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DC Universe Online Review

DC Universe Online review

with gameplay video

Free to play MMORPG

Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment


Play DC Universe Online for free

Holy moley, Batman! This week we’re going into the world of DC Universe Online, an opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the greatest superheroes ever created. Now, surprisingly, I’ve heard very little about this game. On PS3, when it was originally made free-to-play, people said there was a lot of value to be had, but spoke very little of the actual quality. It doesn’t seem to hold the place of, say, City of Heroes. Is that down to its quality or are people missing out? We jumped into the streets of Gotham to find out.

DC Universe Online Gameplay Video

Positives - DC Universe Online

Gotham Made Real – If you’re a fan of Arkham City, DC Universe Online feels quite familiar. Flying, speeding or just walking around an open Gotham City is a pretty spectacular thing to do in its own right, but the developers have managed to build city WORTH exploring. It’s populated by no end of quests, heroes, villains, civilians and events and I can guarantee hundreds of hours of enjoyment for somebody for whom the game clicks.

DC Universe Online review screenshot 01

Pick a Side – Factions, good vs evil, is no new thing in the MMO world, but DC Universe Online does it as well as any game on the market. If you factor in the involvement of well-known DC Universe characters, perhaps it does it a little better. If you fancy fighting alongside Batman, Superman, Wonderwoman and the green lantern (or the Joker, catwoman, Lex Luthor and Two Face), plus many, many more, DC Universe Online is for you if you are looking to create your own DC Universe Online character.

The Beautiful City – It isn’t just that Gotham (and Metropolis) are massive open worlds, but they’re also beautiful open worlds. The graphics for this game really are spectacular. You won’t be able to tell the game is two years old and it easily holds its own with all but the very best of MMO graphics.

DC Universe Online review screenshot 02

Say what? – As with almost all the DC universe spin-offs, the voice acting is incredible. The most obvious mention has to be the return of Mark Hamill as the Joker, but DC Universe Online almost always sounds fantastic.

Up Close and Personal – Forget repeatedly pressing a number on your keyboard and say hello to a more action-based combat system. Although this basically means you’ll be spamming the left mouse button instead of the number 1 key, it feels less like an MMO and more like a full action game, which I feel will make it age better in the long run. It’ll also make it more accessible to people more used to superhero games like Wolverine and The Incredible Hulk, the standard third person action game.

Neutrals - DC Universe Online

Install Size – Maybe I’m just bitter from the issues I had getting to this game through Steam, but I think the install size will be more than enough to put off some people. The game itself is 16GB and you’ll be met with a 7GB patch when you start the launcher. If you have download allowances or bad internet you might be wondering how to download DC Universe Online , well, our advice is to steer clear.

DC Universe Online review screenshot 03

Quests – Although the developers have gone a long way towards building a game that gets away from the MMO standards in terms of combat, the quests are pretty much what you’d expect. The only real difference is who is giving you the quests, and the novelty quickly wears off. Those used to quest-based games will lap it up – although even the hardiest of questers will probably be annoyed by the “kill so many enemies” quests – but not everybody will have what it takes to play long term.

Negatives - DC Universe Online

Installing from Steam – “We have detected that your SOE Station Account is configured for ProSieben Sat. 1 Games DC Universe Online access. To play DC Universe Online, please click here to create your ProSieben Sat. 1 Games account. Please click the "Download games" button available from the ProSieben Sat. 1 Games DC Universe Online website to download the correct Launchpad.”

DC Universe Online review screenshot 04

I got this message when I tried to login for the first time from Steam. I clicked the link, followed the instruction and it wanted me to re-download. To play I needed to create a new account, but I suppose just saying that would be too simple.

DC Universe Online review screenshot 05

The Verdict - DC Universe Online

"DC Universe Online is a fantastic MMO and a fantastic game".

It stands up there with the Arkham games as one of the best attempts at bringing the DC collection to gamers and to make them feel like part of that world. Whether it’s through the use of iconic powers, through the development of your own hero or just through the opportunity to see some of DC’s most beloved locations and characters, there’s an awful lot to love and surprisingly little to hate. For a two year old game it feels surprisingly fresh and I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon. If you’re looking for something new to play and haven’t checked out DC Universe Online, you should do so as soon as possible.

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