With just a few days to go before the launch of Aion in the US, NCsoft has started the open beta test for their long awaited CryEngine-based fantasy MMO. From now until September 13 you can freely download and play in the beta before the full game finally launches in the US on September 22.
There's apparently been some issues with the open beta test in terms of online lag being experienced by some players. A note on the game's official web site states, "We believe we have resolved the issue, but we will aggressively work to continue to improve and prevent similar issues." Other issues with the game's authentication servers, its internal security program GameGuard and other issues are also being addressed.

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Game Guard appears to be causing some issues with sound for me, but apart from some initial lag at the start of the open beta, things seem to be running OK at the moment.
The game mechanics are pretty solid and visually Aion is really fantastic.
The 1.5 patch brings lots of new features for the launch, including better character modelling and some innovative in-game video tutorials.
More on the 1.5 patch http://www.thegameguidehq.com/blog/aion-tower-of-eternity-video-walkthrough/Posted at 4:00PM on Sep 10th 2009 by Tom