Usually I don't write many reviews but since this is my favorite mmo - also the best one I've ever played I figured to write a hopefully helpful review. I get the feeling that many people in the review section only leveled up their toon from 1-30 and missed out on all the good stuff this game has to offer. I played this game way before I migrated it on steam, so let me tell you I've played it a LOT.

First of all as a response to all those ridiculous P2win comments. No, this game is not pay to win. I understand how it can come across that way to new players (mainly because of the 2000 cash cap in game) but it is clearly not. You can't buy anything in the marketplace which gives you an advantage over other players. You can't buy gear in the marketplace. In fact you will have to grind a lot in this game. Whether you use replay badges or not, the drops are random, the grinding will be about the same. Yes, this game is a pay to play model in my opinion since DLC's do cost real money and it is not possible for F2P players to compete at all in any high gear content (or even see the content) if they are not legendary. But in addition almost all the games out there are the same in high gear content. Also I think that the all access model is absolutely a fair deal, since 15€ are not really a big deal at all for what you get. Which is: Premium benefits in the following SOE games: DCUO, Everquest, Everquest 2 and Planetside. Also they will be adding 3 more games to the list soon.

You will have the choice to play as a villain or hero. This influences your whole gameplay, your missions, raids storylines and also the players you will encounter since heroes and villains can not interact other than in PVP or via the Versus chat. You will have the choice to play as the known roles Tank, DPS, healer and the support role of the controller who gives mana to the group, debuffs enemies and much more. There are plenty of powers you can choose from, every power can DPS and play one the other 3 roles. The gameplay of this game is smooth but I really have to say that the real game starts once you are past level 30. I really would not judge the game according to solo missions and Area 51 for example, the solo content in DCUO really isn't that strong. The whole game is more focused on PVE content for 4-8 players. There are also some Duos you can rock with a partner. What is also important is that the game gets significantly better once you are over combat rating 70 (cr=combat rating is basically the leveling system of this game) which is Tier 4. Starting at Tier 5 content the game gets more challenging, you get more variaton and can start to play the game more seriously. I do not recommend queueing up on some servers since most people use LFG (looking for group) to find groups. Of course you will also be able to join or even create a league which makes it easier to level up and understand the game...also adds a lot of fun.

PVP plays a pretty small role in this game since it's PVE based but you will find players who mainly enjoy the pvp side of things too without doing a lot of PVE. You get to play in Arenas from 1vs1 to 8vs8 as your own toon or in Legends PVP as iconic heroes or villains You will get your first legend character via Mail, which is Harley Quinn for Villains and Robin for Heroes. Both good characters to get started in PVP and learn a bit about important mechanics like blocking, blockbreaking and lunging. PVP is actually fair since the latest update, since your toon gets buffed if you play against stronger players - and their toon gets nerfed. So even as a level 10 player you can go into PVP safely and practice all you want. There is also a seperated open world PVP you will have access to. You can actually change from PVP to PVE and vice versa via the phase shifter. So PVP and PVE worlds are not seperate.

The storylines are attached and make sense, there will be some trilogies later in which the stories are actually better. I have to say the story really goes a bit short on DC universe online but they are improving. Comic book fans will really nerd over some of the things and bosses DCUO has to offer. The graphics are totally okay for a mmo..there are better graphics, they could improve some things but they are okay. The UI of this game is very clear, new players will not have any problems to get into it fast.

Last but not least this game has one of the nicest communties I have ever seen. New players will not have a problem to recieve help from more experienced players.

All in all 9/10..there are some things that require some improvement but if you are looking for a smooth, fun and sometimes challenging superhero and villain based game you will like DCUO.

They should call it DLC: Universe

10000/10

DC Universe is probably one of the best super hero themed games I've played. The graphics are great with a fast paced combat system that's insanly fun and the customazation of outfits is one of the best I've seen all while exploring and kicking ♥♥♥ in the in the DC Universe. However what put me off the most and the reason I just cannot recommend it is because of it's laughable free to play model your money is caped at a mer 2000 with any cash that is earned exceeding said cap becomes locked to you unless you pay to increase the cap trading with other players is none existent to you unless you pay and don't even think about useing the mail system with out shoveling out some dough. Want to work to max level and get the best gear? Sorry you have to pay for that also and finding a decent guild will be near to impossible because guilds only look for subcription players. When I first begain my first few hours of playing I had every intention of handing over some of my cash to suppose this game and it's company but after I seen how much of a low blow the free model is I I just can't bring myself to even continue playing.

