Cryptic rings in the holidays in Champions Online with the Attack of the Misfit Toys event. The Black Harlequin has made diabolical changes to the children's Christmas toys, and it's up to the heroes of Millennium City to take them down a peg or two. It's all about seasonal toy clearance, at least until seasonal toy Clarence shows up. Hugs and death for everyone!

"We really wanted to celebrate the holidays by giving our players some really fun gifts," said Bill Roper, Executive Producer of Champions Online. "So we've cooked up a brand new winter event, and created several new ways to share the joy of Champions Online."

Those new ways include a refer a friend program, where old players bring in new players to try the game for 10 days, with rare in-game items for all and 400 Cryptic points for the referrer if the new player stays, and a new demo that allows players to level up to 15 in the opening tutorial.

Nice offers, but as far as I am concerned it's all about Clarence.

Allowing players to create their own nemesis in Champions Online seemed like a great idea, but I always wondered what Cryptic would do with them once they were created. Now we know. Starting November 24th, the Nemesis Confrontation event will let players team up with friends to take on their nemeses together.

"We wanted to take our unique Nemesis System to the next level and do something really awesome with it," said Bill Roper, Executive Producer of Champions Online. "So we asked ourselves, what if your Nemesis could band together with your buddy's Nemesis to take you on? Epic."

Players will have to band together against a team of their greatest foes in order to stop them from tearing a hole in reality in a bid to take over the Champions universe. The event will feature a brand new location and new, intergalactic gladiator enemies to the mix as well. Sounds like a good time!

And in case you've let your Champions Online subscription lapse already, Cryptic is holding a free weekend the 26th through the 28th, just in case you wanted to return to give your nemesis the beat-down.

Visit the event page for more information on Nemesis Confrontation.

Atari and Cryptic announced the one million character milestone today, using the figure as an example of the strong reception Champions Online has received from both fans and game critics since the game launched in early September. A million superheroes running about saving the day is nothing to scoff at, though I'm sure the companies would rather that was a million registered players. Still, Atari seems pleased.

"We are very pleased with the wonderful praise Champions Online is receiving," said Jim Wilson, CEO, Atari, Inc. "We credit the great MMO fan base and look forward to seeing what players create as the game continues to grow and develop. We are working hard on new content and updates that will expand the universe and give Champions fans more to explore."

Expect that number to increase by a large amount this weekend, with a free trial of Champions Online kicking off tomorrow.

As a long-time MMO player, I love the way developers tend to go slightly crazy when it comes to Halloween events. I used to get all giddy back in the day, when Everquest first started running huge, multi-zone treasure hunts during the holiday, and to this day I always look forward to seeing what the creator's of my favorite MMO titles come up with to celebrate the 31st of October. It looks like Cryptic doesn't plan to disappoint.

From Friday October 30th to Monday November 2nd, Cryptic is opening up Champions Online to any and all who want to come try it out. Simply head over to the free play promo page, sign up for an account, download the client, and then wait. Perhaps you could make a sandwich or something.

The free play weekend coincides with Champions'' Blood Moon Halloween event, which introduces invading zombie hordes (*sigh*) and the introduction of the new Celestial power set. The event begins for current subscribers on the 27th. Free players can play around with it once the weekend comes.

Well, Batman: Arkham Asylum slips into the top 20 at least, taking a respectable number 16 position. The two MMO titles more or less storm the charts, with Cryptic's Champions Online snagging number 3, and Aion pulling a double as the normal version rocks number 1 and the limited edition takes the 5-spot. This means near domination of the top 5 for MMOs this month, with World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King at number 4 while The Sims 3 slips down to 2.

Not a bad start for two of the most eagerly anticipated MMO titles of the season. Check out the full chart below to see if your favorite made the cut this month.

