I’ve been in the Beta for City of Villains for a few weeks. Officially, the Non Disclosure Agreement has been lifted and I can talk about how the game is.
I am having an awesome time. It is, in the geek vernacular, “Airwolf.”
The Rogue Isles look fantastic. There is a lot of character in the artwork of each building, every alleyway, even the streetlamps. On the whole, it contributes to the flavor of the Isles as being a mish mash of different cultures. Streets (if they exist) are haphazard, more like the layout of a country village than a city grid. Overall, the developers, the artists, and the musicians have created a place that is very, very different from Paragon City.
Paragon City is the Birthplace of Tomorrow. The ultimate planned metropolis. Sure, it has its problem areas, but overall, the city is neat, orderly, and well lit. You can walk down the street and generally, feel safe.
The citizenry are for the most part, well mannered.
The Rogue Isles by comparison, are what is buried under rubble when a place like Paragon City is created. It is not planned. It is not pretty. It was swept aside and forgotten.
The people? Let me break it down for you. The police are disapproving of your evil ways. The criminal element that is already here, doesn’t want you cutting in on their action. The citizens that you enact villainy upon are not exactly welcoming. Occupying hero forces? Yeah, they definitely want to send you back to prison, but it’s not their first choice.
Hell, the people who busted you out of prison and brought you here in the first place dislike you.
Did I mention that this game is awesome? *
I am playing a Mastermind, which is an Archetype based entirely on letting your henchmen do a majority (if not all) of the fighting. My current specialization is Necromancy, but I could have picked from Mercenaries, Ninjas, or Robots. All they need now is Pirates and Spaghetti Monsters.
Looking forward for its release at the end of the month. The open beta should be coming soon
* And by awesome, I mean totally sweet.