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This thread has been linked to the game 'DC Universe Online'.
It's not too often that a great game is given away for free. The term 'free' is used very loosely in most instances, with the release only allowing access to certain areas or features of the game, with everything else being labelled as premium content. So, DC Universe Online, made by Sony, is available to all PC and PS3 users to download for free (as you can guess, Xbox is missing out on this one; that's exclusivity for you). But how much do you get for nothing?
Well you get a suprising amount is the simple answer. As can be expected, there is still some premium content for those who pay for the game, but nothing that makes the game unplayable, such as a level cap. To my awareness, there is only one major annoyance that will put you off this game, and that is the login queue. When logging in as a character, you take your place in a queue which varies in size depending on the time of day that you login. Earlier in the day takes around 10 minutes to login, in the evening it can take up to half an hour. On rare occassions, where there is an event scheduled in game, it can easily take up to an hour, with several thousand free users waiting to login. Some would say it is ridiculous to complain about any problems in a game that didn't cost you anything, but I maintain that a game, regardless of price, should be accessible, and DC Universe Online is certainly inaccessible at times.
Boring information inside, lets get inside the actual game. You start the game by watching a backstory clip which gives you an insight into the universe you're about to enter. Character creation involves all the features you would expect, such as playing as a hero or a villain, being a male or female, what powers you want to have, who your hero or villain mentor will be, the colour scheme of your costume, the style of your costume, the weapons you use, the type of skin you have, the size of your character, to name but a few. During this creation you will also decide to join either a PvE (player vs environment) or PvP (player vs player) world. I implore you to choose the PvP option, as it is just so much more fun.
As you could only expect, Sony have done a stellar job on the graphical side of the game. The gameplay is powered by the Unreal Engine 3 (Gears of War, Unreal Tournament), whilst the clothing elements alone are powered using the Havoc physics engine, which is used in too many games to mention! This isn't some botchy and gimicky superhero game, it's a bona fide production which uses familiar engines from games which would cost you money.
Sadly, there are a few holes in the graphics and gameplay. Only last night did I find one of my fellow superheroes running around beneath the road. Not only that, I was challenged to a friendly duel, and despite the fact that I could've easily beaten him, I quite simply couldn't hit him through the road surface, yet he could hit me. Frustrating to say the least.
Now most superhero films have great music, such as the classic tune from Superman or the haunting music from Batman. Sadly, the films haven't rubbed off too well on the game. You can hear the influence from superhero films, but the music is extremely dull and boring, especially at the menus. It would be great to hear the classic tunes from the movies played in the menus, as sort of superhero playlist. Even better would be to have seperate villain music should you decide to play as a villain. At the moment, you get a couple of repetitive and bland themes.
Gameplay itself is very simple to learn, particularly the combat system. Combat involves an unlock system, which is unique to the type of power, the type of movement your character (flight, superspeed or acrobatics - choose flight, it's by far the best and easiest movement to use), and the weapon you choose for your character. Some moves take a 2 or 3 button combo to use, but you'll most likely use the shoulder button combo moves. The shoulder button moves sit along the bottom of your screen to let you see what you have available in each slot. There are eight slots, with each shoulder button having 4 available moves (right shoulder used with square, circle, cross and triangle button and the left shoulder using the same button). The game isn't turned based, so beware of button bashers, although you usually have to be quite tactical with your move choices, so it's not often that button bashers come out on top, particularly in PvP (only recently did I beat a hero in a friendly duel who was 3 levels higher than me, simply because I chose the right moves at the right time). Combat against AI characters can become extremely tiresome though. It's not rare to fight around 5 enemies at once. In some instances, I've been surrounded by about 12 at once, but such is the life of a superhero. On a serious note, I suggest, again, that you choose PvP mode.
Some character abilities and weapons really hinder your gameplay experience. I decided to use up my second, and last, free character slot with a villain based on The Joker. I choose dual pistols as weaponry and gadgets as my superpower, as well as superspeed for movement. I'll be honest, he was absolutely rubbish, both against players and AI characters. My superhero on the other hand uses fire abilities, hand blasters and flight, and can take on anything. I think the key phrase to remember during character creation is: "The more unrealistic your character, the better". In other words, don't choose guns and gadgets as a combination (yes Batman and The Joker, I'm looking at you two). Come on, Batman may be cooler than most superheroes, but Superman, despite looking extremely camp and wearing underwear on the outside, would anihilate him. I await the sparking of a superhero/villain debate below!
