THE DARKKN Review

THE DARKKN1GHT459 RETURNS

Calling all super-heroes! Nearly three years after its launch on PC and PlayStation 3, DC Universe Online is flying higher than ever. Now released on PlayStation 4, this action-packed online RPG has grown beefier, free-er, and sharper thanks to a modest graphics makeover. It’s still mostly the same game as it was when we first reviewed it, though, so if you weren’t a fan of grinding through legions of heroes and villains to gain experience, earn super-loot, and hang out with the likes of Superman and Wonder Woman, then this revamped edition may still leave you Captain Cold.

Secret Origins

Getting started with DC Universe Online on PS4 is easy, especially if you’ve been playing on the PS3. It shares the same servers, so all you need to do is log in with your PSN account and your existing toons will follow. For newcomers, though, character creation is a comic fans dream come true. Designing a custom hero or villain from scratch or using an existing DC character as a template offers a dizzying array of possible combinations, naturally falling into the MMO roles of tank, controller, and healer. Be warned, though, that three years in, all the good hero and villain names have been taken so you may be stuck with adding numbers or being really creative.

Based on real-time combat instead of the auto-fighting that prevailed in older MMOs, DC Universe Online’s fun fighting system hasn’t changed much since launch. Expect to punch guys a lot in the beginning since your early powers tend to be less powerful than your fists. Character animations are stilted and the lack of variety in henchmen, cops, and goons can get a bit tiresome. The controls are practically identical to those on PS3, and it’s fairly easy to implement multiple powers using a combination of the shoulder bumpers and main buttons.

As you level up, things get cooler as you add skills and powers from the expansive skill tree. Unfortunately, the progression trees can be too limited, and sometimes ask that you choose powers you don’t want or don’t make sense for your character’s backstory in order to get the one you actually want.

Many of the story quests are personally assigned by DC’s iconic characters like Batman and Joker, which really makes you feel like an important part of this comic-book world and not just another guy in a cape. Open-world quests tend to be pretty grindy and monotonous, usually ordering you to collect or defeat a particular number of items or enemies. Much more interesting are instanced dungeon encounters that climax each story arc, in which you fight alongside superpowered elite like The Flash or take down major villains like Poison Ivy.

Finishing all the main storyline content should cap out your character at level 30. If you’re mainly a solo player, there’s not much for you to do after that except to replay missions or restart a new character, but the more social-minded now have access to an excess of exciting endgame content like story-based raids, co-op encounters, and PvP battles that incorporate DC’s big-name characters.

What’s New

DC Universe Online has grown in complexity thanks to a steady stream of updates and purchasable DLC packs. The new crafting system, which lets you create power-giving exobytes and slot them into your armor and equipment, is dead simple. That’s good, because beefing up your gear increases your Combat Rating; a high rating grants access to some of the most exciting top tier raids and encounters. This stick and carrot system is a powerful enticement to keep playing, even after you’ve maxed out your level cap.

The Home Turf DLC lets you purchase and customize your own home base. Lairs are pretty useful in that its personal mainframe gives you access to sidekicks, supply drops, and more while out in the field. Not to mention that you can also invade other people’s lairs or defend yours in fun group raids.

One thing that isn’t new is the setting. DC Universe Online came out right before DC Comics’ New 52 reboot of its comic book line, meaning that Tim Drake is still Robin and Superman still wears his classic red trunks. It’s disappointing that the DC Universe itself has changed, and the game can’t change along with it, but doing so would probably be a major overhaul. In comic book lingo, I prefer to think of it as taking place on one of DC’s unspecified parallel Earths.

THE VERDICT

DC Universe Online looks the best it ever has on PS4, and is definitely an improvement over the PS3 version’s chunkier, low-textured visuals. It has matured quite a bit since launch, adding much-needed elements like crafting, home bases, and more end-game content, but maintaining a level cap of 30 may put off those players who’d like to further advance their veteran characters or are primarily interested in soloing. That said, DC Universe Online is the best super-hero MMO out there and well worth the free download.