Originally released by Cryptic Studios in September of 2009, Champions Online has come a very long way in 3 years. Now published by Perfect World Entertainment, Champions Online adopted a free to play model titled, Champions: Free For All, which offers a free to play experience with optional subscription and paid features. The game was made famous for the incredibly in-depth character creation and customization features, as well as its unique take on action orientated MMORPG game play. This new player experience will review the first hour of a new player experience, hopefully telling you whether it’s a game you’ll enjoy or not, without trailing through stuff you won’t experience for 40 levels.

The first thing you’ll notice when logging in to Champions Online is the incredibly in-depth character creation system. As a free player you are restricted on your power-sets as you have to select a predefined archetype. There are 5 archetypes available to new players Ranged, Tank, Melee, Hybrid and Support, each of which have a few options such as Ranged featuring The Inferno and The Soldier while Tank features The Glacier and The Behemoth. After choosing your archetype you’re taken to arguably the greatest character creation system ever conceived in a MMORPG game.

It’s difficult to explain the depth of the character creation system, purely because there’s so many options. Whether you want to make a war hardened soldier or a tank made of ice, it’s all possible. You can change every feature on the face, every single muscle on the body and even change the texture of clothing from normal, to leather and metal. You could easily spend an hour in-game creating the hero of your dreams.

After the marathon that is character creation, you enter Millennium City in the tutorial zone. This is where you’re introduced to combat and questing. Questing is pretty standard when compared to other MMORPG games, you speak to various NPC’s and are given kill “X” or collect “X” quests, usually this would result in a painfully boring MMO experience, but that’s where the combat comes in. The combat in Champions Online feels more like you’re playing a polished console title, over that of a free to play MMO. Your powers aren’t very restricting, allowing you to duck and dive between abilities and even use them while flying or moving at super speed. As The Soldier in the Ranged Archetype, I was rolling around firing my Assault Rifle, launching the odd grenade and then moving in for the kill with my pistol, all of which flows effortlessly.

Overall, the new player experience in Champions Online still does a great job of demonstrating the games best features. If you’ve grown tired of the typically mundane combat in other MMO games, or just feeling like wearing spandex while soaring through the skies of Millennium City, Champions Online is an MMO game you shouldn’t miss.

For a more detailed review of Champions Online, including PvP and end-game content, check out our Champions Online Full Review.

Rating: 9.0

by Blaine Smith