Now the way you grow your character in this game is through levelling. This game allows you to grow to level 30, and become the ultimate hero or villain. Many people say that once you reach level 30, the fun really begins, as you can take part in pretty much every PvP event in the game, use top moves and wear top armour and weaponry. In other words, it's pretty much like any other MMORPG. One thing I will say is different is that levelling is suprisingly easy, providing you stick with the storyline and missions. Over the past few days, I've got a character to level 16 by doing story missions alone. It only takes a few missions, and you seem to level. Most users seem to get sidetracked by messing around with powers on cars that are driving around or flying up and down the map at full speed, so if you like a storyline, and you like classic DC comics, you'll love this game.
In conclusion, if you can find the time to leave your PS3 running, download this game, as it's certainly on par with a lot of games that would cost you money. Yes, the login queue is tiresome, but if you want to play, you're best watching an episode of Family Guy or something to pass the time while it logs in. Once you do get in the game though, you won't be dissapointed. Even if you don't like it, it's not like you paid for it. It's only a bit of fun anway; why so serious?
Game Rating: 7/10
Well you get a suprising amount is the simple answer. As can be expected, there is still some premium content for those who pay for the game, but nothing that makes the game unplayable, such as a level cap. To my awareness, there is only one major annoyance that will put you off this game, and that is the login queue. When logging in as a character, you take your place in a queue which varies in size depending on the time of day that you login. Earlier in the day takes around 10 minutes to login, in the evening it can take up to half an hour. On rare occassions, where there is an event scheduled in game, it can easily take up to an hour, with several thousand free users waiting to login. Some would say it is ridiculous to complain about any problems in a game that didn't cost you anything, but I maintain that a game, regardless of price, should be accessible, and DC Universe Online is certainly inaccessible at times.
Boring information inside, lets get inside the actual game. You start the game by watching a backstory clip which gives you an insight into the universe you're about to enter. Character creation involves all the features you would expect, such as playing as a hero or a villain, being a male or female, what powers you want to have, who your hero or villain mentor will be, the colour scheme of your costume, the style of your costume, the weapons you use, the type of skin you have, the size of your character, to name but a few. During this creation you will also decide to join either a PvE (player vs environment) or PvP (player vs player) world. I implore you to choose the PvP option, as it is just so much more fun.
As you could only expect, Sony have done a stellar job on the graphical side of the game. The gameplay is powered by the Unreal Engine 3 (Gears of War, Unreal Tournament), whilst the clothing elements alone are powered using the Havoc physics engine, which is used in too many games to mention! This isn't some botchy and gimicky superhero game, it's a bona fide production which uses familiar engines from games which would cost you money.
Sadly, there are a few holes in the graphics and gameplay. Only last night did I find one of my fellow superheroes running around beneath the road. Not only that, I was challenged to a friendly duel, and despite the fact that I could've easily beaten him, I quite simply couldn't hit him through the road surface, yet he could hit me. Frustrating to say the least.
Now most superhero films have great music, such as the classic tune from Superman or the haunting music from Batman. Sadly, the films haven't rubbed off too well on the game. You can hear the influence from superhero films, but the music is extremely dull and boring, especially at the menus. It would be great to hear the classic tunes from the movies played in the menus, as sort of superhero playlist. Even better would be to have seperate villain music should you decide to play as a villain. At the moment, you get a couple of repetitive and bland themes.
Gameplay itself is very simple to learn, particularly the combat system. Combat involves an unlock system, which is unique to the type of power, the type of movement your character (flight, superspeed or acrobatics - choose flight, it's by far the best and easiest movement to use), and the weapon you choose for your character. Some moves take a 2 or 3 button combo to use, but you'll most likely use the shoulder button combo moves. The shoulder button moves sit along the bottom of your screen to let you see what you have available in each slot. There are eight slots, with each shoulder button having 4 available moves (right shoulder used with square, circle, cross and triangle button and the left shoulder using the same button). The game isn't turned based, so beware of button bashers, although you usually have to be quite tactical with your move choices, so it's not often that button bashers come out on top, particularly in PvP (only recently did I beat a hero in a friendly duel who was 3 levels higher than me, simply because I chose the right moves at the right time). Combat against AI characters can become extremely tiresome though. It's not rare to fight around 5 enemies at once. In some instances, I've been surrounded by about 12 at once, but such is the life of a superhero. On a serious note, I suggest, again, that you choose PvP mode.
