DC Universe Online
By Jin Lovelace, HSM team writer
Looking up towards the skyline, into the crystalline blue blanketed with feathery clouds above this beautiful City, you wonder where life has brought you. Because while the world went on, oblivious, in its usual cycle, you have been redefined as a construct with a purpose. And that purpose is to contribute to the busy society that forcefully thrusts itself upon you, even as it ignores you.
Your contribution is defined by the choices you’ve made. Once life was defined by routine — waking up to a hearty breakfast, a bit of exercise, and then off to the rush hour traffic that dampened your mood as you headed into work. But fate has now insisted otherwise. Instead of the usual routine, I’m now peering into this busy City from above. And my ears are filled with citizens screaming for help, urging everyone around them to run for their lives.
What may be an unusual scenario in the real world, is typical here, where some of the world’s most hard-hitting heroes answer the call as quickly as Superman could change into his suit in a phone booth.
But what ties the two worlds together, and makes this interesting is that an ordinary human being, one who is used to the mundane routine, has suddenly been transformed into a powerful construct with the ability to control Time and Space at will, helping the hapless Citizens who can’t run as fast as a speeding bullet. And instead of waking up to birds singing outside your window, you wake up in a stasis station trapped in an alien ship that’s ready to invade the world you recently inhabited, oblivious.
And, instead of your alarm clock, you hear a Telecom device announce that you’re needed in Little Bohemia, because an intelligent Ape is attempting to “devolve” humans into Gorillas.
And this City that I’m in? It’s the one you read about in comic books, the one you saw in Saturday morning cartoons when you were growing up. Only this isn’t some fairy tale world where the hero has to save a cat from a tree, but rather one where you help to save the lives of many who are in danger from the threats that seem only too credible in a world that survived 9/11 2001, and all the events that followed.
This city? It’s Metropolis.
And this world? It’s DC Universe Online.
When you mention DC Universe to a comic enthusiast such as myself, they’ll assume it’s about the well-known, legendary characters of the DC brand: Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, to just name a few. We read about how these heroes — these legends — struggled through the problems our society imposes on those who are different, as they fought for freedom and justice, or simply fought against the odds to maintain balance in a world plagued by villainy from within.
But to actually be in the universe is an entirely different experience.
Left to right: Solstice Vanguard (me), another DCUO user and a League mate, “Prime Beyond”.
To begin, DC Universe Online (DCUO) is a MMORPG like no other on any current generation consoles. It’s available only to the PS3 and PC. Whereas Playstation Home is more for social networking among gamers from around the world, DCUO is a game that pits you against either a mob of sinister villains or heroes bent on thwarting the plans of the diabolical Joker or Circe. Either way you choose to play it, this game is extremely addicting, fun, and overall a blast.
Compared to the normal gaming world, where we sit behind first- or third-person views and play as pre-defined macho characters like Snake, Duke Nukem or even Batman himself, MMOs are an exciting venue to where you get to be the main character, creating a legacy of your own within whatever world you’re dropped in. We’re given the opportunity to create whomever we choose, use our wildest imaginations, create a back-story behind them, perhaps to even role-play the people we’ve imaged in our minds ever since childhood.
What’s strong about DCUO right now is that the game has great charm and a sense of skill. Much like Home, you can enjoy the visual flair of players roaming the streets of Gotham/Metropolis on their way to filling mission objectives, in Player vs Player bouts, or hanging with their friends in the game.
But I think that’s what this game is about: immersion. In contrast to Home, you dive right into the action and see everything unfold right before your eyes. And the locations that existed only as graphic panels are now places in an explorable world. Do you want to see the street where Batman beat up Bane in the comics? You can actually traverse to that location and be there.
Many gamers reject the MMO because of some perceived lack of creativity. Or they assume these are games for the “no lives”, reject them for not featuring their favorite beefcake fantasy characters. Granted, the game is not perfect. It’s plagued by a few glitches in desperate need of hot-fixing. But this game has come a long way since it was criticized for being a pricey superhero game with little to no community interactivity. It is now one of the most lauded free-to-play games you can download onto your console system or your PC, provided with optional content you can purchase. Or you can subscribe to their premium service to unlock everything in the game.
