When it comes to addictive videogames there’s nothing quite like a good MMORPG to have you glued to a chair for hours on end. My first taste of the genre was with Ultima Online. A game which by today’s visual standards looks like some kind of sick joke. Kids all over the world would do a double-take and proceed to call whoever showed them the images a filthy liar. That was a damn good game though and I am blessed with many fond memories. I spent countless late nights slaughtering animals in the woods and leaving their blood-soaked corpses just outside town before returning home to play some Ultima Online. I jumped from Ultima Online to a bit of Everquest, then came Dark Age of Camelot which I found to be a very under-rated game, I then graduated to World of Warcraft, and more recently Guild Wars.

Aion comes from NCsoft who brought us Lineage, City of Heroes, and Guild Wars. I must point out that GW technically isn’t an MMORPG as the only MMO sections are in towns and even then there doesn’t tend to be a huge number of people in any area at once. However, I feel it important to mention that series as Guild Wars 2 will not only be a proper MMO game it will also follow in the footsteps of GW in having no monthly subscription fee.

A good way to describe Aion is that it includes a mixture of Eastern and Western MMORPG styles. The Asian influence is mostly true of the visual style and narrative. This game looks as though some wonderful genius has invented a device which can suck up an Anime and spit it out into a videogame format.

This game is all about opposing forces. Light and Dark. Yin and Yang. The two races, Elyos and Asmodians, are pretty much Angels and Demons but share an indifference when it comes to being good or evil. The Elyos, who live in peace, are light while the Asmodians, who have grown battle-hardened from their harsh surroundings, are dark. There is a third non playable race, the Balaur, who appear to have a burning hatred of both the Elyos and Asmodians.

The graphics are absolutely gorgeous here but please keep in mind that I had the luxury of playing this on a relatively high-end PC. If the Asmodian realm is supposed to be dull and dreary by comparison then those who play as an Elyos are in for a real treat as I found the colours to be vibrant. This is especially true of the striking purples which is great as that happens to be my favourite colour. The music is your regular dramatic fantasy affair. While I enjoyed it I do prefer the Guild Wars soundtrack which is one of my favourites and eerily similar to that of Oblivion.

A wide variety of enemies is imperative in this type of game and Aion does not disappoint. The visuals are stunning and the concept artists who worked on the creatures did a fine job. Monsters and humans are brought to life with some impressive animation. It’s rare in such a game that I find myself watching the creatures wander around but that’s what I found myself doing because everything here is so impressive looking.

I am of the opinion that titles in this genre should come with higher expectations and be judged with more scrutiny as almost all of them carry the burden of a monthly subscription. If “burden” seems an odd word to use then you’re most likely comfortable with the idea and probably have an on-going subscription to this or another title. That’s not a bad thing and I’ll never suggest anyone stop doing anything they enjoy, can afford to keep it going, and is not detrimental to their health or others. However, there is strong competition out there and when Guild Wars 2 is released all attention will inevitably turn to that, especially as it should be free to play. Guild Wars 2, like many similar titles on the market, will also come with a choice of more races than the two offered here.

If you enjoy MMORPGs and are looking for something a little different Aion deserves to be given a chance. If, on the other hand, you are bothered by monthly subscription fees and haven’t yet tried Guild Wars you should play that instead and if you enjoy it you can wait for the sequel which will be a full MMORPG.

8.5/10

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