Player 1

This week: City of Heroes

PJ HRUSCHAK | CIN WEEKLY CONTRIBUTOR

City of Heroes

JUST THE FACTS

TITLE: City of Heroes

SYSTEMS: PC (Win)

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 1 - ???

PUBLISHER: NCsoft Corporation

GENRE: Action, Comic Book

ESRB RATING: "Teen" (for realistic violence)

WEB SITE: http://www.cityofheroes.com/

PJ'S LAST WORD: A great idea that should attract many gamers and comic book fans, though interest will likely dwindle after a week or two. Future enhancements should give it more staying power.

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Time to put those Spider-Man Underoos back in storage.

Now you can save a city from evildoers and not have to do any extra laundry.

In NCSoft's super-hero sim, City of Heroes, you get to design and play as your own crusader, tights and all.

BUILD A BETTER HERO

First, you choose how your hero got his, her or its powers, either through genetics, magic, technology or basic body building. Then you pick a combat style such as hand-to-hand, distance, mind control or defensive, and select an appropriate primary and second attack.

Even though it has nothing to do with your hero's abilities, designing a costume is one of the best parts of the game. You select from scads of hands, feet, legs, arms, torsos, heads and logos that can be colored and highlighted.

Using the mouse and a few keyboard strokes, you guide your hero through online environments to make contacts, fight baddies and interact with other gamers. Although you run missions and follow an oddly constructed story, the bulk of the game takes place in the streets, where you'll fight bands of thugs, robots or walking cadavers.

NICE BULGE

The combat scheme for City of Heroes is fairly standard for real-time role-playing games, though a bit faster and more fun to watch. Attacks include well designed 3D particle effects and sounds that replace the "POW" you might have expected. You will see pedestrians chatting via comic book bubbles.

Besides combat, there isn't much to do other than run between contacts to get new missions, activate an earned level and purchase enhancements. The fighting can become repetitive, and you can't block an attack, so either have someone on your team with healing powers or get used to running - or flying - away when your health is low.

You can create several heroes for your one subscription fee, but you can only play one at a time.

POW! FIZZLE? ZAP!

COH is a great concept and a dream game for any comic book fan. NCSoft will even send you a comic book based on the game as part of your subscription.

For non-comic book fans, however, the good graphics, well designed battle effects, fairly detailed environments and online interaction will remain enticing for only a week or two.

As more enhancements and are released - including City of Villains in 2005 - COH may eventually warrant more time than the 30-day introductory subscription.

If President Bush were in a video game, what would that game be? Send your scenario to player1@cincinnati.com.