Aion

Aion is an extremely popular 3D fantasy MMORPG set in the colorful, mystical world of Atreia where both combat and magic go hand-in-hand in perfect, visceral harmony. Choosing between two primary warring factions, you soar into action with your created character, completing challenging, combat-heavy quests fighting gruesomely grotesque monsters, participating in intense, frantic PvP bouts and even battling an exceptionally powerful, majestic race of dragons for territorial control of Aion.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the graphics, gameplay and classes breakdown, let’s first take a look — per the usual — at the basics.

Publisher: NC Soft

Number of players: Moderate

Type of MMO: Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG)

EXP Rate: Moderate

PvP: Open world based

Filesize: 11.6 GB

Worth Your Time: Absolutely, without a doubt!

Pros: Amazing, extremely impressive graphics; fast-paced, frantic aerial combat; large-scale, epic PvPvE battles; excellent character customization options; entertaining, unique chain-attack combat feature; very useful, built-in quest objective tracker; equip, harness and command pets.

Cons: High level of grinding is practically a must; gameplay can become a bit repetitive at times; unfortunately, no auto-walking feature is present; crafting system could be a bit more in-depth.

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>> GAMEPLAY

Despite Aion being originally released in 2009, it’s a subscription only downloadable client game. It’s immensely popular — especially in Korea — and has switched over to a primary free-to-play model, allowing its users from across the globe to not only experience the mystical world of Atreia, but also do so and make real-life friends from all over the world.

Most similar to other MMORPG titles such as Champions Online, Age of Conan, Star Trek Online and Age of Conan, although it’s technically a subscriber-based game, free players still have full access to the world of Atreia and the mystical, magical realm of Aion.

There are four basic classes that branch out into a more customizable subclass once a player reaches level 10.

The Warrior:

Specializing primarily in close-quarters combat, warriors are notorious for their amazing levels of strength and ability in combat. They can equip themselves with all sorts of weapons ranging from swords, maces and defensive shields, and can even transform themselves into fully front-line soldiers such as The Gladiator or magic-aided knights known as The Templars.

The Scout:

Despite their weak armor, this class can utilize their speed and agility in order to get the best of their opponents. Masters of the art of the hit and run, this scout class essentially amounts to a rogue in many other games, allowing them to transform into the deadly Assassin equipped with poisoned blades, bows and swords, or alternatively a skilled Ranger at later levels.

The Mage:

This class is the primary magic-wielding class in Aion, utilizing the core elements of fire, water, earth and wind to effectively destroy their enemies. Mages can also transform into Sorcerers or Spiritmasters at later levels, allowing them the capability of truly damaging, colorful magical attacks.

The Priest:

Always a valuable member of the party, the Priests possess the absolutely vital ability to heal both themselves and their allies. They can alternatively use both long range spells and melee attacks to bring their foes to their knees if need be. Priests ultimately morph into Clerics at later levels, possessing incredibly powerful healing and protection spells or, alternatively, Chanters, who’re exceptionally gifted in boosting the combat skills of their allies.

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>> GRAPHICS

The graphics in Aion are clearly among the best in the MMORPG industry to date, combining an exceptionally diverse, vibrant color pallet with sharp, clean character design and environmental scenery. Clearly the client-based aspect of Aion helps expand the strength of the graphics engine behind it as opposed to the many browser-based MMORPGs currently on the market today.

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>> THE BOTTOM LINE

When it’s all said and done, if you’re interested — even a small bit — in fantasy 3D MMORPG’s, then Aion is certainly a game that you, at the very least, should give a try. There’s a reason the game is so very popular not only in one specific region but — quite literally — all over the world.

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FINAL SCORE:  4.5 out of 5 stars

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