• Publisher: NCsoft
  • Release Date: Apr 27, 2004
Metascore
85 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 58 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 58
  2. Negative: 0 out of 58
  1. 100
    Odds are this game will complete you. Spending hour after hour earning points to gain new abilities becomes a kind of subhuman mania.
  2. When all is said and done, every session leaves you feeling like you've just read the latest issue of your favorite comic book. I can think of no higher praise than that.
  3. 100
    The greatest game ever made. And remember, this confession comes from people who have railed against the very creature that is MMOs. Furthermore, this is the most addicting game we've ever played. Period.
  4. The epitome of effective game design, especially with regards to the MMO arena. If you have even the slightest interest in comic books, role-playing, MMOs, or beating on mooks, you owe it to your self to pick up City of Heroes.
  5. It's such a welcome breath of fresh air from all those orc and goblin LOPOs that plague the genre, and the release time is perfect. With World of Warcraft on the way, CoH will have had enough time to snare a good player base and I seriously doubt that anyone will be switching over.
  6. One of the best massively multiplayer online games I've played to date. Maybe it's the new topic, maybe it's the oodles of women in tights, but I love this city even at $15 a month.
  7. 94
    There is something truly magical that first time that a player finds themself soaring above one of the most breath-taking digital worlds to ever appear on a computer screen. Finally, we all know what it's like to be Superman and look down on that strange and beautiful place we call home.
  8. Ok, when I said solid gameplay, I meant, "Oh my god, the combat is fun!"...I don't know if I can ever go back to single pulling, auto attack type battles. You don't even have to be into MMOs to enjoy this game.
  9. But as a longtime player of MMORPGs myself, I love being able to log on for fifteen minutes and actually get a feeling of progress at any level. It is about time MMORPGs started to look at themselves as games, not time sinks.
  10. That's a comic-book fan's idea of heaven -- and that's what City of Heroes delivers.
  11. For a long time comic book fan and MMORPG player like myself, City of Heroes is a dream come true.
  12. The reason I like the Sidekick feature is that you can never be 'left behind' by your friends and teammates.
  13. From the moment you create a character, you'll drop into that pleasant buzz that is a quality hit of gaming. [July 2004, p.120]
  14. 90
    I have never been able to make a character that fit so closely to my exacting specifications as I have in City of Heroes.
  15. 90
    It's easy to get into, the combat rocks, and it's a blast to play with friends.
  16. It's quicker, less fussy and has that all important fun-factor that I think is essential for any subscription based game.
  17. Causal gamers can log in for an hour or two occasionally, complete a few missions, and have a feeling of accomplishment, while hardcore gamers can mow through levels through 'street cleaning', missions and task forces.
  18. 90
    With so many EQ-me-toos out there, it's refreshing to play something new, and to have it be this good is like finding a cooler of lemonade in the middle of the desert.
  19. We're all still playing this game night and day, long after the review is over. We love it, and sadly, we don't have much of a life outside of it. Thank God there aren't more MMO's like this one. [Aug 2004, p.72]
  20. A bit like last year's "PlanetSide" in the sense that it isn't afraid to offer fewer things to do while making sure that you have more fun doing them. [Aug 2004, p.66]
  21. I'm far from finished with City of Heroes -- I'm still having fun even after so many hours.
  22. Considering one NCSoft account lets you play all their titles, this is definitely worth your gaming dollar.
  23. If you can handle being a second-tier hero fighting street gangs for a little while with the promise of future superhero glory to motivate you, then by all means pull on some tights and hit the streets of Paragon City.
  24. 87
    I really like the lack of "Sandwich Gameplay"...where you hit auto-attack and have time to get up and make a sandwich while your character kills stuff. In City of Heroes, you don't have an auto-attack like you do in, say, "Everquest."
  25. Not only does it have fun powers and cool costumes, it makes you feel like a hero! And, better yet, part of a team.
  26. City of Heroes is a great MMORPG with solid, fun gameplay and a style all its own. It doesn't seem like high level players have much to look forward to, but time will tell if new and exciting stuff will open up for them.
  27. The base gameplay and fun factor are through the roof. This has to be the first MMO that immediately grabbed me and wouldn't let go. Wearing tights is extremely addictive, if you can fight off the eventual tedium set-in.
  28. Overall, from a scale of Pat Sajak to Bob Barker, this game is Alex Trebek without the mustache: sharp-looking, packed with features, witty, and fun, but with just a little something missing.
  29. The overall quality of the game cannot be denied, and if you're a comic book fan, or like MMORPG's, or both, you owe it to yourself to see what City of Heroes is all about.
