Video Game Reviews by Jeb Haught

DEVELOPER: Cryptic Studios

PUBLISHER: Atari

SYSTEM: Windows XP/Vista

PRICE: $49.99 plus monthly fee

ESRB RATING: Teen

REVIEW RATING: 4 stars (out of 5)

Grab a makeshift cape and don your favorite pair of Underoos because it's time to save the world while playing "Champions Online." By eliminating classes and adding elements from action games, the developers of "City of Heroes" have created the next evolutionary step in MMOs. In fact, I would go so far as to say that "Champions Online" features the best combat found in any MMO to date.

Bold recruits begin their foray into the world of superheroes by crafting their own character using a very robust set of tools. Anything from a winged fairy to a hulking behemoth can be created, and some players even try to recreate themselves. Then it's time to choose a "Framework," such as Fire, Sorcery or Munitions, that is the basis for your character's superpowers. It's even possible to mix two Frameworks to begin with, but doing so runs the risk of producing an incompatible build.

One character I created is a demonic brawler with several knockback and stun moves. He's very fun to play because he swoops down from above on a chunk of earth, lunges into battle and sends enemies flying in all directions! Another character is like Iron Man in that he wears a stylish suit of armor, flies around using jetboots and blasts enemies with a minigun and rockets. Both of these characters are considered to be "tanks," but they play very differently.

After a brief tutorial, budding superheroes are let loose to explore large and very detailed worlds full of standard MMO-style quests, such as kill "x" amount of enemies or deliver this item. However, I do enjoy the "Warhammer Online"-style open quests that take place regardless of who is participating. Most of the early content is solo-oriented, with players only teaming up to take down tough Supervillians or enter enemy-laden "lairs."

"Champions Online" is the first MMO to incorporate a real-time blocking system that drastically reduces incoming damage.

This feature alone adds a huge amount of strategy to combat, but there's more. For example, players can grab environmental objects like lampposts and cars and hurl them at enemies, or take cover from projectiles behind buildings. It's also possible to knock enemies off of cliffs and high ledges to their doom, which always makes me laugh.

This title looks awesome on a high-end system, displaying subtle details like reflections off of metal objects and capes blowing in the wind. In addition, advanced physics allows pieces of debris to react to the environment in a realistic fashion. Flashy special effects make combat even more enjoyable, and players can even personalize the color of each move's effect! The game also incorporates a stylish outline to the visuals to make everything resemble a comic book.

But all is not well in Millennium City, as this title suffers from the usual gambit of MMO launch problems, including quest bugs, broken powers and occasional crashes. Fortunately, the developers are diligently fixing problems and pumping out patches. There is also a lack of interesting things to do when the maximum level is reached (called "endgame"). This isn't cause for concern though, as MMO veterans know that these types of problems are usually worked out in the first six months.

Game developers know they must offer something new in order to compete with the juggernaut that is "WoW," and "Champions Online" does just that. After experiencing this game's awesome combat, it's hard to go back to the repetitive grind found in other MMOs.

REVIEW SCORING SYSTEM

5 stars = Must Have

4 stars = Pretty Good

3 stars = Above Average

2 stars = Bargain Bin

1 star = Don't Bother

RATINGS KEY

Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)

E: Everyone

E10-plus: (Everyone 10 and older)

T: Teen (13 and older)

M: Mature (17 and older)

To find out more about Jeb Haught and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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