DC Universe Online Review

6.5 / 10 Banzai!s

The Game:

If you visitĀ psnprofiles.com, you can type in yourĀ PSNĀ name and it will give you a rundown on your current trophy status – including your top-ten rarest trophies. The other day, I checked it out for fun, and discovered that my most rarest trophy at only 0.98%, was the platinum forĀ DC Universe Online. Why? Read on, to find out.

Welcome to the DC Universe, filled with all those comic book characters like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Green Lantern, and everyone else you’ll never see in a Marvel or Archie comic.Ā DC Universe OnlineĀ is the first MMOARPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Action Role Playing Game) to land on theĀ PlayStation 3, developed byĀ SOE‘s Austin Studios and published by bothĀ Sony Computer EntertainmentĀ andĀ WB Games. There was a lot of hype before going online in 2011, was handled by comic book writer and artist Jim Lee, allowed players to create their own characters with unique costumes and super-powers, and had two large world – Gotham City and Metropolis – to roam around in. It came with a $14.99 monthly subscription on top of the price of the game itself, and an awesome 13GB to download onto your hard drive.

The result?

No one was playing it.

You could fly from one end of Metropolis to the other (which took nearly 5 minutes in real time) and come across maybe 6 or 7 players. The Justice League Watchtower looked as though someone had pulled the fire alarm and everyone rushed out the emergency exit. And if you wanted to play a co-operative team mission (which takes you to another world) you needed to wait at least an hour until 3 other players signed on to fill the required minimum number of people.

So, seven months after its release,Ā SOEĀ decided to merge all the servers. Now you could find other players, and the world seemed a lot less void. But consider this: these are ALL the people playing the game – and that’s pretty sad. So, a month later they started releasing free DLC. Finally, two months after that,Ā DC Universe OnlineĀ became “free to play.” This means you can go onto theĀ PSN Store, download the game for free, and play it for free – with a few restrictions on the number of characters you can have and level-caps.

When a company starts giving their previously expensive game away for free, that’s usually a sign that it’s not doing so well.

 

What I Liked:

I have to admit, the general concept of the idea was pretty cool. There’s a lot of MMORPGs out there, such asĀ World of Warcraft,Ā Guild Wars, andĀ Final Fantasy XIV, to name a few. But many of these exist in the fantasy genre, andĀ DC Universe OnlineĀ is the first to inhabit superheroes, where each player could be unique not only by the look of their individual costumes, but their powers and abilities as well.

DC Universe Online ReviewThe game itself comes with its own story, and while I’ve always been more of a Marvel guy, the plot fits well in the comic book genre. In the future, Lex Luthor witnesses the end of the Earth when an alien named Brainiac easily takes over now that all the superheroes and villains are dead after a massive battle. Lex Luthor travels back to the present time, warns the Justice League of the impending doom, and sends “Exobytes” to lucky individuals of the world which grants them superpowers. The story is straight out of a comic book, and fits the MMO world well.

And all your favorite DC characters are there, from the popular like Superman, Batman, and Joker, to the not so popular like Booster Gold and Giganta. Some will contact you with missions, others will come to your aid, and some you’ll even do battle with. One thing the game does well, is completely immerse you in the DC Universe. You feel like you’re part of a team – either through the famous NPC characters, or other online buddies.

 

What I Didn’t Like:

As I mentioned earlier, the general concept of the idea was great. Unfortunately, the follow through just wasn’t there.

Let’s start with the most basic thing – your character. DLC aside, powers are limited to 6 types, with trees which naturally grow as you gain experience points. So, you’re either the guy who wields guns, or shoots fire, or picks things up and throws them with your mind, etc. Considering this ins’t a simple offline game, but a vast MMORPG in which it’s about the players spending vast amounts of time going through the continuously updated missions, you would think there’d be a bit more variety in options – maybe mixing and matching – the powers to choose from. Instead, it all just comes down to six basic archetypes.

Also, the limitations of your costume was disappointing. Like LEGO pieces, there’s a set number of boots, pants, shirts, helmets, and a few possible insignias to place on the chest, and a selection of 3 areas in which you can change the colors. Eventually, if you play the game long enough, you start to recognize all the different LEGO pieces which went into every player’s character design. Compare this toĀ Rock Band, where not only is there a thousand different outfits to choose from – all of which can have their color changed – plus the millions of tattoo images which you can place anywhere on your character’s body.

The graphics aren’t bad, but nothing to get excited over. The cities – Gotham and Metropolis – both look like a series of blocks and shapes, with a few signs and the odd car driving by. Compare this to Grand Theft Auto IV, where no two blocks look the same, from the shop signs to the crowds to the different car models. Lots of detail, well rendered, and much more pleasing to the eye.