The early head-start for Cryptic's new superhero MMO Champions Online kicked off this weekend, and despite having many other plans, I couldn't resist the siren song of the spandex. Finding myself awake far too early on a Saturday morning, I couldn't help my hand as it opened up Games Explorer and double-clicked on the Champions icon. Soon I was strapping on equipment, fastening my cape, checking my weapons, and in two cases growing a pair of breasts as I dived headlong into the world of Champions Online.

The Secret Origin of Bullshot

I've always had a weakness for superheroes that used bows, so archery was my first choice of powersets to explore. I started off with images of Hawkeye and Green Arrow in my head, but the game's expansive character creation tool soon led me in an entirely new direction. I am not quite sure how I ended up trying out horns on my archer, but they fit perfectly. A nice brown color scheme later and Bullshot was born.

Champions Online isn't quite the sort of persistent world MMO we're used to. It's made up of adventure instances, sort of like comic book issues, where a certain number of characters can play before a new instance is spawned. The starting zone, for instance, is set during an alien invasion of Millennium City. The player progresses through a series of quests that ultimately leads to an instanced mission, and then they progress to the next area of their choosing.

Bullshot had some troubles early on, as I hadn't quite grasped how the powers work. Basically you have one power that builds up energy, and other powers that use said energy. It's sort of like the rogue in World of Warcraft. You build up power using your weaker attack in order to unleash the big guns. Not quite understanding this, Bullshot died quite a few times.

Eventually he got to a public mission, which works a lot like public quests in Warhammer Online. A series of tasks is presented, such as kill 20 aliens, and all players participate until the next task is given. At the end of the quest the players are ranked and awarded prizes based on their participation. Having done terribly, all I got was a lousy health kit.

Then came the instanced mission, where the real foe behind the invasion is uncovered. It's your first encounter with a supervillain, and if you know what you are doing it isn't too hard, especially with a high-powered NPC at your side. Needless to say, I died several times. Luckily the supervillain's health stayed where it was when I bought it, so killing him was only a matter of running back to finish him off.

After the grand finale of the alien invasion arc, I was presented with two different storylines to pick up - Canada or the desert. Choosing Canada, I was transported to a snowy base in the middle of nowhere, and urged to purchase my first new powers in six levels, along with a travel power. Eager to test out travelling, I chose swinging, thinking that shooting a bow with a line attached would fit Bullshot perfectly. I spent about an hour after that just swinging around, casting my line out to the empty sky, and generally having a blast before I decided to take a nap.

Enter Becca Danger

I'm also a fan of superheroes who are just normal people with a few extraordinary powers. Rather than continue with Bullshot, I created a female character. A simple girl with a t-shirt, jeans, a pair of swords, and big, clunky rocket boots. I showed the design to my girlfriend, who suggested I name my creation Becca, after the real name of Tank Girl. Craving a bit more of a twist, I added Danger as a last name, and Becca Danger was born.

Now that I had the hang of things, the tutorial level flew by in an hour, with nary a death. The dial swords powerset is unique in that many of its powers hit more than one enemy at a time, so I was tearing through aliens like there was no tomorrow. Finishing the opening in no time flat, I chose the desert this time around, granting Becca a few new powers and of course, activating those rocket boots.

Rocket boots are the fastest travel power, though they activate in stages, to keep things fair and balanced. Once you get up to speed, shooting around the sky is extremely entertaining.

The desert storyline involves freeing a research facility from radioactive mutants. I got Becca to level 9 by the end of the arc, though I did have to team up for one particularly difficult quest. My Champions Online team experience lasted all of 2 minutes, and we disbanded as soon as the boss monster was down. Otherwise, Becca was flying solo.

Once that arc completed I was delivered into a new, more expanded desert instance, with the facility rebuilt. New missions and more exploration awaited, but that would have to wait for the next issue.

Onyx is Born.

Sunday was a brand new day, and a brand new heroine was born. Inspired by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred's stint on X-Force (renamed X-Statix before cancellation), I went with a rather quirky design for Onyx. Completely black, this powerhouse character wears the outfit of a classic 1970's superhero, with her red glasses the only discernible facial feature. Very, very Allred.

