DC Universe Online Preview

As a rule of thumb the landscape for actually successful MMORPGs becomes noticeably more barren the further away you go from fantasy orc settings. The genre is a one-man-show and where a game like WoW is the headlining act any other up and coming titles are put on Extra duty and exist as a distraction from what's on the main stage. It's a laboured metaphor but established MMOs are probably the biggest barrier to entry for any new MMO that tries to claw its way into the mainstream. There's an 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' mentality that exists among developers and gamers alike and with Blizzard having cranked out the most widely spread and user friendly MMORPG there's little reason for players to jump ship for a newer title.

But DC Universe Online has two things going for it. One, it has a dual PC and PS3 status. Two, it's DC.

Roughly speaking it's a twitch-oriented MMORPG. What you see in the gameplay is the disposal of the kind of dice rolls and careful min/maxing that colour the usual breed of MMOs and in turn you're given a game that encourages twitch reflexes during combat and instant gratification.

In this case "instant gratification" refers to the attempt to rid the game of the more tedious qualities of the genre. You're given legitimate super powers from the start of the game as part of the character design process, which means you avoid the lengthy climb through the ranks of abilities. If you design a character with flight abilities then the guy is going to fly. If you design a character who has super speed then you aren't forced to work your way up a ladder of ranks in order to develop a slightly speedier variation of super speed.

But SOE is marketing this more specifically as an action game with the scale and persistence of an MMO. It's built to be the kind of game that should be able to stretch out its tendrils to hit a mainstream market of gamer; the sort of gamer that likes DC and likes action RPGs and doesn't detest the company of other players.

You'll begin by designing your character and choosing their city of origin, from a list of places that range from Metropolis to Gotham City, with other areas to be announced in the future. But the focus of the game is in the interaction between players and NPCs. As a hero or villain you'll be assisting either the Justice League or Legion of Doom through a series of battles and cases, with the first case being between Superman and Lex Luthor to either defeat or capture Doomsday.