Personally, I feel that given the recent lack of innovation, a lack of content that would warrant purchasing the Legendary subscription service, and no moderation presence, the F2P service for DCUO was definitely a great business step. It allows the players to freely choose how to approach and enjoy this game, with three access options:
Free Access: This is an introductory access new to the MMO world of DCUO. You’re limited to two character slots, $1,500 in-world cash, and limited inventory space. Any DLC-related story content in the game can’t be accessed unless you purchase one of the expansion packs.
Premium Access: Those who spent $5 or more on the game will be promoted to this access level. Your character slots are increased by three, you can carry up to $2,000 in-world cash, and you gain the ability to trade items (not cash) with other users online. You still can’t play any DLC-related story content unless you purchase one of the expansion packs.
Legendary Access: Though prices may vary pending on which service you wish to have, this access simply says “full game unlocked!” You’ll be able to access all of your cumulative cash and perks, and the full spectrum of the DCUO world.
There is more to it than just what’s been described above but overall, DCUO is an experience. It’s an experience that not even my aged hero, Solid “Old” Snake, could live out. It’s one thing to face off against an 82-story tall bipedal nuclear-equipped mechanoid that’s ready to strike down anything in its path. And if you lose, you press X to try again with everything reset to right before you approached the battle. You might even plan to lose the first few times, just to get a hang of the battle and plan an optimum strategy. That leads to some emotional disconnect. You’re not really playing for keeps.
In the MMO world, there are no save points. Everything is playing out in real time, for everyone who is there experiencing it. And I’m facing off against the likes of Bizzaro, Catwoman, and the bumbling “Kaptain Kruel”, who is hell bent on taking down the city that I dwell in to make it their own. Chaos reigns in Metropolis and Gotham City, and deep down the police and the military can’t seem to restore order on the streets. And so, it’s up to us.
It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.
June 21st, 2013 by Jin Lovelace | 5 comments
Jin Lovelace is a machinimist and team writer for HomeStation Magazine, as well as the founder of Twilight Touch Inc. -- http://twilighttouchinc.com and http://youtube.com/twilighttouchinc. When not found in PlayStation Home, Jin studies graphic design and illustration (character design and fashion), gaming, and the culinary arts.
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Nice write-up.
I’ve seen this (I think) in the store but only in passing. Based on your article and the price (free if I want), I may look into this.
I have little interest in button pushing mashing fighting games so it that’s what this is, I doubt I’d enjoy it. I much prefer to walk around and observe.
However, this article had me daydreaming of a character I might like to create and the price (the free version) is right.
I haven’t even played the situation but I sure was taken somewhere unknown from reading and doing some Search investigation.
Well done!
I’m the same way in a sense when it comes to games with little to no innovative button inputs. DC Universe Online offers something a bit different though. It’s pretty much whatever you can imagine and live it out in the game.
I was skeptical as you before until I really got deep into it. Whereas you play one game for the addicting vice, DCUO compels you to come back for more than just that aspect.
You really should give this a try.
I downloaded the free version from the store and when trying to go online, I didn’t have enough room on my hard-drive. I’ll have to do without.
It uses the standard MMO play system you can play for free but to get the best stuff, certain powers and open lock boxes you will need to pay but you do get everything including all DLCs if you subscribe. If you don’t wanna go beat up a few bad guys though you can stand on the top of a building chatting to friends, chatting is a lot easier with headsets. If you wanted to hang out chatting with friends on DC while home was updating you could very easily. Also what kind of town do we play in where a man dressed as a bat gets all my air time. You can be the one saying this town needs a enema as you can be a villain as well. Good write up on a good MMO. If you see Kondorman wandering through Gotham say hi
I most definitely will!
Thanks for the comment!!