Fortunately for me, Onyx proved more resilient than the characters of X-Statix, again breezing through the tutorial mission in record time, thanks to her uber-toughness and her powerful arsenal of punches. Again I chose Canada, giving her the earth flying power to coincide with her geological origin. Hovering about on a dislodged chunk of earth, I took on all manner of ice demons and ice zombies as I struggled to free the ice outpost from the ice evil. As it was getting late, I couldn't see the mission through to completion, and my girlfriend wanted to watch Kate & Leopold. Not wanting any more ice, I decided to go with her plan.

But the best was yet to come...

The one...the only...Super Crecente

This morning I woke up early, and having a little bit of free time I decided to make one last hero. The gadgeteer in pink and yellow, his long tresses as much a weapon as his sonic blaster, Super Crecente arrived on the scene, taking down aliens as easily as if they were notes at a press conference.

I am not sure how he lost his eye, but I bet it was painful.

My time in Crecente's shoes was short, as he has much smaller feet, and I actually enjoyed the concept of the gadgeteer power set and didn't want to be locked into being Super Crecente until the end of time.

Those four characters represent about 13-14 hours worth of Champions Online. I'd say I had a bit of fun, though there wasn't much in the way of chatting going on, so I couldn't really gauge the community. With the game going live for everyone tomorrow, I expect that to change.

Feel free to hit me up in game if you'd like to take out a few mutants together. Just be warned that I have serious alt-character disease, so there's no telling who I'll be when you finally catch me.

In a VG247 podcast, Emmert says Cryptic has a 360 version of the game "ready to go," but it's not likely to arrive this year.

"It just takes time for the big beast known as Microsoft to get moving," Emmert said. "I really have no explanation other than that, because it's as baffling to developers as it is to everyone else."

Asked if Champions Online, which hits the streets for PC this week, will arrive anytime soon, Emmert said, "This year? I don't know."

"Right now we're just talking with Microsoft. Right now the ball is firmly in their court," he told VG247. "We're ready to go, but until we get the go ahead from Microsoft, right now we're sort of waiting."

MS Foot-Dragging on 360 MMOs is 'Baffling' says Cryptic Boss [VG247 via Joystiq]

I've been a bit worried about how group roles would work in a game with such flexibility to its character creation, but Cryptic's Bill Roper seems to think that won't be a problem. In fact, he explains that multiple characters which fill the same role will be able to group together better due to the different ways to go about filling said role. It sounds a bit complicated, but I'm sure the assembled superhero community will be able to figure it out.

My favorite feature of Cryptic's last superhero game, City of Heroes, was the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound, teleport about the city, or run super-speed past your enemies. The developer takes this concept to the next level in Champions Online, adding exciting new travel powers to the mix to help players better realize their superhuman fantasy.

Right now FilePlanet subscribers and those with preorder codes for Champions Online can download the game and start playing immediately, as long as they don't run into any patching issues. Seems there might be a few of those going around, but Cryptic already has a workaround in place while they iron out the issues.

Other than that issue and a very large download, nothing is keeping you from rolling around in spandex with your fellow caped crusaders leading up to the game's September 1st release! Go play.

I love videos like this, personally. As much as I enjoy playing the games themselves, I find the stories behind the formation of the companies that create them fascinating. Having a deeper insight into how and why Cryptic Studios formed and the motivation behind the creation of Champions Online might not enhance the gameplay, but it can make you look at their creation in a slightly different light.

Fight aliens in Champions Online, and you can be an alien in Star Trek Online, but Cryptic wants a commitment. Gamers who purchase either a six-month or lifetime membership to Champions Online, priced at $59.99 and $199.99 respectively, will be guaranteed access to the Star Trek Online closed beta, whenever that might occur. Those who opt for the lifetime sub will also get a Star Trek Online Mirror Universe costume set, which may or may not come with a removable goatee.

