City of Heroes

"No. No. I can't take this anymore..."

It's simple! Just add something new to the gameplay. This is the same as every other mmorpg, except it's slightly different. It's by no means revolutionary, and I fear this is the way all the new mmorpgs will be like including World of Warcraft.

Gameplay[1]
Non-Existent. You have different special attacks, and you just press the attack icon, and there ya go. No skill involved in it, and no nothing. Granted you can run around and attack while retreating, but it's still the same mmorpg formula. You'll feel the effects of level grinding around level 15. There's nothing for people that have maxed their characters to do except wait for the expansion pack and player kill when that comes out. Sounds just like Dark Age of Camelot doesn't it? This game was incomplete when it came out, and they didn't fix the problems inherent in all mmorpgs, and in fact it takes a step back. Usually, a group gangs up on a really high level mob and kills it. In this game, there is literally a mob of enemies. Enemies congregate in groups and unless you have snipe, you'll pull them all if you pull one. A bunch of yellow strength enemies hurtin me for 20 damage per hit is not my idea of a good time. All the while you have rampant kill stealing going on. The experience system encourages kill stealing, and you'll often find passerbys trying to shave off some experience off your well earned kill. The missions aren't as innovative as Anarchy Online, and there's no crafting, just enhancements. The game is not finished in its current state, so just look elsewhere. No vehicles either, though warp ability and super speed helps this.

Graphics[10]
Graphics are spectacular, but if you have certain video cards you can be prone towards system crashes if you run the program. Most people do not have this problem, but it does happen.

Sound[7]
Good.

I don't know why developers keep fidling with the D and D formula. Add some action to these games. There's a whole other genre they aren't even exploring yet, and it's sad they are sticking to a fad rather than push the envelope of what a video game can be.

Reviewer's Score: 1/10, Originally Posted: 06/08/04