User Reviews (21 - 31 of 204)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

I'm Level 15 and still going

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 11
Date: May 25, 2004
Author: Amazon User

First off let me get out of the way that i have not had the glaring technical issues that others seem to of had. In fact i have had an almost perfect run of things. My system specs are a 3.0 ghz P4 with a radeon 9800 pro video card an a gig of ram, also i connect via a cable modem. I have had no problems at all with this configuration. I usually keep up to date on my drivers and so forth, so that could be part of it. Now on to the actual game...
This is my first attempt at a mmorpg. I had steered clear of eq, and the others because i had no desire to hang out with a bunch of 12 year olds. I couldn't pass up the chance to play as a super hero however. I have managed to make it to level 15 pretty much by myself without having to group with others. So if you are worried that your success with this game will hinge upon others, it doesn't all that much. I have played some with another character as parts of groups and the such, which can be enjoyable, and is not that difficult to form. There is some repetition to this game. The enemies do look the same over and over, but only if you stay in the same area, and pretty much can be said of any normal rpg. After the first few levels, as you travel about the city via running, flight, jumping... you will find a barrage of incresingly difficult enemies to combat. Graphicly, this game is far and above. What really gives you this is once you learn to fly, and can fly onto rooftops, and the such, and see the detail of the landscape as the weather paterns change and so forth. Overall i am giving this a 4 out of 5 mostly because no pvp, which will be coming soon, the limitations of the character build system, i.e. You either have to be long range or close, there is no inbetween, so mix, and so forth, and a lack of super villains as of yet, which should also be fixed with city of villains. My advice is if you have a love of comics or super heroes and such, get in now on the ground floor, because it can only get better from here.

Graphics:4.5/5
Sound:5/5
Learning curve:4.5/5
intangibles:4/5

Great game for player with a life outside the game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 11
Date: November 20, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I've had the game about 3 months now, and still love it. I fit their target audience of the "casual" player, meaning I only have a few hours a week to play, usually in short segments. From both playing it and talking to friends who are in a lot of other similar games, this is the only multiplayer game out there which really permits this; you can experience most of the content, and certainly reach the highest levels, without ever having to find a team to work with (which can take a LOT of time in some games).

Strengths;
-System to allow characters of substantially different level to still play together (only game of its type that allows this, as far as I know). You and your friends don't all have to be perfectly synchronized in play time to hang out together.
-You can generate dozens of characters of different types with no additional fee if you like to experiment.
-Unique looks for each character, and perhaps the best costume design system around (not important to me, but is to some).
-Good for people who can't devote their entire life to the game; you can jump on for half an hour and still accomplish something.
-Teams work with ANY mix of character, you don't have to have "one fighter, one healer, one etc." in order to succeed. This not only makes casual teaming much easier, but lets you play whatever type character you like and know that it can always be useful if you play it well.
-Great support; when I've needed in game help, I've almost always gotten a response within 15-20 minutes.
-Generally a very friendly crowd, superherolike in fact. :-)

Possible weaknesses;
-Weaker guilds (supergroups in CoH) and economic system (cool loot) then similar games, they just aren't needed. I'm fine with this, I don't have time to stand around for hours waiting for a particular rare item to pop up so I can get the Sword of Doom, but there are people who don't like that. Its also fairly in genre for comics, superheros don't go around checking the wallets of the bad guys they subdue.
-I'm told it has less content then other, similar games. I've also heard that when those games were of a similar age (i.e. in release less than 6 months) they had even less, so I'm willing to give them time on this. I'm fine with the content level.

Finally, to answer questions someone asked in another review, yes you do pay a monthly fee, and you can switch from first person to third person view as you like.

Great game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 11 / 13
Date: September 21, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game is a blast. Just the costume creator will occupy you for a half hour. Height, Weight, sex, hair, eyes, skin color, and about a million different options for your costume. The only drawback is you have to earn your cape, you get it at level 20. There is a in game reason for it however which is cool. You have to prove your worth to wear one. I don't use a cape, even after level 20, so it was no big deal to me.

Now, on to the game. The first ten levels fly by, which is great, because you get a power every other level and you get to flesh out your powers quitly. AS you go up however they levels slow, but that's the same with any game. There's got to be a challenge or people would be level 200 by now. You have contacts and get missions to save people or foil villians, and every once in a while you run into an archvillian which you uusally need to bring in your supergroup or allies to help you beat. Depending on what archtype you pick, is how well you are going to be able to solo in this game. I had no problems with a blaster or scrapper playing by myself. Most of the others you will need to be in a group. At level ten you can create your own supergroup, with colors and symbols. And as you progress you get up to 4 different costumes to change into.