Some character abilities and weapons really hinder your gameplay experience. I decided to use up my second, and last, free character slot with a villain based on The Joker. I choose dual pistols as weaponry and gadgets as my superpower, as well as superspeed for movement. I'll be honest, he was absolutely rubbish, both against players and AI characters. My superhero on the other hand uses fire abilities, hand blasters and flight, and can take on anything. I think the key phrase to remember during character creation is: "The more unrealistic your character, the better". In other words, don't choose guns and gadgets as a combination (yes Batman and The Joker, I'm looking at you two). Come on, Batman may be cooler than most superheroes, but Superman, despite looking extremely camp and wearing underwear on the outside, would anihilate him. I await the sparking of a superhero/villain debate below!
Now the way you grow your character in this game is through levelling. This game allows you to grow to level 30, and become the ultimate hero or villain. Many people say that once you reach level 30, the fun really begins, as you can take part in pretty much every PvP event in the game, use top moves and wear top armour and weaponry. In other words, it's pretty much like any other MMORPG. One thing I will say is different is that levelling is suprisingly easy, providing you stick with the storyline and missions. Over the past few days, I've got a character to level 16 by doing story missions alone. It only takes a few missions, and you seem to level. Most users seem to get sidetracked by messing around with powers on cars that are driving around or flying up and down the map at full speed, so if you like a storyline, and you like classic DC comics, you'll love this game.
In conclusion, if you can find the time to leave your PS3 running, download this game, as it's certainly on par with a lot of games that would cost you money. Yes, the login queue is tiresome, but if you want to play, you're best watching an episode of Family Guy or something to pass the time while it logs in. Once you do get in the game though, you won't be dissapointed. Even if you don't like it, it's not like you paid for it. It's only a bit of fun anway; why so serious?
Game Rating: 7/10
There have been no replies to this thread yet.
It's not too often that a great game is given away for free. The term 'free' is used very loosely in most instances, with the release only allowing access to certain areas or features of the game, with everything else being labelled as premium content. So, DC Universe Online, made by Sony, is available to all PC and PS3 users to download for free (as you can guess, Xbox is missing out on this one; that's exclusivity for you). But how much do you get for nothing?
Well you get a suprising amount is the simple answer. As can be expected, there is still some premium content for those who pay for the game, but nothing that makes the game unplayable, such as a level cap. To my awareness, there is only one major annoyance that will put you off this game, and that is the login queue. When logging in as a character, you take your place in a queue which varies in size depending on the time of day that you login. Earlier in the day takes around 10 minutes to login, in the evening it can take up to half an hour. On rare occassions, where there is an event scheduled in game, it can easily take up to an hour, with several thousand free users waiting to login. Some would say it is ridiculous to complain about any problems in a game that didn't cost you anything, but I maintain that a game, regardless of price, should be accessible, and DC Universe Online is certainly inaccessible at times.
Boring information inside, lets get inside the actual game. You start the game by watching a backstory clip which gives you an insight into the universe you're about to enter. Character creation involves all the features you would expect, such as playing as a hero or a villain, being a male or female, what powers you want to have, who your hero or villain mentor will be, the colour scheme of your costume, the style of your costume, the weapons you use, the type of skin you have, the size of your character, to name but a few. During this creation you will also decide to join either a PvE (player vs environment) or PvP (player vs player) world. I implore you to choose the PvP option, as it is just so much more fun.
As you could only expect, Sony have done a stellar job on the graphical side of the game. The gameplay is powered by the Unreal Engine 3 (Gears of War, Unreal Tournament), whilst the clothing elements alone are powered using the Havoc physics engine, which is used in too many games to mention! This isn't some botchy and gimicky superhero game, it's a bona fide production which uses familiar engines from games which would cost you money.
Sadly, there are a few holes in the graphics and gameplay. Only last night did I find one of my fellow superheroes running around beneath the road. Not only that, I was challenged to a friendly duel, and despite the fact that I could've easily beaten him, I quite simply couldn't hit him through the road surface, yet he could hit me. Frustrating to say the least.