"Beyond the deep discount on the subscription rates, we wanted to come up with added incentives and exclusives that, as gamers, we could get excited about," said Jack Emmert, Cryptic Studios' Chief Operating Officer. "With an early commitment to Champions Online, granting guaranteed early access to our next big game, Star Trek Online, seemed like a great way to engage Cryptic's biggest fans in other projects at the studio."

Seems a little iffy to me. For some it's a great value; for others, it's paying $60 for closed beta access. As a big Star Trek fan...I'd probably consider it.

STO Beta Access [Star Trek Online]

Calling it a sign of appreciation for all of the Champions Online fans out there, Cryptic will award all existing newsletter subscribers as well as those who sign up before August 31st with a tiny action figure pet that follows you around, just like in the comic books! Okay, that never happens in comic books, but it's still pretty keen.

A hero saves lives, but a real Champion also has a lucrative merchandising deal with a major toy manufacturer. And when you're that big, you get a fully automated, animated action figure that follows your every step. Better than any scrupulous, food-needing sidekick, the action figure is ever faithful, powered by unquestioning devotion, and prone to fits of spontaneous dance.

To get your pet, simply head over to the Champions Online webpage, sign up, opt-in to the newsletter option, and then wait until the game is released in September. Waiting is the hardest part.

Thanks to Tom for forwarding the email notice!

Yes, Cryptic and FilePlanet have teamed up to help streamline the beta testing process. There are now two ways to get beta keys, either by actually preordering the game at select retails, or going through FilePlanet. Either way, FilePlanet will be your source for the game client, with paying subscribers to the service getting their hands on the client on August 5th, nearly two weeks before the beta kicks off on August 17th. As I understand it, those not subscribing to the service will have to wait until the beta test is live.

FilePlanet will have 50,000 codes to give away for players in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, so if you aren't planning on preordering you might want to keep an eye on their Champions page to make sure you secure a spot.

No matter where you preorder Champions Online you'll gain access to the open beta test on August 17th, 30 days game time, and five in-game microtransaction dollars, but after that it all comes down to where you pick up the game. Want access to the early-start preview weekend? Then you'll want to buy from GameStop or Best Buy, depending on whether you want an in-game pet or special costume pieces.

Wal-Mart preorders are for those who prefer real-life swag, with a lenticular cover, and iron on patch, and a zone map packed into its exclusive limited edition package, while Amazon is the place for those who value avatar looks above all, with three exclusive costume pieces on offer.

I am really beginning to hate this practice. It seems completely silly and arbitrary to me. It also makes me wonder who is negotiating these deals, as I cannot see why any fan would chose Amazon or Wal-Mart over the stores offering early access to the game. Madness, I tell you. Check out the full list of benefits below to help you determine where you'll buy Champions Online come September 1st.

GameStop

GameStop customers who pre-order Champions Online receive access to the Early Start Program. Battle an alien menace, collect exclusive items, and join the early start weekend to get a jump on the action! GameStop customers also receive the exclusive Insectoid Airfoil costume piece and Experimental Anti-Graviton Generator flight travel power at character creation for an early boost in mobility.

Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart is offering an exclusive Limited Edition Package with collectible lenticular cover that includes an exclusive zone map, iron-on decal and an additional ten in-game micro-transaction dollars! Check online and in-store for more details and other potential offers.

Best Buy

Best Buy is offering their customers the fun and functional Lil' Champ Pack. These persistent pets are iconic, knee-high characters from the Champions universe! Best Buy Customers receive their own Lil' Champ. In addition, Lil' Champ owners also receive a functional damage resistance item. Best Buy pre-order customers will also receive access to the Early Start Program and head start weekend.

Amazon

The High Roller Pack is perfect for players who insist on the finest accoutrements for their avatar. With three unique, exclusive apparel options (harlequin headpiece, black knight helmet, grenade chest strap), and an additional five in-game micro-transaction dollars, you'll have plenty of options to push your "High Roller" look.