DC Universe Online is a super-hero MMO that makes you feel you're the next Superman or Wonder Woman as you're a hero helping your comrades against the opposition and the main threat, Brainiac.

The story brings an underrated villain, Brainiac, into the Hero vs Villain fray and decides to start destroying Earth after he obtains all bits of intelligence (which also means humans). Lex Luthor, who saw Brainiac invading, left the rest behind to be destroyed and travelled to the past, warning the present heroes of the upcoming threat. Using Exobytes, technology stolen from Brainiac that was stolen from the heroes and villains of the future, he allowed the entire of Metropolis and Gotham to have superpowers to defeat Brainiac.

Aside from the story, the gameplay is very diverse and gives you plenty of opportunities to display yourself. In character creation, you choose from plenty of powers (some requiring DLCs), weapons (one currently requiring DLC), and three movement modes (Flying, Super Speed, and Acrobatics). You can also choose side, personality, and mentor. Choosing a side means you're either a hero or a villain. Your personality reflects how your presence affects other players (how they think of you), and mentor (which kind of hero/villain you are). Depending on mentor, you can be a magic, meta, or tech character, and you will do two mentor quests in the entirety of the story (which is not much, but it's better than listening to Oracle or the Calculator all the time) and fight the nemesis of your mentor (Lex Luthor, Circe, or Joker). The story in this game is pretty much known to the community as the tutorial. It shows you around, has you geared up, and ready for the main part of the game: Increasing combat rating or PvP combat rating.

On the topic of PvP, there are five kinds of ways to PvP: Worldwide PK (PvP phase), Ring War/Diamond Heist, Arena PvP, Legends PvP, and duels. Dueling, at this point, only helps with a few feats, the most you'll get feat-wise would be Arena or Legends PvP. Legends PvP is different to the others as you use a character from the Legends roster. You can be Doctor Fate, Kyle Rayner...heck, even Classic Batman in Legends PvP (note that gear and traits won't make you better in this kind of PvP).

Now on to feats. Feats are like achievements, but they actually account for something. Feats come with feat points: the harder the feat, the more points you earn. Every 100 feat points will earn you a Skill Point (so you don't feel like you're stuck with 15 SP the entire game). The more feats you do, the more skill points you earn, and the easier for you to increase combat effectiveness.

The next point to note is alerts/raids/duos/solos. These are pretty much dungeons/instances where you go and do missions related to the instance to earn Marks of Triumph (later tiers will have something different). The higher the tier, the more Marks of Triumph you will earn, and an added bonus if you complete ones with a star beside them. Duos and solos can be fairly easy, as you can do them seperately from your peers, but alerts/raids require you to engage in strategic fights with your allies. If you're not able to engage in conversation and strategize, you won't make it far.

The only issue I have with this game, for personal reasons, are the DLCs. Understandably, they do need a way to earn a profit, however to make a game Pay 2 Win (P2W), is a fairly bad way of making a profit. To engage in anything from tier 4 and up will require legendary membership or the purchase of certain DLCs to be involved. Other than that, if you do get a DLC, you're treated to it's benefits.

Pros:
• Original story
• Nostalgic characters
• Legendary voice-acting (especially Mark Hamill's Joker voice)
• Immersive and enjoyable gameplay
• Engaging and strategic boss battles
• Near-infinite customization possibilities

Cons:
• Pay 2 Win
• Spawn killing can be abused in PvP
• Friendly mobs involved in a mission can be killed by enemy players (which leads to delays in progress)
• Spawn killing while in PvP phase
• PvP isn't exactly balanced
• A few bugs here and there (like Cape Carmine Lighthouse lvl 9 mission on solo, being very hard to complete)

Conclusion: I would recommend this game for the fans of the DC comics and for those who just love to enjoy a taste of being a superhero or supervillain. If any of you read this and require assistance in-game, do feel free to message me if you're on USPC. ~Permafrost Imp

What can i say....going on 3500 hours played at the time of this review and still love it....great game that you can come back to again and again! It has MMORPG aspects but is more of an action game...end game content can get a bit repetitive but is always being updated. I think getting a subscription would be better than buying DLC but F2P is not bad either...Try It!

