Aion China OB: Soars past expectations
April 29, 2009 – 2:53 amPosted by: Leslie
After a solid eleven years of playing MMO games, I’ve just about seen it all. So before we go any further, the headline doesn’t suggest that Aion has forever changed my perspective of what kind of game keeps me around for it; it is precisely the game I have been looking for since… Oh. Since eleven years ago.
Yeah, it’s a big, bold statement. Bring on the counterclaims (respectfully, if at all possible). To put it simply, I’m a kid who’s hard to please, but my love for online gaming keeps me looking forward to being impressed. It does happen, though. Oh, NCsoft, you’ve really done it this time.
Now that I’ve lathered up this article with a generous amount of foamy fawning, let’s break down some of the basics. In the interest of not insulting your intelligence, we’ll skip over the three or four years of constipation many of us have had for this game. Those of you who need to get in the know, give Google some love. Since this isn’t a review but actually an opinion piece, I’m only touching on points of my own interest. Ready or not…
I. Character Creation
The most enjoyable three hours I’ve spent ignoring the newbie tutes. You’ve got two flavors: Elyos or Asmodians. Read: Angels or Demons. The fillings therein: countless. You’ve got sliders (much in the way of Perfect World). You move ‘em one way or the other. The results are extraordinarily varied. If you really don’t care, there are a fair number of presets. But come on. This is something I have been demanding of my gaming experiences for the last few years now–every developer should adopt the commitment to creating sensational worlds with unique options for their unique player bases. Really, duh?
It’s a pleasure never running into anyone who looks the same as I do. I’m not one for the Hobbit look, but if you are, you can pull it off in Aion. Want a slash across your face, a snazzy goatee, and some horns bursting out of your forehead? All at the same time? You can have it all in Aion. Be blue. Be pink. Put some junk in that trunk. Aion’s handy Character Creation interface invites the hell out of you to do so.
II. Imerssion
More often than not, you’re the star of the show when it comes to RPGs–the ‘chosen one’, you might say. Some latent powers are yours to discover, you’re more than likely of some caliber you’ve either had amnesia about or been thrown into another dimension so as to not even be aware of it–kill some creepies, do individual favors for the entire population of village after village, blah blah blah. Sick of all that? Don’t look to Aion for anything revolutionary as far as getting ahead in the game.
People still depend on you to wipe their asses and yeah, it’s more likely than not that they’ll ask you three or four times over for your impressive services. So, how many games have you played where you’ve actually starred in your own cut scenes?
For all your efforts, this game guides you through the lore of the land and makes it pretty clear that you have a purpose. The fun of finding it out involves playing along with little instances they knock you into from time to time, having you unlock parts of yourself little by little. These things, which are staples in console platforms, have been rare in MMO games up until now. I can’t think of another example that matches the way Aion presents you with your missions. By level 10, you’ve not only saved a whole region by babysitting all its residents, but you’ve also glimpsed the truth about yourself a couple of times over–by being allowed to ‘play’ in your own cut scene. Yeah, it’s fixed and yeah, it’s the same for everybody who gets around to it. It’s just freaking cool.
III. And you can fly
Everyone who knows about Aion knows you can fly in Aion. If you’re jaded by other MMOs which feature wings and/or flying objects or mounts, forget all about those. You can fly in Aion.
IV. Graphics
See screenshots below. Whoa. Am I right?
V. You get what you pay for
This is NCsoft. So, as you can expect, Aion’s western releases will feature no exceptions; you have to buy it first and maybe you’ll have to pay a subscription thereafter (we’ll find out later). Let’s leave the P2P vs. F2P battle off to the side for now and just let me put it out there–P2P is more than likely worth it for individuals who demand intense storylines, graphics, and dependable maintenance (at least for a period of time) if you’re going to be playing Aion. When Aion’s on the shelf, if I even move fast enough to grab a copy down for myself, I won’t be thinking twice about it at the register. Keep the receipt. Keep the change, even. I’m gonna go fly around in Aion.
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