In the four months or so they've been online, they've already added 4 new zones and 4 new villian groups. The staff is really top notch, any problems I've had, I've gotten solutions and help within a day, and more likey within an hour.

Now to address the "Grind" that people mention. If your soul purpose it to level then I can see people doing the same thing over and over because it gets them the most exp. But that's just a choice. I tend to focus on the story arcs and grouping and I haven't hit a grind yet. I'm level 38 right now. There are other things to do if you want to break from fighitng. Some people hang out at a dance club, others have costume contests.

Anyway, I highly recomend the game. It is 12-15 dollars a month, depending on which plan you take, but it's worth it. That's like going to a movie for a month of gameplay. Enjoy.

Fun, but there are caveats

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: March 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

First let me say that many of the reviews I've read here are from disgruntled (former) players. I don't blame them for being upset. In some ways the developers have ruined the gameplay for many type of "Architypes" (the Hero you build).

With that said the game is not all bad, although it can be a bit mindless at times. Some Architypes can be still designed to be quite powerful even with all of the changes and nerfs. Scrappers, for instance are probably the easiest character to play and level with in the game, particularly Regeneration Scrappers. On the other hand, Blasters of almost all types have been cut down in power to the point that they are an excercise in frustration if you enjoy solo gameplay. Area of Effect powers used to be viable and a lot of fun, now they mostly get you into a lot of trouble or killed.

I'm not exactly sure what the developers had in mind, but it appears that they made all these changes to try and alter the game from a player vs environment game to a player vs player game. They felt that certain Architypes were too powerful and from a PvP point of view they were right. The trouble is that most players aren't that interested in PvP.

Anyway, the superhero theme is a lot of fun, especially if you're comming in totally new. The game is addictive in the beginning for all Architypes, especially if you like to play in teams. For solo oriented players, there are Architypes that can solo very well, but you'll want to investigate guide written recently with all the latest changes in mind. There are lots of older guides that are totally outdated and provide useless information. You can find guides simply by searching for CoH guide or look at the online forums at cityofheroes.com.

The superbase raids and PvP that they have built into the game are kind of a joke. Good idea, but poorly implemented. There are more changes on the way that will address the short-commings, but I don't expect PvP to suddenly get more popular as a result. And if they further nerf the gameplay, including my beloved regen Scrapper, I may well be the next disgruntled former player. The fun of the game is the configurability of your character, but they have reduced the options quite a bit from the way it was after launch.

Buy this game, but don't count on it being the same good old game play month after month. The changes they make are radical and quite often not popular with the playerbase. The playerbase has shrunk, but new people have come in with City of Villians. Your mileage may vary...

An excellent game. Play it with friends.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: September 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

First I'll admit it, I'm one of those "casual MMORPGers." I've played plenty of online games before but I am not a power gamer by any means. I've always shied away from subscription based games because I only have time to play for few hours each week. However, a friend convinced me to try out his copy of City of Heroes, and I found that I could enjoy it even with limited time to play. I have to say that City of Heroes is worth the monthly fee. In fact, it is the only online game I've ever played which continues to be worth a monthly fee.

As for the (much complained about) Issue 2 update, I don't find that it has made the game less accessible at all. In fact, the new features such as capes, badges, new zones, etc... only add to the game content. Plus, it's a good incentive to try out new characters.

Here's the only catch though: you really need to play this game with friends to get the most out of it. City of Heroes has very little in the way of gameplay targeted for solo players. Even with the variety in character and costume design, the game mechanics are nothing revolutionary: defeat X enemies, gain levels, powers, etc... It's like any action-oriented RPG in its potential for becoming tedious. City of Heroes really shines as a social experience though, and you'll likely get a lot more enjoyment out of it if you team with even just one other person. If you have friends or family members who play City of Heroes (or if you are willing to meet players online), then don't hesitate to try it out.

Non-gamers read this

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: June 02, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I am NOT a gamer. Never have been. The extent of my gaming is limited to playing Solitaire and Pinball on my work laptop in departure lounges.

What I am is a comic book fan. Yes, quite an anomaly being into comic books and not into gaming.

I bought CoH, only to discover my laptop did not meet the recommended requirements, so the game ran slow and the screen was pretty dark with all characters including my own looking like shadows with no detail. Still I made it through the tutorial and up to Level 3. Suffice it to say I am now substantially poorer due to buying an all new system on Memorial Day so I could continue to feed my addiction.