Sickest intro to a game...ever. 10/10

The main problem I have with this game is that it is (dead), atleast compared to how it was before. It is really hard to group up with anyone, you would be better off playing with friends. However I think the only thing that could save this game from completely dieing would be making all accounts legendary and letting everyone have access to all content, besides the cosmetics ( which you would still have to buy). They would still make money but the game would be a lot more accessible to a larger audience. Other games have shown that this is still an affective way to make a profit, for example Path of Exile< There is a reason the game is dead you basically can't play it for free which is what puts off a lot of players, considering it is advertised to be a f2p game.

Had a great time in this game, I didn't care about anything DC related going into this, but I've come to dig it a lot :]
good times great oldies.

Though I'm familar enough with the DC Universe from a pop culture perspective, DCUO was an outstanding 'educational' experience, putting me in the middle of massive DC lore. I learned a lot about characters and locales that I've only ever given a passing glance. The graphics are pretty nice in a optimized sort of way. There is quite a bit of varability to your character, though extremely simplified from more traditional RPG's. The F2P aspect really doesn't hurt you too much until you've reached end game levels and are finding yourself bored. At this point, you either decide to move on to something else or start plunking down for DLC, which will include additional character options, maps/arenas and storylines. Unless you jump, head first, into the end game content, the community really doesn't do much with you. You can join a league, but from beginning to entry level raiding, you aren't really worth the time for anything helpful. The 1-30 run can be handled solo, with the occassional interaction with the community, so if you're there, just to see the sights, it's well worth the venture.

Pros:
Lots of DC history.
Easy to learn gameplay.
Graphics work well from medium to higher end systems.
Lots of DLC, if interested.

Cons:
The community snubs it's nose at F2P'ers.
You only have Gotham and Metropolis as open world content. The rest is instance play.
You are relatively limited in character builds unless you purchase DLC.
Little to no viable end game content for F2P'ers. Pony up $$ if you want to keep advancing.

THIS IS THE ♥♥♥♥ING BEST GAME EVER, for PS3,PC and now on PS4 too.The gameplay is perfect cause of the amazing combat system its like playing an action game online.This and Marvel Heroes are the ONLY MMORPGs which passed World of Warcraft in players because they are atached to the biggest franchises ever (DC/Marvel). You enter the popular universe of DC creating your own super hero or super villain and fighting alongside famous characters like Batman, Wonder Woman,Joker, Lex Luthor,Circe and of course the godlike Superman.The story,bosses, and the whole experience is the best you can get in a game, especialy the Headquarters, being in the giant Watchtower with the Justice League observing the whole space or starring at Powergirl's ♥♥♥♥ or other sexy superheroines is just sick.The character customization allows you to create almost anything including ALL of the MARVEL heroes/villains hell i even saw She-Hulk and Magneto in a group once not to mention the Avengers you see people playing them all the time, the powers that you choose are all amazing especialy the Green Lantern Ring where you can make your own constructs.But most important is that both this game and Marvel Heroes not only they are top but they have a long future ahead because as long as Hollywood is making their live action movies of the 2 franchises the games keep evolving theirselves. Especialy DC Universe Online has still a big future with the DLCs and the new story, its overall the best and most popular thing you can get.

I was tired of mmos after playing wow for a few years but have found this to be quite enjoyable. Hey I made a Character with a combination of Green Arrow and Poison Ivy's powers with Superman's heat vision! What's not to like. Plus its totally fun to scale tall buildings!

An amazing MMO for DC fans. Endless things to do and really fun fighting mechanics. Endless customizable weapons and armor.

Do you suffer from hero worship? Have you ever wanted to know what it feels like to be a super hero?
Have you ever wanted to work as a team, combine your mighty mightness and taste digital victory?
If you've anserwed "yes" to one or more of these questions, this game may be worth trying out.

I started off playing this game as a "free to play" player and continued as such for almost 2 years. Only buying a very inexpensive DLC from time to time. So this game certainly delivers on that aspect.
With constant updates, good customer service and FULL Xbox controller compatibility, eventually paying $10 a month for a membership (which comes with it's own set of percs) seems hardly too much to ask for.