DC Universe Online ReviewAnd speaking of locations, both the Justice League Watchtower and the Secret Society of Super Villains headquarters are way too big! You warp from Gotham up to the Watchtower, then have to run/fly for several minutes to find a character to talk to or buy a weapon – and half the time, you get lost on the way. Perhaps they thought this would be DC Universe’s version ofĀ Home, where players can meet each other and chat, form a group, etc. But no one visits the headquarters unless they have to – it’s just a vast empty space with a few NPCs, even after they merged the servers.

 

Overall:

The concept behindĀ DC Universe OnlineĀ was great, but it turned out to be a very ho-hum button masher with not much variety in your character design. Great voice acting (most with the original actors from the cartoon series) and the heroes and villains look great, but with a bland setting and missions which either involve defeating a set number of enemies, finding collectibles, or reaching points in the city and holding the circle button.

Not a bad game if you’re in the mood to mash the square button and run around without requiring much thinking or strategy, but it gets boring quite quickly. And going through the game six times for the platinum, is a feat only for gaming nerds like me.

Perhaps that’s why my rarest trophy is the platinum forĀ DC Universe Online.

 

written by Damon Finos

DC Universe Online Trophy Guide

DC Universe Online Trophy Guide. Difficulty: *** Ā While not particularly difficult, expect over 100 hours of gameplay through six playthroughs for the Platinum trophy.

Game Name Difficulty Trophies Developer Country Bronze Silver Gold Online DLC
DC Universe Online *** 14 Sony Online Entertainment U.S. 0 3 10 13 43

DC Universe Online

DC Universe Online is a third-person MMORPG which takes place in the world of Detective Comics' superheroes.

In the future of a war-torn Metropolis after a mighty battle between the superheroes and villains, Lex Luthor stands victorious - only to witness Brainiac's war fleet invade Earth. Without any superheroes left to overtake him, the alien invasion would be victorious. Lex Luthor travels back in time to warn the superheroes of Brainiac's plan. He also returned with stolen "exobytes" from the mothership - nanobot-sized devices which can host people, giving them extraordinary powers. The Justice League, as well as the villains, will train and mentor these new superheroes in order to stop Brainiac's plan of invasion.

After selecting a server, the player makes their costume, chooses their powers, selects either one of six superheroes/villains as a mentor, then heads into the DC Universe. After managing to escape Brainiac's ship, you will be given multiple quests, earning experience points, going up in levels, and collecting/buying/trading weapons and armor.

For more information, check out our DC Universe Online Review.

Not a whole lot of skill is required for this platinum. For the most part, this game is a button-masher. There are only 13 trophies to be collected for the platinum, most of which require you to simply reach level 30 with your character.

So why a 3-star rating? Time consumption! Expect over 100 hours of gameplay - though it varies, depending on whether you're working on your own or teaming up with others to accomplish missions.

Also, depending on when you're reading this, you may or may not be paying monthly fees - which means this platinum may be an expensive one, as well.

Originally, after buying the game, you'll have one free month of subscription, before having to shell out $14.95 a month to continue playing on the DC Universe Online server. Unless you play this game endlessly with little sleep, it may be difficult to collect the platinum before the free month is over, so be prepared to spend money.

Update: Due to a lack of players, as of November 1st 2011, DC Universe Online no longer has monthly fees!

The trophies are not difficult, just time consuming. The only trophy which stands out as a "challenge" is Platinum Race, which requires you to run through a series of rings with an excellent time record. These races are marked in purple, and often appear right in front of the police stations. These races are not difficult, and so far everyone here at Trophy Hunter managed to collect the trophy on their first try, while only at a level-2 character.

All the other trophies are linked to your level progress with your character. There are 6 possible mentors, so 6 trophies for each, reaching level 30. There are three types of movement you select for your character - acrobat, running speed and flying - and so three corresponding trophies, also requiring a level 30. Then there are three possible roles - tank, controller and healer - each with a trophy for reaching only level 10. And that's it.

You will have to reach Level 30 with 6 different characters, one for each mentor. Make sure, during those six playthroughs, you've chosen each of the three movement types at least once, and each of the roles at least once.

