So I’m contemplating picking up City of Heroes. Let first say that I have tried 3 different games in this massively multiplayer online roleplaying game genre since I dinged 50 in Dark Age of Camelot. First I tried Horizons, then the Lineage 2 beta, and finally Final Fantasy XI. None of these games did it for me. I’ve tried to like them. It just seems either it’s more of the same as all the rest or it’s the funky control scheme that gets in my way.

I’m hoping that CoH can fill my desire to continue to play these kinds of game until World of Warcraft comes out. It should be the perfect mmorpg for me. I’m a huge comic book geek. When I was younger I had aspiration of becoming a comic book artist. But it’s some of the things that are missing from this game that keeps me from thinking this one will last, even if for a few months until WoW ships. I’ve discussed these issues with Gawain, since he is the only person I knew that had the beta. So any faulty info I blame on G.

Number one issue I have is the fact you are a super hero all the time. This is not the way it should be. Super heroes have secret identifies. That’s what makes these powerful beings human. Look at Superman. What would Superman be if he didn’t have his Clark Kent alter ego? Just another guy in tights. The act of maintaining a secret identity is one of those things that makes super heroes super heroic. The chance that you arch nemesis will find out your real identity and then put the people you care about in harms way is one of the best comic book plots.

Which brings me to issue two, the arch nemesis. Going back to my Superman example. What would Superman be without Lex Luthor? A man is judged by the quality of his enemies, a super hero doubly so. Not having your own personal bad guy with which you fight with now and then goes against every super hero comic book there is. You have no purpose otherwise other than killing mobs in a mmorpg that masquerades as a super hero themed game.

Now despite these two glaring flaws I most likely will be picking this game up at my local EB later today. It sounds like for the most part the game is big on fun. Which would be nice for a change.