Of course, nothing is perfect and this game does have it's flaws, but the devs certainly seem intent on bettering the player experience as the game evolves and matures.

Coupled with an outstanding story line (in the typical DC Comics fashion) and all the time honored characters, we Fanboys love ever so much, DC Universe Online is a keeper or at the very least, worth a try.

Sincerely,
The man of adventure,
Mr.Venture

The Bad:
People refuse to play with characters under Lv30, PVP is just a place for Lv30 characters to gang-stomp low level characters, over-priced features (DLCs ect...), auction house is a total rip-off, half the rewards are crap, other half are under powered when you consider the hell grin you go through to get them. powers are out of balance, takes forever to update game, when the updates work.
The Good:
Better than average character creation. Good open-world settings. Well known setting

Awesome game. I played it for 2-3 years and I loved it. Levelling up could be boring but once you reach level 30 the game becomes even more fun,it has always been challenging when a new DLC came out and no one new about it. PvP is a lot of fun too,but could get annoying sometimes. Anyways,the game is great and I enjoyed it when i still played it. One of the best Online RPG IMO.

So, DLC ehhr I mean DC Universe Online is a good game.The game revolves around brainiac invading earth, in the minst of battle with Lex Luthor Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman get killed and without any heroes to defend earth, it gets overrun.Lex Luthor goes back in time and warns the heroes previously mentioned about the danger the future holds, and releases an exobit which allows normal people to get powers. This is where you step in, creating your character hero/villain.
Depending which mentor you choose will depend on your city of operations (Batman/Joker=Gotham, Superman/Lex Luthor=Metropolis and so on), the combat varies on melee and ranged attacks with a few unlockable combos and powers.

Pros: Interesting idea
Detailed worlds
tons of character customization options
Lots of comic book lore
fun combat
ok storyline
tons of collectibles

cons: Occasional server crashes and force closing
They didn't cut back on the dlc, but it is f2p after all

Final score: 8/10

It's been over a year and a half since I first started playing DCUO, note that I started on the PS3 and not on PC (I actually prefer PS3). I started off with a healer and no idea what in the world to do, now among my PC and PS3 I have about 8 characters from people that control electricity to mastering space and time, even some Lanterns. Yeah the game is a bit monotonous at first, nothing that doesn't change really quick once you get up in levels. Like every other MMO out there you have to pay to get the good, late game stuff but the good thing about this game is that even if you're free to play you still have a bunch you can do later on regardless. This game is by far one of the best MMO games I have ever played, hands down. If you don't try it you're arguably missing out on the best MMO out there.

11/10
Much Worth It
So Reccomend

Oh, and a little piece of advice to all you who wanna try it out. Be a hero, trust me. It's better.

where do i start : i played this game over 5000 hours in 3 years (half of this on steam)

all in all its a one of a kind game, the fight mechanics are unique and lots of fun and if it wasnt for the constand changes.......

however i stopped playing after constant changes in same mechanics and in my opinion a dev team thats totaly disconnected from its player base and only interested into catering the winy people and farming you for money

its free to play so they say but it realy is not becoz you can level up to 30 and then get access to raids/alerts from tiers 1 to 6, 1 to 3 on free account plus a little t4 alert and thats it you wil have to pay to get access to the rest and with you being new you wont buy 10 dlc so the only option is to go legendary for a monthly fee

alot of needed items are priced in such a way you need to be legendary to get access to them, or know some friendly players ofc who can give you stuff becoz trading is only for premium and legendary users in order to become premium you need to spend money atleast once, however if you dont want to pay you could stil get a few months fun out of this leveling up playing the lower tiers, be prepared for a few bugs mainly disconnects (followed with a 10 min ban becoz you left the game)

This is one of my favorite games of all time. I have not played that much on the PC version but on the Ps3 i have well over 2500 hours,maybe more. The game is a great game to play with friends and the community is great. The only downside to this game is if you want to continue playing it past a certain point you will have to invest money into it. Now dont get me wrong it is very worth it but i can tell you once you spend the money for a months membership, it will be the only game you play for the next month,so yes it is highly addicting. So overall should you play it? Hell yes.

This is one of the best games of all the time.
Character creation is amazing.
Fighting style is the best in any MMO game. Also its action MMO.
Its Heroes vs Villains.
Its HUGE open world with entire Gotham and Metropolis !