City of Heroes

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

That’s a comic-book fan’s idea of heaven -- and that’s what City of Heroes delivers.

For a long time comic book fan and MMORPG player like myself, City of Heroes is a dream come true.

It's quicker, less fussy and has that all important fun-factor that I think is essential for any subscription based game.

The reason I like the Sidekick feature is that you can never be ‘left behind’ by your friends and teammates.

Focused excellence.

I have never been able to make a character that fit so closely to my exacting specifications as I have in City of Heroes.

It's easy to get into, the combat rocks, and it's a blast to play with friends.

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]

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.

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.

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.

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]

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]

I’m far from finished with City of Heroes -- I'm still having fun even after so many hours.

Considering one NCSoft account lets you play all their titles, this is definitely worth your gaming dollar.

The game is very accessible.

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."

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.

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.

Not only does it have fun powers and cool costumes, it makes you feel like a hero! And, better yet, part of a team.

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.

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]

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.

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.

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.

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]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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]

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]

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.

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]

Once you've managed to team up with a group of heroes you can get along with, CoH turns into a great game.

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]

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."

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]

A solid effort in every direction. It's possibly the most accessible, and perhaps most fun, MMORPG ever devised.

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.

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]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

There really is minimal complexity to the game, no crafting for example, but yet it still has that addicting effect.

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.