All

All Champions Online pre-orders receive guaranteed access to the Champions Online open beta test on August 17, exclusively offered by IGN.com. Additionally, all retail purchases include 30-days of free play and five in-game micro-transaction dollars.

My beef was that a lot of massively multiplayer online game developers claim that their combat is somehow fundamentally different than the usual system of point, click, cool down, then click again established in MMOs like EverQuest II and World of Warcraft. I said Cryptic's claim about Champions Online's action-oriented combat was no different and admitted that the question would need more hands-on time than I had had to really determine if Champions' combat is different or just looks different.

Never one to shy from skepticism, Cryptic Studios stepped up with a second hands-on for me so I could get a better feel for the combat. Here's what happened.

What Is It?
Champions Online is a superhero themed MMO developed by Cryptic Studios for PC and eventually Xbox 360. Combat in the game takes place both between superheroes and villains and in arena style player versus player fights between superheroes. The primary controls for combat with the keyboard configuration are the number keys 1 through 7 and on 360 controller, it's the face buttons and face buttons plus left trigger – although the exact controls haven't been finalized yet.

What We Saw
I played through the beginning and the boss fight of what's called a "lair" in Champions both with a ranged character and with a melee character. It's an instanced dungeon where a group of players face off against and/or rescue non-playable characters. This particular layer involved a mastermind villain taking over a prison and (full disclosure) was partially developed by Kevin Stocker, a guy I know outside of work who knows a thing or two about the movie Aliens.

How Far Along Is It?
Champions Online goes live September 1. The 360 version is still a long ways off, according to creative director Jack Emmert.

What Needs Improvement?
Targeting Gets Tricky: You can change between targets on PC by just left-clicking a target with the mouse and on the controller, you tap the left bumper. However, the frenetic pace of combat makes these simple controls tricky, especially on PC if you're holding down the left mouse button to adjust the camera while running to one side to avoid an attack. I'm hoping that on the controller scheme they work it out to where you could tap the left bumper repeatedly to change targets among a mob – that would really smooth things over.

The Picky May Not Be Pleased: There are things you can do in Champions Online combat that single-MMO players may not be used to; however MMO connoisseurs probably won't be surprised – or impressed. For example, a WoW devotee may not be used to the idea that you can dodge any attack (even spells) by moving out of range and an Age of Conan fan might not be used to the idea that bosses and mini bosses have specific tells that require you to block or dodge, depending on which attack they're signaling. If you've played both of those games plus a dozen other MMOs besides, however, none of this will sound especially new, different or special and you'll probably stay skeptical while the less picky players are enthralled.

Still Feels Like A Cool Down: Technically, the spells in Champions don't need cool down periods after you cast them. However, you can't cast higher level spells without building up endurance with low-level attacks. It's a little bit less boring to mash the X button over and over than just sitting there and watching the timer on your best area-effect spell expire; but it still feels like a cool down period just the same.

Ranged Combat Is Cheap: This is actually a plus for a jerk like me – but I think it's cause for complaint. Emmert says that the tradeoff between a ranged superhero who can just spam a single fireball attack while flying around in a circle is that a melee superhero's attacks are more powerful. He says that this makes it more rewarding for the melee character if he or she can just get to that fireball-spamming jerk and execute an attack. But if the jerk is me, I'm telling you right now, you'll never catch me. You'll die cursing me for the cheap jerk I am.

What Should Stay The Same?
There's Always Something To Do: To quote Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw's review of Eve Online, MMO combat works like this: "You click on an enemy and start kicking his shins. He then starts kicking your shins. Then you take it in turns kicking until one of you falls over." Champions Online shakes that up a bit by giving the player more to do than just stand there and kick. At any one point during combat you could be kicking someone's shins, raining fire down on them from the air while you hover overhead with your fiery fairy wings, dodging an attack with a well-timed mashing on the A or S button, or waiting for a command to pop up and tell you to mash a button to collect an item drop or escape an enemy attack or hold. You're always moving in Champions, always changing targets and never not mashing on an a button once combat gets going. Big plus.

