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ajf's City of Heroes (PC)
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| [February 10, 2008 02:13:15 AM]
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GAMEPLAY
As I mentioned in my last entry, the customability of this game is one of my favorite aspects. As I leveled up my character I was able to choose from various powers between my power pool. I like this, because it allows the player to flesh out their character the way they want. "Alternate" power pools become available with classic super hero skills like super speed, super jump, flight, and teleportation. It's fun to play around with these powers, my favorite of which is super jump. Jumping from roof top to roof top is a fun way to get from one place to another as opposed to the traditional running or horse-like mounts found in most MMORPGs.
Further adding to the character building aspect is the ability to add slots for enhancements as I level up. These can be filled with enhancements such as damage and accuracy bonuses that can be dropped by enemies, bought in stores, or created using the crafting system. I enjoy being able to feel my powers get stronger as I level up and trying to figure out the best combination of enhancements.
The thing I like least about this game is the same thing that plagues many MMORPGs: repetition. All of the missions consist of going into a warehouse/club/enemy base and killing all of the enemies in order to defeat a boss, rescue a hostage, or find an item. Although these may sound different, they are essentially all set up in the same way and consist of beating up groups of enemies to get to the final point and complete the objective. It can become boring, especially when soloing.
DESIGN
Although it consists of a lot of the same MMORPG gameplay elements, what sets City of Heroes apart is the way it executes them. For example, most MMORPGs allow the player to customize the look of their character. City of Heroes takes this a step further by going all out and letting the player customize almost every aspect of what their character looks like. Hats, helmets, glasses, sunglasses, horns, wings, capes, beards, hair, and other articles of clothing are abundant, with many options available in each.
Like other MMORPGs, players ultimate goal is to level up and make their character stronger. City of Heroes escapes the "cookie cutter" problem that many class based games have by allowing the player to tailor their character almost perfectly to their play style. Few heroes will be identical, even if they are the same archetype with the same power pools. This is due to alternate power pools, enhancement slots, and the ability to choose which powers are received upon level up instead of receiving a set ability or group of abilities.
The combat is well designed as well, making the player feel as though they are actually playing a hero with things like knock back, rag doll physics, pretty graphics for ice/fire/energy/dark, "super" travel powers. Even if enemies are higher level than a hero, most are easily dispatchable. This allows the game to spawn many enemies and create the feeling that the character is in fact a superhero who can take on multiple "simple" enemies at once.
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| [February 10, 2008 12:47:46 AM]
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SUMMARY
City of Heroes is a MMORPG in which players create a hero and then enter Paragon City in order to fight crime and gain levels. At creation, players decide which "archetype" (similar to classes in other games) and power pool (weapons, defensive types, etc.) they want their hero to have. As they gain experience from completing missions and defeating enemies, heroes level up, allowing them access to new powers and enhancement slots for their powers. Combat is semi-real time, with each power having its own reuse timer and energy cost.
GAMEPLAY
I recently got back into playing City of Heroes after stopping for about a year. The things I originally liked about the game have been improved on while some things that needed work have been dealt with accordingly. One of the best things about this game is the customization aspect, allowing nearly limitless options for character design. Even when the game first came out, it boasted of a level of customization never before seen in a MMORPG. It made me happy to see that even more costume pieces had been added, especially some "eviler" pieces due to the release of the City of Villains expansion (allowing players to now play as villains as well). One of my favorite new additions is the ability to customize weapons. Whereas previously all players with the "mace" powerset had to use the same weapon graphic, new options were introduced such as a baseball bat, medieval mace, futuristic mace, wrench, and even a shovel.
The customization was what initially drew me to City of Heroes, as well as the fact that it was a superhero themed MMORPG. I've always been into comics so I was thrilled that a game had been created allowing the player to totally create their own superhero. When I first logged back into my old account, I stopped at the tailor in order to see all of the new additions to costume. I gave my character a complete remodel, as they had now introduced the jester themed clothing I had wanted for my character since release. After completing the costume, I looked for a team in order to get back into the actual gameplay.
After finding a team and starting a mission, I remembered why I had liked the combat in City of Heroes so much. It really makes me feel like a superhero as I use powers that cause multiple enemies to fly backwards, complete with ragdoll physics and bone crunching sound effects. I also like that it is possible to solo but heroes really thrive when on teams with each other. Being on a team and fighting off hordes of enemies non-stop is very satisfying. Compared to other MMORPGs, the combat in City of Heroes feels much more hectic and numerically the enemies are much more overwhelming. This is part of what gives it the comic book feel and makes it so much fun.
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ajf's City of Heroes (PC)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Sunday 10 February, 2008
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