City of Villains

Home » Reviews » City of Villains

	City of Villains	CG rating 83 /100
	Developer: NCsoft, Producer: Cryptic Studios System requirements: CPU 2GHz, 512 MB RAM, 3D Video Card with 128 MB, DirectX 9.0c compatible Game: City of Villains Genre: MMOG

Pluses

- You can finally be a villain
- The Mastermind class
- The game experience feels more personal
- The character creation system
- Supergroups now have lairs

Minuses

- You don't actually feel like a villain
- Most missions are pretty simplistic
- The instances get repetitive fairly quickly

Posted by Bossman on 11-Apr-2006 11:35

You need to login to be able to vote

Page 1 of 4

›

An unwritten law dictates that every superhero needs an arch-enemy, a villain at least equal in power, with which to do battle. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be anything so super about the hero in the first place. It’s one thing to duke it out with a mad scientist wielding 8 mechanical arms on his back and quite another to arrest thugs from downtown. City of Heroes was the first MMORPG to bring to our PC’s the beloved comic-book heroes and as such, it had a phenomenal success in the United States, prompting Marvel, which owns all the major comic book hero licenses, to sue the developers for alleged copyright infringements. Although the game could quickly cause addiction and was very easy to pick up and play, a lot of players yearned for the chance to play the bad guys, to be on the wrong side of the law. Saving kidnapped citizens and defusing bombs can be fun for only so much. As a result, NCsoft and Cryptic Studios didn’t take too long to release City of Villains, which although is regarded by many as a stand-alone expansion pack or a sequel in its own right, I consider it to be the dark brother of City of Heroes.

The story in City of Villains takes place in the Rogue Isles, and archipelago west of Paragon City, home of those pesky good-doers from City of Heroes. At the start of the game you’ll find yourself in prison, from which you’ll manage to escape, thanks to the assistance of troops loyal to Lord Recluse, the new bad guy who has taken control of the Rogue Isles and a sworn enemy of Statesman, the leader of Paragon City’s heroes. Since Lord Recluse is always looking for competent and ruthless villains to help him with his diabolical plans, he’s giving you a chance to prove that the trust he placed in you when he sprung you out of jail wasn’t misplaced. The fact that you’re a certified villain makes for a more compelling and personal experience when playing City of Villains. It’s all about you and your struggle to survive in a ruthless and unforgiving world. Unlike in Paragon City, the Rogue Isles can be viewed as a huge free for all arena, where everyone is trying to advance in rank and fame in any way possible. If that means that you have to kill the guy next to you, so be it… you’ll probably be commended for your initiative. Nobody will tolerate mistakes and don’t expect a warm welcome from the people you’re going to work with. Everybody will be a smart-ass during the initial phases of the game, but as you progress and gain levels, they’re attitude towards you will change.