It's Console-Oriented: What makes Champions feel action-y to me is the fact that everyone is moving all of the time and you're frantically pounding on attack keys to keep up. It's more like Marvel Ultimate Alliance than WoW, and that's exactly the feel that Cryptic was going for, according to Emmert. He says that the future of MMOs lies in consoles, so their goal was to get an action RPG experience inside ofa persistent, well-populated MMO world that worked just as well on console as on PC. To that end, Champions was planned with consoles in mind all along, with none of the built-in "latency" of other MMOs where you have to wait for a spell to cool down simply because the technology on which the MMO is built cannot handle a bazillion particle effects at once.

Final Thoughts
After the much-longer hands-on, I've changed my mind. Combat in Champions Online does feel different than combat WoW because of how fast everything moves – including you. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a revolution in MMO gameplay, but the quick combat is going to go a long way toward making the jump to console smoother and more fun. My only conflict now is deciding whether or not to wait for the 360 version.

Oh, here're a couple of other tidbits of interest that came up during my extended hands-on:
—They're already planning out a secret identity system for DLC
—The 360 controller will work at launch, but it won't be "supported" technically until a deal on the 360 version is reached with Microsoft
—The biggest criticism Emmert fears hearing is from superhero players who want a purely solo masked avenger experience. That's just not what Cryptic is out to do with Champions Online – so if any potential reviewers are reading this, think Justice League instead of Dark Knight going into it.
ETA: Cryptic Studios clarifies that "You can play solo in Champions as much as you like; you don't have to team up to enjoy the game. However, this is a Massively Multiplayer Online Game, with the emphasis on Multiplayer. Other players will affect the world of Champions Online. You'll see them running off to stop a bank robbery, while you're on your way to rescue hostages. This isn't a game for players who want to be the only superhero in town."

Champions Online takes the rich character creation that Cryptic created for NCsoft's City of Heroes and brings it to the next level. Not only can you spend hours designing the perfect superhero costume, the ability to pick and choose your powers rather than relying on set archetypes means that no two character need be exactly the same.

It also means that it is a bit harder to manage group roles in the game. With players able to select their own powers from a pool, players will have different ideas as to what constitutes the tradition roles of tank, damage, crowd-control, and support. At least it won't be dull, right?

The basic need-to-know info about this game is this: it's City of Heroes, only bigger and better. And, no, Marvel and/or DC Comics won't be suing anybody anytime soon over it because the developer is scrupulous about original intellectual property. Not to mention Cryptic has plenty to work with from the pen-and-paper game on which the game is based.

That just leaves these five things you might not know—and probably should—before diving into a superhero-centric world.

1) Player customization will consume you
The player customization system isn't based on classes and doesn't require you to adhere to any pre-set superpowers. In other words, if you wanted to a be a gadget-using, fire-and-ice based golem or a scantily-clad dark magic cowgirl elf, you could make it happen—and no armor pick-ups or costume limitations would mar your mental image of what your hero is supposed to look like. There are default superpower sets you can choose from and a randomization option for body type and costume that let you get your character going that much quicker. Even better, you can lock certain options while clicking random so that you can keep a color scheme you like but try different body types, etc. And if you decided you liked one but clicked "Random" too soon, you can click "Undo" and go back to it.

This will probably occupy my first three and a half hours of gameplay.

2) Yes, there is PvP
Player versus player belongs in a superhero game. What do superheroes do besides flying around clobbering people out to destroy a city? Sure, they have girlfriends, sidekicks and drama with alter-egos – but Champions Online is an MMO, not a dating sim. Ergo, we need PvP.

PvP in Champions takes place both in the world and in special maps. The incentive to PvP (aside from satisfying your inner jerk) comes from very rare item drops (which are not subtracted from the loser's inventory) and experience points awarded for victories.

We were shown the dueling system that you can activate in the world by selecting a hero and challenging them to a duel. Once the other player agrees, a force field goes up around both players, preventing all other characters from interfering in the fight. From there, fighting game rules apply: first one to lose all hit points or get knocked out of the ring loses.

