming updates in order to maintain a subscriber base. The increasing of the level cap to 50 in the first content update along with the addition of several new villain groups and zones is a start, but I’m still somewhat concerned. All in all, City of Heroes is fun and worth checking out for a few months, but don't count on it to hold your interest for years on end unless you're a die-hard comic book fan who's always wanted to be a superhero.
I recommend this game for anyone who wants to give MMOs a shot, or anyone whose tired of slow MMOs. Unlike most online RPGs, City of Heroes has a fast play/fighting style that'll keep you interested, and a well paced lev... Read Full Review
How can I make you feel the deep love/hate relationship I have with this game. In almost every way, this is the worst massive multiplayer game to come around in a long time. But, there is so much about it that is just so... Read Full Review
