Aion – Review (Part One)
Platform: PC Publisher: NCSoft Developer: NCSoft Rating: G Players: Thousands Genre: MMORPG/Fantasy Released: September 18, 2009
Website: http://na.aiononline.com/
Editor’s Note: This review is intended for gamers who are already familiar with Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games.
Gamers the world over are referring to Aion as the ‘WoW Killer’. Although I only played WoW for six months, I can definitely attest to Aion being one of the closest games to ever be worthy of carrying that mantle.
Since Aion is a rather expansive MMORPG, it would be silly to try and tell you everything about a game that has only been out for a week and currently has a level cap of 50. So, we’re breaking it down into several parts, this being part one and roughly a review of levels 1 – 20.
Like most MMORPGs, Aion requires a combination of grinding (killing mobs for experience) and questing to level. This is the most arduous part of any MMO and unfortunately, it can’t be avoided, even in Aion. So if you were looking for an MMO that doesn’t require repetitive killing of mobs and quest chains to level, move on.
Background/history of Aion
Without spending too much time on this area, Aion at its most basic is an MMO that focuses on two races of Atreia – the Asmodian and the Elyos. Asmodians look more like demons whilst Elyos look a fair bit like angels. After level 25, the game is really suited for players who enjoy combat, especially Player vs Player or battles between the races on a grand scale.
Quests/grinding
The folks over at NCSoft have done a wonderful job with the quest chains, setting up quests that are easy to follow and relatively quick to complete. There is also an indicator in your quest log that tells you what quests are active, their difficulty level (indicated by colour) and where the quest is located. Finding quest NPCs is also ridiculously easy. You can use both the in-game map to assist you as well as obvious markers (big arrows) above the heads of the NPCs that tell you where to collect quests. Quests are also divided into two groups; campaign quests and normal quests. Campaign quests are indicated by yellow markers and normal quests by blue.
Classes/Sub-classes/Races
The classes in Aion are again very similar to those of other MMOs notably, EQ, WoW and Warhammer. Aion starts off relatively simple with only four main character classes to choose from with each branching off into a sub-class upon completion of level 10. At level nine, your character will undergo the ‘Ascension’ which is where you choose your path (specialty).
The four main classes are Priest, Mage, Scout, Warrior.
The Warrior is a master of weapons and combat. The sub-classes are Gladiator and Templar. The Gladiator is a true master of weaponship, able to wield practically any weapon as well as polearms. The Templar on the other hand is extremely adept at defense whilst also being able to dish out damage to opponents.
The Priest develops into either the Chanter or Cleric. The Cleric is pretty self-explanatory – a dedicated healer and the most proficient healing class in the game also able to wield sheild and mace. The Chanter is a healer but one that also concentrates energies on buffing other players, improving morale and generally enhancing other players’ abilities.
The Mage subclasses are Spiritmaster and Sorceror. The Spiritmaster controls spirits that it can summon at will whilst also being able to attack opponents with powerful offensive elemental spells. The Sorceror is a master of the elements, relying on high damage dealing spells.
The Scout class breaks off into sub-classes Assassin and Ranger. Assassins deal in death by stealth, hiding themselves from targets and evading danger. The Ranger is proficient in long-distance damage with the bow and arrow but can also wield a sword and dagger for close-combat attacks.
The environment and travel
The environment of Aion is very picturesque. The first thing you will notice about the world of Aion is its vibrant colour and meticulous animated detail. Whilst this doesn’t entirely make a game more playable (for some, it is the only thing that matters but for others, not so much), it’s nice to be able to play a game that doesn’t make your characters look like pixelated paint-by-number images on the screen. Kudos to the developers and animation artists as they’ve done a fantastic job here.
The travel system in Aion is a huge step up from other MMOs. It’s easy to get around (although a little on the expensive side at first) and the world is quite expansive, starting off with several small villages and eventually leading to full-scale cities such as Pandaemonium. Navigating through the cities is also exceptionally easy for newcomers to the game with the map displaying every area of the city clearly as well as comprehensively.
Having more than one city in an MMO is a fairly new experience for me as a gamer. It’s quite refreshing to see so much content in a game that has barely been in development since 2007.
Money/Economy
The monetary system of Aion is simplistic with ‘Kinah’ being the only denomination used in the game. Money can be acquired from quests, killing mobs and from trading.
The trade system and economy of Aion is well-structured and easy to use. Without knowing anything at all about the economic structure of the game, a newcomer can begin trading and making money as soon as they hit level 10 (which is when you can travel to the city and get access to the broker).
It’s an essential part of any MMO to have money to spend. In Aion, you will need a relatively plentiful amount of money if you intend on travelling alot (as it can be a little on the expensive side) or upgrading your gear. You’ll also need a fair bit of income to sustain tradeskills in the game should you decide to try them.
Tradeskills
I’ve always been fond of tradeskills in MMOs since my EQ days so learning about the tradeskills in Aion was a necessity. There are quite a few skills available to learn and there is no limit to how many you can learn on any one character. Some games limit this ability so it was great to see this hasn’t been the case in Aion. You’re also not restricted by class so you can learn any skill you like.
The tradeskills are Gathering (also part of the Aether/Vitality gathering skill), Armoursmithing, Weaponsmithing, Cooking, Handicrafts (sewing), and Alchemy. To start off you will need to have around 3,333 kinah to learn each skill. And then you’ll need money to buy ingredients to increase your skill. The quests for increasing your skill in any one tradeskill have been simplified in Aion to the point where it’s very easy to upskill. You can acquire quests from the trademaster called ‘Work Orders’ which are simply repetitive quests that require you to make something for someone (the government or another NPC). You will also be required to gather ingredients from hunting mobs or using the ‘gather’ skill to acquire raw materials such as iron and silver ore, or materials from animals such as skin for making clothes or fibre from plants.
Hint: If you’re wanting to learn the gathering skill, try levelling up as you quest. It’s very easy to do and will save you time in the long run.
In part two of the review we look at PVP combat, guilds (or Legions), the group system and other various elements of gameplay past level 20.
Game Culture Rating: [starreview tpl=16]
[...] Our first look at Aion revealed some of the basics of the game including races, tradeskills, classes and general gameplay up to level 25. After level 25, the game has the potential to really change especially if you’re a pvp player who enjoys hunting other players down in battle. [...]