The PvP-centric map we saw was a five on five "prison break" level where five heroes are on the red team (trying to bust out of prison) and five were on the blue team. Both teams had two leader characters – the goal of the other team was the kill those leaders and take over as many turrets and hack as many computers as possible to make things difficult for the other three players to cross the prison to find the leaders.

3) The Nemesis System is like the Buddy System, only evil
What would a superhero be without a nemesis? A spandex-wearing Good Samaritan maniac, that's what.

Cryptic works in every hero's own private nemesis by letting the player customize their own evil villain who will then constantly try to destroy the player. The nemesis' visual appearance is determined with the same menu as the hero's character creation screen – but there are four "Nemesis Details" the player has to fill out in addition to the crucial costume and gender choices. First you pick the fighting style, which determines if they're a cold-hearted mastermind or a crazy savage. Then you choose their superpowers, which are like yours, but they have to use one of the presets – also, unlike regular enemies, a nemesis can use all powers within a power set instead of only a few. Next, you choose their minions (robots, ninjas, etc.) and a smaller power set for the minions.

Once created, a nemesis will encounter the hero randomly in the world. Additionally, optional "popcorn" missions will appear where the hero takes on his or her nemesis in a special map. When a superhero encounters their nemesis in the world, other players can join up to defeat him or her (and they don't die – they just go to jail or whatever); but the popcorn missions are solo instanced. We only saw one of these and it was mostly about "go here, clobber this, go there, rescue that non-playable superhero so he can join your party, etc."

According to creative director Jack Emmert, there's more to most maps than this (like "how do I get out of here?" puzzles), especially when it comes to nemeses. Also, he says, at higher levels, you will get the opportunity to put your nemesis away for good and choose a new one.

4) It may be action-flavored, but it's still MMO combat
I hate to be cynical, but a lot of MMO developers claim that their combat is somehow different than the usual click-click-cool down-click-click. Cryptic is no different, claiming that the frenetic pace of combat is what makes their MMO more action-y than most, despite still having to click on attacks, charge up certain attacks and do the cool-down thing. However, in the lone five-on-five prison break map we were permitted to play, I'm not sure it felt all that different than, say, World of Warcraft. Also, it may have something to do with the powers your character has. The ranged lighting chick I played felt like WoW because I just clicked and sat still while she shocked the beejesus out of the targeted enemy; but the brawler kung-fu guy I tried probably would have felt different in up close and personal melee (if I was continually getting him killed by ranged characters, that is). Definitely something that warrants a more thorough study.

5) There are no limitations besides the level
To me, what makes a good comic book superhero is the drama that comes from superpower limitations. The best stories are not about what Superman or Spider-Man can do; it's about what they can't. Champions has no limitations like these. There are no two superpowers that won't go together and no vulnerabilities to anything that comes from items, enemies or powers. The only limit is the level – you gain more superpowers as you level up (capped at 40 for now), so at lower levels, there might be things you can't do… but there's never any drama to any of it.

I brought this up with Jack Emmert because he's a comic book fan who knows what I'm talking about. He seemed really intrigued and is already talking about plans for patches and expansions to build out the role of the nemesis. So there may be more to this idea yet to come – but for now, no drama. Only superpowers.

All in all, I really like what I saw with Champions Online. It looked great, played decently enough (although two PvP matches really isn't enough time to be completely sure) and it's about superheroes – one of my favorite things in the world next to unicorns. If my computer can stand it, I'll definitely have to give Champions a try when it launches seven weeks from now.

Here, have some screens:

The open beta will commence on August 17, and will run 24/7 until it closes. For those already in the closed beta, your "opening hours" are about to be extended as the game ramps up for release, with the beta open from Friday mornings through to Monday mornings every weekend until the open beta commences.

Champions Online Beta gets extended hours, Open Beta goes live August 17 [VG247]