Aion: The Tower of Eternity Game Review

Just when you think the world doesn’t have enough MMORPGs along comes yet another to toss its glove down in a challenge to reigning champion WoW.  So what makes NcSoft’s Aion stand out from the rest of the pretenders?  You can fly—and that’s about it.
The market has become completely saturated with MMORPGs that are trying to break the stranglehold WoW has on people’s time, minds, and money but none of them really ever stood a chance.  Will Aion?  Maybe but I doubt it.

The biggest thing that Aion has going for it is that the game is extremely solid even though it just launched not too long ago.  Both the gameplay mechanics and multiplayer platform are rock steady and it’s easy to see that NcSoft built on the foundation that others have laid before it to create a game that just works right out of the box.  Other than some initial connection problems (too many people to log onto too few servers at once) the game is as close to perfect as it can get.  However, NcSoft refused to shoot for the stars and Aion really doesn’t break any new ground.

Graphics & Gameplay

Another benefit is that Aion uses the CryEngine that Far Cry used to become one of the most visually stunning games ever.  So how does Aion hold up graphically?  Surprisingly well.  The colors are great, the character models are beautiful, and animations are crisp and responsive.  You won’t find the level of detail that Far Cry enjoyed but Aion looks better than pretty much any other multiplayer game out there.  The best part is that the level of detail can easily be dialed back to support smooth gameplay on even fairly weak PCs.
So the game works and it’s pretty but what’s it about?  Aion put players in the shoes of either an Elyos or and Asmodian (demigods of sorts) who inhabit a dual world of light and shadow.  While the Elyos were lucky enough to inherit the sunny side of the planet after a great cataclysm that split the world in two, the Asmodians inhabit the shadowy side and have pale complexions, listen to Emo music, and get tear drops tattooed on their faces.  Really there’s not a whole lot of difference between the two as even the quests and day-to-day life of both races mirror each other.  It kind of destroys the whole good vs. bad dynamic that NcSoft was trying to set up which is really too bad.  Most players will resort to playing as whatever race they think looks the coolest.

And as far as looks are concerned, Aion allows an incredible amount of customization.  The character creator is miles ahead of its WoW competitor and offers enough detail and ease of use that anybody can create an avatar that looks just as cool (or as ridiculous) as they want it to be.  A lot of people belly ache about players who create goofy looking avatars (huge boobs, stunted legs, enormous torsos) but isn’t that the fun part of creating your own personal digital slave?

Character classes and specialization sticks to the norm and include medics, magic users, and combat specialists and there’s no real incentive to even try out any unfamiliar classes.  It’s kind of a bummer that no true hybridization is possible.  This may hurt the game as new MMOs such as Star Wars the Old Republic are shooting for an unprecedented level of “skill weaving.”
I mentioned you could fly, right?  Well you can, after you hit level ten your character remembers what they truly are (a demigod) and sprouts wings.  Flying is tricky to begin with—you can only fly small distances and must build up the skill just like any other, but it adds a new element of strategy to the game as eventually you can attack both airborne and ground-based enemies from the sky.  Unfortunately, the whole thing feels a bit like a sales gimmick rather than an organic part of the game.

As far as actual gameplay, you’re not going to find a lot of variety in Aion.  In fact, all of the missions are go here kill that, get this deliver that sort of missions that feel awkward and outdated.  You’ve played them a hundred times on a dozen different planets and in a handful of different games.  It’s plain boring. 
Indeed, that’s the game’s biggest let down—most of the time you’ll be grinding to earn points to level up.  I hate grind-fests and was hoping the game would really reach beyond those boundaries but the only true innovation comes in the form of beefed up graphics and in-game flight.

Sound

However, once you reach level 25, you can enter the shady netherworld called The Abyss where you can engage in PVP battles and PVPVE battles with the AI controlled Balour.  It’s really about as exciting as it sounds (not very) and turns into fortress warfare real quickly as you factions try desperately to take and hold onto real estate that grants powerful buffs and bonuses. 
The atmosphere is fairly decent with sweeping soundtracks and okay battle effects but the voice acting is quite hammy and stale.  Again, it feels as if NcSoft made a game that was “just enough” without really stretching any boundaries.  This is yet another that might come back to haunt them as BioWare is really pushing voiced cut scenes and interactive dialog to a new level with its MMO.

Value

As far as value goes, the game will suck your life away if you let it.  It’s just as fun and addictive as any other MMORPG but if you’ve already invested time and effort into another game Aion doesn’t really give you any reason to switch your alliances.  Sure it looks quite a bit better but it ultimate feels like a big letdown, a game that could have been so much more than it actually is.  However, judging from the huge sales overseas, I would venture a guess and say that the game will make solid headway in the U.S.

Final Verdict

This game isn’t bad, in fact it’s quite good, but whether it delivers enough meat on the bones to make it worth the purchase price is an intimately personal decision.

Pros:  great graphics, solid gameplay, solid mechanics.

Cons:  Grinding, same-old same-old, poor voice acting, and weak presentation at times.

Overall Score: 8/10

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