  30. An original superhero MMORPG that has excellent character creation and a well-designed world. Gameplay is quite combat-intensive and the game lacks sufficient content to stay interesting for longer periods of time. [Feb. 05]
  31. 84
    This is really one of the first MMOs that really allow casual players the chance to play and have a good time without feeling like they're being left behind. The wonderful sidekick system helps as does the extraordinary ease of finding a team to play with.
  32. It's a refreshingly focused online role-playing experience, and is an entertaining, polished game that, unlike so many others, manages to deliver on the underlying promise of an excellent concept.
  33. A nice title for anyone who wants to break into the MMORPG genre. It's easy to get right into the game and will build invaluable play experience you can use when you kick it up a notch with another MMORPG.
  34. It's: Huge, heavy on hitting and quite gorgeous. It's not: A standard MMOG, a life-hoover or run of the mill. [PC Gamer UK]
  35. Anyone new to the genre can certainly make this a choice without expecting to get in too deep and losing their way, while seasoned MMORPGers can have a blast playing out their superhero dreams.
  36. 83
    By concentrating solely on the bits people who want to play superhero games are most interested in, namely superpowers and character abilities, rather than any of the more involved economics of other MMOs, COH/V manages to deliver a pair of finely focused games that understand what their audience wants and aren't ashamed to provide it by the bucket load.
  37. Even if you only play CoH for the duration of the first free month, it's well worth the purchase. Chances are you'll be sticking around, though. [July 2004, p.75]
  38. A real romp to play, and there's very little grind involved – an achievement for any MMORPG. In addition, it doesn't require you to put your life on hold to get a lot out of the game, unlike the "Everquests" and "Star Wars Galaxies" of the world.
  39. The Power Slide ability could just be the perfect 'defining touch' for your new character, and you might love the Spirit Cape. [Spec. Ed DVD]
  40. Simple, yes - maybe even simplistic at times - but in the end, it's the first MMOG I've picked up in a long time that I'll keep playing and playing. [July 2004, p.52]
  41. One of the few games of its type you can actually play for an hour, take on one of its missions, and have a meaningful unit of experience. Staight in. Straight out. Gamer satisfied. [Sept 2004, p.105]
  42. It doesn't quite have the depth or legs to carry it into longevity like an "EverQuest" or a "Final Fantasy," bit that's for later patches and expansions. [Aug 2004, p.87]
  43. City of Heroes is the shot in the arm that the genre so desperately needed. Thanks to some extremely accessible gameplay it's a title that appeals to old hands and newcomers alike. [Aug 2004, p.116]
  44. City Of Heroes is a breath of fresh air, and a hell of a lot of fun to play. By building on this initial framework, COH has the potential to grow by leaps and bounds.
  45. A solid effort in every direction. It's possibly the most accessible, and perhaps most fun, MMORPG ever devised.
  46. 80
    Once you've managed to team up with a group of heroes you can get along with, CoH turns into a great game.
  47. The straightforward online action in Paragon City gives you instant access to hordes of computer-controlled villains to vaporize, but the real payoff comes in teaming up with other misfit crime fighters for orgies of virtuous ass kicking.
  48. Although it doesn't have the breadth of its competitors, it makes up for it with exciting combat and easy-going gameplay... not to mention the sheer exuberance of its setting.
  49. Think of it as an intricate, first person plural quest game; it might be more of a really excellent team-based massively multiplayer Superhero "Quake" than the Superhero version of "EverQuest" or "Dark Age of Camelot."
  50. The online action is about more than endless fighting, since players also get the chance to formulate strategies in a sort of chat-room environment.
  51. City of Heroes sporadically delights and contains many great ideas that require more diverse in-game options before ascending from its current level of interesting diversion to essential purchase.
  52. Don't expect the in-depth tour de force of other MMORPGs out there, but rather a relaxed experience which is good, wholesome fun that won't see you lose weeks of your life in the process of play.
  53. Underneath its shiny surface, Paragon City turns out to be as paper thin as the comic books that inspired it. It's a really nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.
  54. There really is minimal complexity to the game, no crafting for example, but yet it still has that addicting effect.
  55. Massive character creation tools, diverse city landscapes, powerful abilities and enemies, huge groups of powerful heroes fighting alongside each other and the list goes on and on showing this massively multiplayer game is not like so many out there.
