SUPER OKAY

When I found out that DC Comics was producing a MMORPG, I nearly flipped! Anyone can tell you I’m a HUGE fan of DC Comics, especially Batman and Robin, so an ongoing adventure set in Gotham City and Metropolis seemed the perfect introduction to this new gaming platform. Are you kidding?! Creating my own superhero?! And/or super villain?!! Sounds like a super good time! Sign me up!

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) have skyrocketed in popularity since the early days of WarCraft and Final Fantasy XI, with good reason. They allow players to create unique avatars that take part in online quests. As they quest, their character grows stronger and more personalized based on experience (RPG). It’s like chose your own adventure, but instead you chose the role you play in an adventure. (Hint: I’m the nerdy magician usually.) MMORPGs invite gamers from all over the globe to come together in a shared setting (MMO). I was itching to waste large quantities of my time inside of one.

That was before the release of DC UNIVERSE ONLINE. The game has been out for over a month now, and I’ve played most of that time. And I have to admit; my feelings are heavily conflicted on this game. It’s a gruesome battle between my brain and my heart. 

My heart has fallen for the missions involving such greats as Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash. For the villains, I’ve hench’d for the Joker and Harley Quinn, fought with Sinestro, and battled Queen Bee. Traveling freely through Gotham and Metropolis is equally a thrill. I can’t tell you how great it was the first time I noticed I was not the only hero vaulting across rooftops in Gotham City. So great! 

And while the character creator is a bit limited in what it offers, I’ve been able to create two fantastic characters with depth and personality to them. The tiered system of powers and abilities helps to keep everything in order. (If you play, I recommend flight. It’s too many things to describe.) As always, I’ve created two characters around magic and/or mental abilities. The picture to the right is of my hero, Mobius the Mind Master. My villain, Evil Eye the sorcerer, has yet to be photographed. (He’s a slippery one!) See?! You start out with whatever you can cobble together, but as you upgrade and select new powers, your character becomes something unique for you. There’s plenty of opportunity to create and interact with the real, honest-to-goodness DC universe as a hero of your own making. It boggles my mind!

Oh, but it’s not enough to lull my brain to sleep on this one. There are many bugs and glitches in DCUO. There have been times when enemies didn’t populate the game board, and yet they attacked me and finally tapped me out. I’d say I experience that at least three times a week, and I play five of those days. Many of the items fail to fully populate the field also, like switches that open doors and allow you to continue missions. Yeah, whoops. Exactly. The levels themselves have a difficulty level on them that’s laughable. You may go in as a level 21, but by the time you come out, you’re probably closer to 24 with a lot of regenerations and weapon repairs in between. I’ve used potions and got nothing in return. Etc. and so forth. 

This is not acceptable. DC Comics asked me to pay a hefty sum for the game itself, plus asked me to dedicate fifteen dollars to them every month so I could see what adventures they unlock next. The least they could do is have the product ready to play, one that doesn’t frustrate the gamer or require them to wait over an hour for updates. I understand glitches. I’m not asking for perfection. But it seems at times as if the very foundation of the game is shaky, like they probably should have kept it under wraps for a few more months. They already delayed release on it during the much-rewarded Christmas holiday. I can see why. 

My loyalty and love for DC Comics remains, but they have not been enough to excuse the massive failures of this game. They’ve actually heightened those shortfalls; I want to play so bad, I’ll bang my head against glitches for hours. Madness, I tell you! Let’s say 6.5 out of 10. Get the lead out, DC. Fix this damn thing before my head explodes.