Now most superhero films have great music, such as the classic tune from Superman or the haunting music from Batman. Sadly, the films haven't rubbed off too well on the game. You can hear the influence from superhero films, but the music is extremely dull and boring, especially at the menus. It would be great to hear the classic tunes from the movies played in the menus, as sort of superhero playlist. Even better would be to have seperate villain music should you decide to play as a villain. At the moment, you get a couple of repetitive and bland themes.
Gameplay itself is very simple to learn, particularly the combat system. Combat involves an unlock system, which is unique to the type of power, the type of movement your character (flight, superspeed or acrobatics - choose flight, it's by far the best and easiest movement to use), and the weapon you choose for your character. Some moves take a 2 or 3 button combo to use, but you'll most likely use the shoulder button combo moves. The shoulder button moves sit along the bottom of your screen to let you see what you have available in each slot. There are eight slots, with each shoulder button having 4 available moves (right shoulder used with square, circle, cross and triangle button and the left shoulder using the same button). The game isn't turned based, so beware of button bashers, although you usually have to be quite tactical with your move choices, so it's not often that button bashers come out on top, particularly in PvP (only recently did I beat a hero in a friendly duel who was 3 levels higher than me, simply because I chose the right moves at the right time). Combat against AI characters can become extremely tiresome though. It's not rare to fight around 5 enemies at once. In some instances, I've been surrounded by about 12 at once, but such is the life of a superhero. On a serious note, I suggest, again, that you choose PvP mode.
Some character abilities and weapons really hinder your gameplay experience. I decided to use up my second, and last, free character slot with a villain based on The Joker. I choose dual pistols as weaponry and gadgets as my superpower, as well as superspeed for movement. I'll be honest, he was absolutely rubbish, both against players and AI characters. My superhero on the other hand uses fire abilities, hand blasters and flight, and can take on anything. I think the key phrase to remember during character creation is: "The more unrealistic your character, the better". In other words, don't choose guns and gadgets as a combination (yes Batman and The Joker, I'm looking at you two). Come on, Batman may be cooler than most superheroes, but Superman, despite looking extremely camp and wearing underwear on the outside, would anihilate him. I await the sparking of a superhero/villain debate below!
Now the way you grow your character in this game is through levelling. This game allows you to grow to level 30, and become the ultimate hero or villain. Many people say that once you reach level 30, the fun really begins, as you can take part in pretty much every PvP event in the game, use top moves and wear top armour and weaponry. In other words, it's pretty much like any other MMORPG. One thing I will say is different is that levelling is suprisingly easy, providing you stick with the storyline and missions. Over the past few days, I've got a character to level 16 by doing story missions alone. It only takes a few missions, and you seem to level. Most users seem to get sidetracked by messing around with powers on cars that are driving around or flying up and down the map at full speed, so if you like a storyline, and you like classic DC comics, you'll love this game.
In conclusion, if you can find the time to leave your PS3 running, download this game, as it's certainly on par with a lot of games that would cost you money. Yes, the login queue is tiresome, but if you want to play, you're best watching an episode of Family Guy or something to pass the time while it logs in. Once you do get in the game though, you won't be dissapointed. Even if you don't like it, it's not like you paid for it. It's only a bit of fun anway; why so serious?
Game Rating: 7/10
Well you get a suprising amount is the simple answer. As can be expected, there is still some premium content for those who pay for the game, but nothing that makes the game unplayable, such as a level cap. To my awareness, there is only one major annoyance that will put you off this game, and that is the login queue. When logging in as a character, you take your place in a queue which varies in size depending on the time of day that you login. Earlier in the day takes around 10 minutes to login, in the evening it can take up to half an hour. On rare occassions, where there is an event scheduled in game, it can easily take up to an hour, with several thousand free users waiting to login. Some would say it is ridiculous to complain about any problems in a game that didn't cost you anything, but I maintain that a game, regardless of price, should be accessible, and DC Universe Online is certainly inaccessible at times.
