Aion

Game overview

Aion is a truly massive MMORPG in terms of size as well as scope. This formerly pay-to-play game attempts to reinvent the usual MMORPG experience through its original gameplay which allows the player to explore its world in an interesting new way.

The game offers players a chance to take a side in the conflict between two opposing races, the Asmodians and the Elyos. There is a classic struggle of good (Elyos) over evil (the Asmodians) as the races are in essence angels and devils.

The game earns its place among MMO juggernauts thanks to its great graphics and unique flight system.

➔ Main points:

• 2009 MMO-RPG
• Unique Flight Mechanics
• Lots of Classes
• Fun Combo System
• Great looking environments.

Full review

Create the perfect you.

The character creator in action

If one wants to create their virtual double, they can. If one wants to create a character completely disproportionate, they can. If one want to create Hercules, they can. The game's character creation system offers infinite possibilities.

The game's character creation system offers infinite possibilities.

Aion’s potential for customization extends to the classes as well. The game boasts six unique base classes; Mage, Warrior, Scout, Priest, Technist, and Muse. Each with its own visual style, weapons, and strengths. All base classes also have advanced classes. Meaning that players will be able to personalize their character even further.

My personal class of choice was the Aethertech. It’s one of the few classes that feel truly unique to the game. Your primary weapon is a large key that summons a mech, with which you may do battle. Tanking in my mech made me feel powerful, and the skill animations are wonderful.
Once you choose your subclass the game gives you a set of wings, which was extensively promoted during the game's development. After receiving these wings it’s understandable as to why.

Starting wings can only carry you for one minute before they detract (Although the duration does extend based off how often the wings are used). However in the early stages, flying often leads to the character dying from a free fall due to how difficult it is to master. Even advanced players will have trouble flying in certain cramped areas.

Soaring into combat

Despite the difficulty, flying adds a new layer of verticality to the world of Aion that had rarely been seen before the game’s release. It’s without a doubt one of the most fun things to do in the game, even while being somewhat of a pain to master.

Suffice it to say you will spend more time walking than flying, due to the one minute timer. However walking will still require a good amount of patience from the player as basic movement is slightly more complicated than most games. Since most of the quests require you to travel from one region to another, the game can get quite frustrating with how difficult it is to fly and how slow it is to walk. And speaking of the quests, they can be frustrating as well, often times, repetitive and featuring only low level content.

Each region has its own specific quests, however many times after finishing all of a region’s content you will not be a high enough level to advance to the next area. When this occurs you must resort to old school tactics, and simply kill monsters until you have grinded out the necessary levels to proceed.

Combat is familiar yet satisfying

Fortunately, the somewhat simple yet well realized battle system of Aion will keep you engrossed thanks to its rather interactive combo system. Aion’s combat strikes the perfect balance between familiarity and newness. Any player familiar with big budget traditional MMORPGs like World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Old Republic will be perfectly fine adapting to this updated system. However we must mention that you cannot take part in PVP or instanced dungeons until levels 20-25, making the trek to group content longer than most games.

The somewhat simple yet well realized battle system of Aion will keep you engrossed thanks to its rather interactive combos.

The Technical Side of the Game

When one mentions adventure, environment usually follows and Aion is no exception. The settings you visit feel unique. Each vista is enormous, and begging to be explored. The scenery is pretty amazing as well, though the textures do show their age up close. From vast mountain-scapes to grand temples, landmarks look great.

Gorgeous landmarks

These grandiose structures give incentive to explore.
The monster and NPC designs are equally inspired. Each helps give the game a pleasant ambiance and identity. Other than Aion's few visual faults (which are difficult to detect ), the detailed world and solid graphics really aid the game’s visual package.

The soundtrack is a real treat, the catchy tracks greatly enhance the adventure and easily get stuck in your head even after you're done playing. However what is most striking about the games sound is how it differs between factions. Asmodians are treated to catchy electric guitar riffs, while Elyos have more traditional RPG fanfare.

Conclusion

To conclude, we can only recommend that you play Aion.
Although lacking in originality, the game has all the classical elements of a succesful MMO implemented in a thoughtful manner: whether in terms of graphics, sound, atmosphere, general gameplay and not to mention the genuine fun of character creation, everything is precisely doled out in order provide lasting enjoyment and high replayability.

The game features strong character designs and a diverse array of classes to choose from.
The combo system makes combat feel fresh despite its familiarity.

Aion is a classic MMO that does just enough differently to stay competitive in today's saturated MMO market.
If you're a fan of WoW and are looking to switch to a similar game, with improved graphics and slightly more varied combat Aion is a great choice.