City of Heroes

Paragon City. The very name defines this little (fictional) part of Rhode Island as a shining example of truth, justice and… big honking “War Walls”. These towering walls of powerful energy prevent large scale attacks upon the city, because, as the law of super hero comics tells us, for every super hero, there must be an equal and opposite super villain. Here is where the backstory unfolds as you begin your adventures as Paragon City’s newest hero. It’s time to slip on your spandex and make the world safe for democracy!

City of Heroes is a MMORPG for the super hero in all of us. It all starts with an extensive character creation system where the player can choose an archetype (which determines superpower choices) and Power Sets, design a distinctive costume, and even write a back story for their hero. As with most MMORPGs, experience points, and eventually levels in City of Heroes are gained via vanquishing foes and completing missions. These levels are called “security levels” in this MMO and they grant heroes increased health, more powers, and added slots for holding power enhancements and temporary power-ups.

Action abounds in Paragon City. In addition to the various villainous organizations and gangs roaming the range of zones in the city, “hunt” missions (which involve taking criminals into custody) and instanced missions (which involve good teamwork in order to accomplish a difficult goal) can be received by NPC contacts. Some missions are time sensitive, with a countdown that begins as soon as the player accepts the mission. Help with tough missions can always be found by joining a good “supergroup” (City of Hero’s answer to a guild). Rather than releasing a single retail expansion to City of Heroes, the development team opted instead to release a series of free expansions called “issues”.