If you're a non-gamer like me, but enjoy comics, this game rocks. Levels 1-4 go by pretty quickly, so you get immediate positive reinforcement which gets you hooked. Once you hit Level 5 and start accumulating Experience Debt if you play poorly, you realize you need to utilize your powers more strategically, be careful about who you attack, and be aware of which zones you venture into.

The archtypes map perfectly to existing comic characters, so comic fans can pretty much create who they've always enjoyed reading about (aka X-Men's Wolverine is the archetypical Scrapper). I've even seen some CoH heroes that look like and have similar powers to "real" comic book heroes (Green Lantern, Elektra, Hulk), though personally that's not my thing.

Best MMO out there

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: June 21, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I've been playing MMORPGs for 6 years, and this easily the best one to date. It discards the onerous busy work and lets the player get down to business -- enjoying the game's well designed combat system. This is much more like an MMO version of Diablo than the standard MMORPG fare.

Crafting and other peripheral activites have been removed, which some people may not like. I've found it to be great, simply because the game isn't balanced around ensuring a handful of crafters feel useful.

The only downside to the game is there's no PVP. That's been promised in the City of Villians expansion, but that's about a year away from release.

If you enjoy crafting or downtime (such as insanely long travel times or time wasted waiting for a mob to spawn and give you a rare drop) prevalent in other MMOs, this probably isn't the game for you.

Everyone else who enjoys MMOs should check this out. Excellent graphics, enjoyable combat system, and the best online community I've seen yet. Plus, playing a superhero beating up bad guys is just plain fun.

Fun Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: June 01, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game when I had given up on getting into the WOW beta... when I got back from picking City up I checked my email and discovered that I was accepted into the WOW beta. So I installed City and started playing it - that night I downloaded the WOW beta (massive download) and played that the next morning.

WOW is pretty disappointing, maybe expectations are just too high. Maybe it is just the same thing all over again... another fantasy RPG with nothing new.

City on the other hand has become an addiction, I play this game way too much. As simple as it sounds the Sidekick is probably the biggest thing in the game. Allowing lower level characters to play with their friends higher level characters. Leeching always sucked in DAOC, no leeching here. Personal missions also work well, there is way too much spawn camping in other MMORPGs...

Graphics are pretty awesome but they default at 100% - you have to move them up - on my old computer (geforce 3 ti500, 1.4GHZ XP) I can play at 160% character and environment... and the graphics are sweet. Boomtown is incredible -

Fun, fresh, stable, and right.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: June 02, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I got this game about two weeks after release. During a week of playing I have experienced no lag or game crashes at peek weekday and weekend times.

The game itself is extremely fun, entertaining, and fresh. The "newbie" soloing stage can be finished within a span of 5 to 10 hours of game play - during which time you can learn the controls, mission and combat knowledge, and all them other things.

Past the beginning, one mission will take you to a battle zone - mostly probably Perez Park. At that point you will join a group. This is where the game shines. Group combat can be best described as fast paced adrenalin pumping action. Much like the fighting you would expect from a comic book scenario. In terms of EQ, try to remember Orc Hill in Greater Faydark - way back in the day - but with superior graphics and player abilities diversity.

In COH, obtaining a group is extremely easy - it is surprising that this fundamental feature is not present in all new games. EQ was the first to stumble on the "easy of obtaining a group" problem, and was the first to address it. Their first attempts to make grouping easier led them to create group friendly in game search engines. This however was only half the solution. With the addition of adventures, the environment itself was readjusted to make grouping a natural process, and to a large degree the problem was solved. COH followed this two-step design perfectly, and imbedded the EQ ideology unto itself.

The game now is in a great beginning state. There is enough simplicity for game balance, and enough diversity for diversity sake. If you are a MMORPG fan you should definitely give this game a try.

Short review

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: June 06, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I have to be honest, I didn't expect to like this game very much given the fact that most video games can't hold my interest for very long. So far, I love this game. It's easy to learn, fun to play, offers a lot of interactivity among users, and allows for pretty individualize character creation.

It is true that it's a little light on content right now, but I give it time to grow. Hopefully there will be more by the time I start to get bored of what's already there.

Of course, it is always important to read the box (it clearly details the monthly fee, hardware requirements, etc.).

As for technical issues. I bought it knowing they do no officially support laptops, but haven't had any problems with slow servers, installation, or game play. And I definitely don't have a "top of the line" machine. More importantly, the support on the website has been pretty excellent from what I can tell, particularly given the fact that the game was just launched and they must be swamped with requests.

Overall, an excellent purchase.

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next 

Actions