An important aspect of any MMO s the combat system. Without good combat, your players will eventually stop playing because the game just isn't any fun. This is something that both City of Heroes and Champions Online both got right, but one definitely got it "more right" than the other.

Champions Online has a combat model similar to City of Heroes, but it differs in a few important ways. Perhaps the biggest is that you can move while attacking. This takes the City of Heroes model and completely flips it around, making it more dynamic than what you would expect to see from an MMO. It plays much like an action game and not so much an RPG, although you still end up fighting a few enemies at a time. The distinction between tap, charge, hold, and toggle powers is a great addition and makes powers feel more fluid than a simple rotation.

City of Heroes combat may not be quite as dynamic as Champions Online, but it definitely feels more visceral. Every set in City of Heroes hits hard in animations and effect, so you definitely feel more heroic than in Champions Online. The issues regarding dynamic combat in City of Heroes revolve around the system of stopping to attack, which feels very stiff. It's great for lag compensation and the insanity of PvP, but it definitely adds an element of rigidity to the game. Fighting large groups is much more satisfying in City of Heroes than Champions Online, thanks to how hard your powers hit along with the weak nature of minions.

While City of Heroes has some great combat mechanics, Champions Online is definitely the clear winner here. The addition of moving while attacking almost completely sweeps aside any other concerns, and the modular nature of powers makes combat feel less like a rotation of numbers. It's much more action-focused, which is exactly what the genre needs.

Winner: Champions Online



Here's where the meat of the game lies: the content. Most people will not play an MMO if it is lacking in content, especially on the long road to the maximum level. It's a problem that befell Age of Conan and has affected, to a lesser extent, all MMOs. Naturally, in most cases, the longer an MMO has been around, the more content it has.

City of Heroes absolutely dominates in content. First comes the Ouroboros system, which allows players to replay old story arcs that they missed due to choices as to which quest path they took. This should be a necessity for any MMO that pulls stuff like that. Next is the Architect system, which allows players (and now professional writers) to craft engrossing story arcs for any player to enjoy. You can't forget the varied and interesting PvP zones, the great endgame content, the expansions, or any of the more standard features that have been added over the years, such as the crafting system or bases. It's easy to say that City of Heroes has more content than almost any other MMO.

Champions Online, unfortunately, is still in the early stages of release. Cryptic's dedication of free content release has only just started. The content that is there is okay, but it suffered from a number of release problems, such as the broken respecialization (retcon) system or lack of experience for teammates when a mission they do not have is completed. There's also no scanner for random missions, which is a great way to kill some stress in a short period of time. It does have the nemesis creation, but that's still in the early stages of expansion as well.

You can't really argue the facts on this one. City of Heroes has been around for over five years, and Champions Online has been around for a few months. It's obvious which one has more content, and while Champions Online will definitely grow as time goes on, it has a very, very long way to go. City of Heroes wins this one.

Winner: City of Heroes



Overall, both games have their merits. City of Heroes is much better in the areas of content and general customization, which is where the meat of any MMO lies. Champions Online has better combat and character customization, which are essential for the superhero genre. However, where Champions Online is better, it is only marginally so. Where City of Heroes is better, it is that way through a huge divide. Therefore, City of Heroes is the better choice for your money. With the same subscription cost, a cheaper initial purchase, and all of the things mentioned above, it is leaps and bounds ahead of Champions Online. While Champions Online is not a bad game, and should be recommended to anybody who enjoys City of Heroes (and even some who don't, if their gripes were some of the things Champions Online fixed), it's obvious which one wins.

Winner: City of Heroes