  56. 60
    The versatile character-creation system will, at the very least, allow you to end up with something reasonably close to what you had in mind. The problem is that your looks pretty much have no bearing on how your character will play.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 87 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 64
  2. Negative: 7 out of 64
  1. So far this game sucks... although i'm sure itll be worth the wait... it has taken me six hours to get it started. first the installation... it crashes every 10 mins, i had to pray to keep it going the whole way through. then i had to update the updater (:P) and that took about 4 hours in itsself. after all of that i'm relieved and click the 'play' button, and a popup appears telling me to update my drivers or the game wont play... so now one day of my month of free gameplay is wasted! Full Review »
  2. The greatest and most addictive game ever. If you've ever wanted to be part of a hero comic book, if you've ever wanted to fight for truth and justice, or if you've always wanted to be part of a team that is unique and yet the same, then City of Heroes is for you. And if it isn't buy it anyway and give it a try. Full Review »
  3. Most MMOs out there deal with "sword and sorcery" and are fantasy based. Meaning they have elves, orcs, dwarves, dragons etc. But this game is most certainly a breath of fresh air for any jaded MMO Fantasy player, or just any MMO player who wants something different, or taking a break from the former. You start off with character customization. And let me tell you, I have yet to see any game out there that can beat the options available for CoH (one could say Champions Online, but it's basically the same type of thing). Create your superhero/supervillain with a magnitude of options. Choose his/her origin, archetype, and powers. You may change the way your avatar looks at any time at the local Tailor/Facemaker when the mood strikes you.There is no "gear" for you to wear in this game. Instead of the clothing and armor pieces to upgrade your character, enhancements take their place. These temporary/permanent boosts to your own abilities make you stronger with a particular power. They are always easily available at any Store or Auction House (known as Wentworth's for Heroes and Black Market for Villains), assuming you have the necessary funds to purchase them. You also gain special Enhancements through completing story arcs, or just picking them up while you fight your way through a mission. There are no "drops" in CoX in the traditional sense. All drops are automatically allocated to each player on the team, or just to you if you play solo. Instead of gold, or cash, currency takes the form in Influence/Infamy. As you progress through missions from your "Contacts" and defeat various enemy groups you gain influence/infamy for each defeat. This may seem slow at first, but let me assure you it adds up rather quickly. Especially when you work with a team. You also have the option of using Inspirations, (temporary boosts to your powers that only last a short time, but can seriously make the difference in a tight situation between dying and living), these are also available for a price but so very much lower than enhancements.Death has a penalty of course, as most MMOs do. It takes the form of experience debt. Seasoned MMO players will be acquainted with this system. It means you will have to continue on playing your missions and hunting villain groups as usual, only that half of the experience you earn will go towards paying off your "debt" until it is settled. Then leveling up will continue on as normal. Fret not though, just like influence/infamy it is paid off quickly enough, especially when on a team.There are many wonderful story arcs to explore throughout the game. You should love almost everyone of them. The bigger story arcs in the game take the form of Task Forces for Heroes, and Strike Forces for Villains. These arcs take hours to complete akin to dungeons from traditional MMOs, and usually require a full team to start. These offer up many chances to earn Influence/Infamy and plenty of experience points. And of course the prestigious badges. Badges are awarded through achieving certain milestones in your character's career as a hero/villain. You get them for defeating a certain amount/type of villains. For defeating titan like monsters that can only be bested by large numbers of characters. Completing Task/Strike Forces, attending special events, logging in during a celebration, exploration, and many others. Badges are not a requirement of the game, but they offer up a chance for something to "go after". Or simply just to one up your friends or show off to the community. There are also certain power boosts and special abilities you can gain from collecting a certain mix of badges. These are referred to as accolades. PvP isn't as strong here as I would like (at least back when I was playing; I've been told it's changed some since then). In my opinion, it's very unbalanced and in drastic need of an overhaul. But there are plenty of people who like it just the way it is. I think mainly because their chosen archetype is more built for PvP and they have the advantage. There are little in the way of rewards for playing PvP anyway. You of course can gain badges, influence/infamy, but no special enhancements to be had. The developers are keen to add new content updates every few months in form of "Issues." These are completely free, and usually offer up more costume creation options, story arcs, new zones to play in, and maybe a few new powers. All in all you will definitely love this game if you're into comics and/or superheroes. Creating your own personal character is very fun, and you will find it is easy to get attached to your favorite avatar. However, in my opinion, it is entirely possible to end up "seeing it all" in this game. Eventually collecting badges becomes boring, the level cap still hasn't been raised since launch, and not enough Task Forces or high end content are added to keep high level players interested. You should have plenty of fun though, but not forever. Full Review »