City of Heroes Review
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City of Heroes' biggest strength, and ultimate downfall, is the simplistic gameplay infused within it. Run around the city, look for random crimes being committed by thugs, beat them up and gain experience and influence. Alternatively, accept a mission; follow its parameters and gain experience and influence. There's very little else to do in the game except bring justice to wrongdoers. City of Heroes is a game which vigorously encourages the casual gamer, where it matters not if you play fifty or five hours a week. Many of City of Heroes' rivals in the MMORPG stakes require a heavy time investment to appreciate the game, but City of Heroes only demand on you is to right wrongs and enjoy yourself at the same time. However, it can also become very repetitive and we do question the lifespan of City of Heroes, a commodity that MMORPGs usually have in bags. Only the truly dedicated hero will subscribe for more than a few months, which is a shame because the initial premise is very strong. Bringing justice to the myriad of transgressors will appeal for a month or two, but with absolutely nothing else within the package to break the monotony of punching, zapping and crunching your way through the game, apathy soon sets in.
One bright radiance of light for the game is the imminent release of City of Villains, an expansion for the main game, which promises to allow players to enter Paragon City with the sole intention of stealing anything they can lay their sticky mitts on. It also aims to bring faction conflict to the MMO, with villains and heroes battling to protect or filch important relics and money. City of Villains is an important release for NCSoft, as it could breathe more life into what currently stands as a fun but short-lived experience. City of Heroes sporadically delights and contains many great ideas that require more diverse in-game options before ascending from its current level of interesting diversion to essential purchase.
