An MMO that delivers a solid new playing experience, and gives the player a true feeling of being a superhero.
City of Heroes has a very in depth and interesting character creation system. The game really makes it fun to create a superhero, and this is where the player’s imagination will really shine through. Expect to spend upward of 30 minutes creating a character. COH has five different hero classes, each one varying quite differently from the other. The main classes are Blaster, Controller, Defender, Scrapper, and Tanker. Each class has their own sets of skills and powers, which differ greatly. Alongside the character classes is the character’s origin. This decides what enhancements the character will receive, and what types of villain groups will be encountered the most throughout the game. The next choices to be made are picking a set of primary and secondary powers. Whether it be an archer or assault rifle for a Blaster class, or have ice or fire control for a Controller class. The physique of the character will be chosen next. After those steps have been completed, it is time to create a costume. This is where imagination and creativity come in. City of Heroes literally has a billion different customization options, which make it a truly unique game in this sense. A hero may look like a favored comic book hero, or a one off original. The chances are very slim two characters will look alike in this game.
City of Heroes has an interesting graphical look to it. It is realistically modeled, but also has a cartoon art style going on. The cartoon art style adds to the overall look and feel of being a superhero, and is a definite plus. The environments are very impressive, and range from tall skyscrapers to gang infested ghettos and parks. The environments seem vibrant and populated with cars and civilians for the most part, and give the sense of life throughout. The graphics really add that needed “punch” to the game, and the unique art style helps add to the player’s enjoyment. As for system requirements, a decent system is required to run it without hassle.
City of Heroes does not have a real story to it. There are various contacts throughout the game, where the player will receive their missions. These contacts are specific to the character’s class and origin. The player will advance from contact to contact, after they have completed the required missions. These missions go from fighting gangs on the streets of Paragon City, to rescuing a doctor from man eating zombies in the sewers. At first, these missions are fun, but get repetitive quite quickly. Most missions are made up of save this person, battle these creatures, or retrieve this. The mission types are what make City of Heroes so linear and this is one of the major downsides to the game. The missions can be sometimes tiring due to their repetitive nature. The combat in the game is smooth, and is easy to get accustomed to. The on screen display bars feel very streamlined, and do not distract from the gameplay. The controls are well laid out, so there should be no problems. Combat can be really fun, especially when fighting with other heroes. The game does support parties of up to seven other players, and these groups can complete missions together or fight baddies on the streets. Combat is one of COH’s strong points, and is a fun new experience, especially with the use of super powers.
City of Heroes offers the player a plethora of powers for their character, and each is specific to the character’s class and origin. Every other level, starting at levels 2,4,6,8 and so on, the player receives a new power of their choice. At level 10, the choice of adding a new pool of powers to your character is available. These powers range from super speed, flying, or leaping great heights. These new powers make it much easier to navigate around the city, but become inactive when you are fighting enemies. The biggest disappointment about the game is the upgrading of your superhero. Upgrades are chopped down to little enhancements received by buying them from stores or collecting them off of defeated villains. They are used to permanently increase the effectiveness of your super powers, but do not do anything else. You can also buy temporary power ups called inspirations. These can also be bought, or received after defeating an enemy. They are used to increase health, strength, power and so on for a short amount of time. As for the levels in between gaining powers, the player receives an extra slot for 2 of their powers to place more enhancements in. Because of its lack of features, like item drops and upgrades, COH feels stripped down.
In short, City of Heroes is not a game for your average dungeon exploring, magic using player. This game appeals to a very niche market, or even just a casual market looking for a new experience. Overall, the game is a solid and fun MMO that offers players a new experience, but that experience may wear out quickly. For some, this game may justify its $15 monthly fee, but for others it may not. But with the first month of play being free, COH is definitely worth a try.