Champions Online

Who out of us haven't spent a while wishing they could instead be someone a bit special, a hero for a nation! Like Superman, Spiderman or Batman (if you're feeling angsty) perhaps, just not specifically them. Playing the role of an established character is great but sometimes you just want be yourself.  So, you have the basic concept in the back of your mind, your ideal superhero; enter Champions Online, the definitive Superhero game and one of the most detailed MMORPG's out there!

Upon starting a new character, you are given a list of loose themes for you to base a superhero around. There are 18 to choose from, ranging from Fire to Munitions, from Darkness to Might. There is also a 'Custom Framework' option for the experienced players, or for those who have a VERY specific idea of what they want, allowing the player to assign stat points and choose their starting powers. Feel like having a superhero that can shoot fire AND ice? A Custom Framework will let you do that from the off. However, even standard characters can choose powers from ANY power set when they level up in-game, so best to start off with a pre set theme and customise later.

How will they look?  Well you can adjust your character's body and face shape via about 20 separate sliders that control everything from jaw height to thigh width. Next, you can tailor your costume from hundreds of different parts in thousands of different combinations. Colours can be changed for each separate garment and accessory, but if you're feeling lazy just hit the “Randomize” button to let the computer pick for you. You have the option in-game to create new clothing sets for your character, so it's not a worry if you aren't totally happy with your style choices.

Hero created, it's on to the game itself! Our superhero was, unimaginatively called “Press Man”, and once we had spent a good 45 minutes choosing which kind of trendy outfit to wear, we dove head first into the game. The initial scenario tasks your superhero with repelling an alien invasion from a near-futuristic city. The missions are instantly accessible and not before long we were blasting critters and creatures away with reckless abandon. Sometimes a little too reckless, and if there is one minor criticism of Champions, it is the difficulty curve, which is mostly non-existent for the first 15 levels. There are challenges here and there but most of it is a doddle to any semi-seasoned games player.

Within 30 minutes of playing, you are allowed to pick your first “travel power”. This is the superhero's transportation skill of choice, whether acrobatics, stealth, tunnelling or...you've guessed it...flight! There are several different ways to fly in the game, but regardless of which discipline you choose, flight is an enormously fun way to travel. Cryptic's decision to allow players to achieve this somewhat minor ability early on in the game ticks one of the first boxes in the 'how to be a superhero' check-list.

The amount of variation between missions is highly commendable given the limited amount of ideas you can toy with (Kill quests, Item Collection, Escort tasks are the MMORPG staples), and there is an underlying layer of knowing humour to both their design and the enemies that you will be facing. A particular highlight are gang members (Black Aces) that not only resemble characters from A Clockwork Orange, but spout the same garbled rhetoric as them. To me, my droogies!

The level design is faultless, with sprawling areas all containing enough variety to maintain interest when running from quest-giver to quest. Exploration can also yield rewards, as can reading signs which explain the background of the area you are currently fighting in. These can award perks that, along with killing many numbers of a single type of enemy lead to costume unlocks. (Not that you need any MORE costume parts)

The game still has some graphical/gameplay errors, but since its release date, Cryptic Studios have been culling them with ruthless efficiency and there's a major update, introducing new powers and enemies, already planned for the end of this month. The Dev team at Cryptic must be working 24/7 on their beloved game, and it shows in the amazing depth and quality of the end product.

Champions Online is a detailed, varied and engrossing hero experience, so why look elsewhere? For anyone seeking to step into their own set of Lycra tights and leather boots, look no further, the definitive superhero MMORPG (as well as being one of the most enjoyable online games out there) has landed. Let the customisation commence!