Boring information inside, lets get inside the actual game. You start the game by watching a backstory clip which gives you an insight into the universe you're about to enter. Character creation involves all the features you would expect, such as playing as a hero or a villain, being a male or female, what powers you want to have, who your hero or villain mentor will be, the colour scheme of your costume, the style of your costume, the weapons you use, the type of skin you have, the size of your character, to name but a few. During this creation you will also decide to join either a PvE (player vs environment) or PvP (player vs player) world. I implore you to choose the PvP option, as it is just so much more fun.
As you could only expect, Sony have done a stellar job on the graphical side of the game. The gameplay is powered by the Unreal Engine 3 (Gears of War, Unreal Tournament), whilst the clothing elements alone are powered using the Havoc physics engine, which is used in too many games to mention! This isn't some botchy and gimicky superhero game, it's a bona fide production which uses familiar engines from games which would cost you money.
Sadly, there are a few holes in the graphics and gameplay. Only last night did I find one of my fellow superheroes running around beneath the road. Not only that, I was challenged to a friendly duel, and despite the fact that I could've easily beaten him, I quite simply couldn't hit him through the road surface, yet he could hit me. Frustrating to say the least.
Now most superhero films have great music, such as the classic tune from Superman or the haunting music from Batman. Sadly, the films haven't rubbed off too well on the game. You can hear the influence from superhero films, but the music is extremely dull and boring, especially at the menus. It would be great to hear the classic tunes from the movies played in the menus, as sort of superhero playlist. Even better would be to have seperate villain music should you decide to play as a villain. At the moment, you get a couple of repetitive and bland themes.
Gameplay itself is very simple to learn, particularly the combat system. Combat involves an unlock system, which is unique to the type of power, the type of movement your character (flight, superspeed or acrobatics - choose flight, it's by far the best and easiest movement to use), and the weapon you choose for your character. Some moves take a 2 or 3 button combo to use, but you'll most likely use the shoulder button combo moves. The shoulder button moves sit along the bottom of your screen to let you see what you have available in each slot. There are eight slots, with each shoulder button having 4 available moves (right shoulder used with square, circle, cross and triangle button and the left shoulder using the same button). The game isn't turned based, so beware of button bashers, although you usually have to be quite tactical with your move choices, so it's not often that button bashers come out on top, particularly in PvP (only recently did I beat a hero in a friendly duel who was 3 levels higher than me, simply because I chose the right moves at the right time). Combat against AI characters can become extremely tiresome though. It's not rare to fight around 5 enemies at once. In some instances, I've been surrounded by about 12 at once, but such is the life of a superhero. On a serious note, I suggest, again, that you choose PvP mode.
Some character abilities and weapons really hinder your gameplay experience. I decided to use up my second, and last, free character slot with a villain based on The Joker. I choose dual pistols as weaponry and gadgets as my superpower, as well as superspeed for movement. I'll be honest, he was absolutely rubbish, both against players and AI characters. My superhero on the other hand uses fire abilities, hand blasters and flight, and can take on anything. I think the key phrase to remember during character creation is: "The more unrealistic your character, the better". In other words, don't choose guns and gadgets as a combination (yes Batman and The Joker, I'm looking at you two). Come on, Batman may be cooler than most superheroes, but Superman, despite looking extremely camp and wearing underwear on the outside, would anihilate him. I await the sparking of a superhero/villain debate below!
Now the way you grow your character in this game is through levelling. This game allows you to grow to level 30, and become the ultimate hero or villain. Many people say that once you reach level 30, the fun really begins, as you can take part in pretty much every PvP event in the game, use top moves and wear top armour and weaponry. In other words, it's pretty much like any other MMORPG. One thing I will say is different is that levelling is suprisingly easy, providing you stick with the storyline and missions. Over the past few days, I've got a character to level 16 by doing story missions alone. It only takes a few missions, and you seem to level. Most users seem to get sidetracked by messing around with powers on cars that are driving around or flying up and down the map at full speed, so if you like a storyline, and you like classic DC comics, you'll love this game.
In conclusion, if you can find the time to leave your PS3 running, download this game, as it's certainly on par with a lot of games that would cost you money. Yes, the login queue is tiresome, but if you want to play, you're best watching an episode of Family Guy or something to pass the time while it logs in. Once you do get in the game though, you won't be dissapointed. Even if you don't like it, it's not like you paid for it. It's only a bit of fun anway; why so serious?
Game Rating: 7/10