Overall, you probably won't need any guides for this game, since all the missions are self-explanatory and provide an arrow to show where to go. But here are some links just in case:

The best Trophy Guide we've found is by blazenarutoshippuden, which includes some of the DLC:
http://www.ps3trophies.org/game/dc-universe-online/guide/

And another Trophy Guide, this one by Jeff Belote:
http://playstationlifestyle.net/2011/01/14/dc-universe-online-trophy-guide/

Here is an Armor List, complete with states, by SAQIB MANSOOR:
http://www.gamemunition.com/guides/dc-universe-online-armor-sets-guide/

And another Armor List, this one by longview01:
http://www.neoseeker.com/forums/39995/t1612782-armour-guide/

An excellent Weapons List on DC Universe Online Wikia:
http://dcuniverseonline.wikia.com/wiki/Weapons

Finally, here's a basic Trophy List:
http://www.justpushstart.com/2011/01/12/dc-universe-online-trophy-list/

DC Universe Online Trophy Guide PS4

DC Universe Online Trophy Guide. Difficulty: *** Ā While not particularly difficult, expect over 100 hours of gameplay through six playthroughs for the Platinum trophy.

Game Name Difficulty Trophies Developer Country Bronze Silver Gold Online DLC
DC Universe Online *** 14 Sony Online Entertainment U.S. 0 3 10 13 43

DC Universe Online PS4

DC Universe Online is a third-person MMORPG which takes place in the world of Detective Comics' superheroes.

In the future of a war-torn Metropolis after a mighty battle between the superheroes and villains, Lex Luthor stands victorious - only to witness Brainiac's war fleet invade Earth. Without any superheroes left to overtake him, the alien invasion would be victorious. Lex Luthor travels back in time to warn the superheroes of Brainiac's plan. He also returned with stolen "exobytes" from the mothership - nanobot-sized devices which can host people, giving them extraordinary powers. The Justice League, as well as the villains, will train and mentor these new superheroes in order to stop Brainiac's plan of invasion.

After selecting a server, the player makes their costume, chooses their powers, selects either one of six superheroes/villains as a mentor, then heads into the DC Universe. After managing to escape Brainiac's ship, you will be given multiple quests, earning experience points, going up in levels, and collecting/buying/trading weapons and armor.

For more information, check out our DC Universe Online Review.

Not a whole lot of skill is required for this platinum. For the most part, this game is a button-masher. There are only 13 trophies to be collected for the platinum, most of which require you to simply reach level 30 with your character.

So why a 3-star rating? Time consumption! Expect over 100 hours of gameplay - though it varies, depending on whether you're working on your own or teaming up with others to accomplish missions.

Also, depending on when you're reading this, you may or may not be paying monthly fees - which means this platinum may be an expensive one, as well.

Originally, after buying the game, you'll have one free month of subscription, before having to shell out $14.95 a month to continue playing on the DC Universe Online server. Unless you play this game endlessly with little sleep, it may be difficult to collect the platinum before the free month is over, so be prepared to spend money.

Update: Due to a lack of players, as of November 1st 2011, DC Universe Online no longer has monthly fees!

The trophies are not difficult, just time consuming. The only trophy which stands out as a "challenge" is Platinum Race, which requires you to run through a series of rings with an excellent time record. These races are marked in purple, and often appear right in front of the police stations. These races are not difficult, and so far everyone here at Trophy Hunter managed to collect the trophy on their first try, while only at a level-2 character.

All the other trophies are linked to your level progress with your character. There are 6 possible mentors, so 6 trophies for each, reaching level 30. There are three types of movement you select for your character - acrobat, running speed and flying - and so three corresponding trophies, also requiring a level 30. Then there are three possible roles - tank, controller and healer - each with a trophy for reaching only level 10. And that's it.

You will have to reach Level 30 with 6 different characters, one for each mentor. Make sure, during those six playthroughs, you've chosen each of the three movement types at least once, and each of the roles at least once.

Overall, you probably won't need any guides for this game, since all the missions are self-explanatory and provide an arrow to show where to go. But here are some links just in case:

The best Trophy Guide we've found is by blazenarutoshippuden, which includes some of the DLC:
http://www.ps3trophies.org/game/dc-universe-online/guide/

And another Trophy Guide, this one by Jeff Belote:
http://playstationlifestyle.net/2011/01/14/dc-universe-online-trophy-guide/

Here is an Armor List, complete with states, by SAQIB MANSOOR:
http://www.gamemunition.com/guides/dc-universe-online-armor-sets-guide/

And another Armor List, this one by longview01:
http://www.neoseeker.com/forums/39995/t1612782-armour-guide/

An excellent Weapons List on DC Universe Online Wikia:
http://dcuniverseonline.wikia.com/wiki/Weapons

Finally, here's a basic Trophy List:
http://www.justpushstart.com/2011/01/12/dc-universe-online-trophy-list/