Newest Champions Online video is all out of bubblegum

by Kyle Horner Feb 8th 2009 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Video, New titles, News items, Champions Online

Cryptic is on a roll with these trailers of their MMOs coming out of the New York Comic-con. Where the new Star Trek Online video showed us the power of it's character customization, this new Champions Online trailer gets nice and cinematic while showing off just how far the game's visuals and audio design has come. Also, it's hard not to love an armadillo-themed villain and his massive scaled armor.

A few things immediately discernible: Animations are looking exceptionally smooth, while the lighting and graphic effects are all being used in just the right amount -- not too much or too little. Lastly, we dug the short rock tune, which hopefully is a prime example of what to expect from the entire soundtrack.

While this is all very wonderful, we've still yet to see straight-up gameplay look this amazing. And really, if this sort of trailer can be whipped up with the in-game engine, we're sure Champions will look great come launch day. You can find the senses-pummeling trailer after the break.

Tags: armadillo, atari, champions-online, combat, cryptic-studios, star-trek-online, sto, trailer, video, villains

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

BookhouseBoy said on 12:14PM 2-08-2009

I'm a long-time fan of DC Comics, but the DC Universe combat video shown at NYCC this weekend just makes that game look like the big, sloppy console title that most of us have been afraid Sony would end up producing.

Champions Online is supposedly going to consoles too, but the combat shown here is so much smoother and yet complex, going back to what Cryptic's been saying about how they want to make an "action RPG" MMO. That's what DC Universe is trying to be, too, but Champions just seems to look a lot better doing it.

Also, I like the idea more that we are the heroes, and not constantly fighting in the shadows of guys like Superman and Green Lantern. Obviously, there are going to be NPCs from the mythology of Champions, but the vibe I'm getting is that this game is striving to do a better job of not letting us be overshadowed, the way DC Universe obviously is, and the way that City of Heroes sort of did as well.

And finally... the idea of actual super villains showing up like this, instead of "generic members of Super Villain Group X" (ala City of Heroes)... awesome.

Seare said on 1:52PM 2-08-2009

Sorry, but I disagree. Champions is in beta and it looks terrible,graphic wise, even compared to COH. DCU is in still in pre-alpha and it looks way better IMHO. The last video I saw of DCU (before Comic Con), they had a female actually pull sword out of sheaths on her back and put them back in again. Not a make or break feature but it sure was cool. I don't see any of that in CO. I haven't seen any DC video out of New York, yet. I will give Champions a try, but I doubt it will keep me playing past a few months. Too many other MMO that have my attention. (STO, TOR, DCU)

Let me restate this: DCU is still in "pre-alpha." CO is in Beta. DCU should not be looking better than CO in anyway.

BaronJuJu said on 1:36PM 2-08-2009

Meh, looks like a COH fight to me.

Mest said on 2:36PM 2-08-2009

I am looking forward to this game more than dcu and this footage looks awesome

EL LOCO MOFO said on 3:40PM 2-08-2009

looks good CO imo will be better then dcu because of the features it got compared to dcu...dcu just look like a pretty version of CoH

Seare said on 4:32PM 2-08-2009

Explain. What does CO have that DCU does not? So far the nemeses thing is the only thing I can think of. CO looks like crap. I'm very disappointed so far.

CO is using an IP I've never heard of. I'm a bigger Marvel fan than I am a DC fan, but at least I've heard of Batman, Superman, Wonder woman, the Green Lantern, Lex Luther, the Joker, Metropolis, and Gotham City. I never heard of the CO IP before Cryptic bought it and I'm a comic book lover. Also, DCU has big name guys from the comic world working on DCU. DCU is still pre-alpha and it looks better than CO does in beta. Imagine what DCU will look like in beta.

I'm not a Cryptic or a DC fanboy. I'm looking at both game objectively and CO does measure up so far.

Wjowski said on 7:24PM 2-08-2009

"Explain. What does CO have that DCU does not?"

It's not being made by SOE, for starters.

Dirame said on 4:19PM 2-08-2009

I think DCU and Champions both look good and both have their own merits comparing them just comes off a bit forced.

T said on 4:32PM 2-08-2009

39 seconds of that 1:01 preview was taken up by title logos, audio voice overs, and the more logos at the end.

Call me when they can make a real trailer that isn't just junk filler. I had planned over leaving WoW for this game. So far, it both seems like it is many more months away, and it feels alot like CoH. I really don't want CoH again...

Seare said on 4:36PM 2-08-2009

Glad I'm not the only one that noticed that.

By the way, I play COH. It's not perfect, but it's a fun game. I wouldn't be caught dead playing WOW. No offense.

TigroSpottystripes Katsu said on 8:42PM 2-08-2009

is it just me or that Armadillo guy kinda reminds of the Juggernaut?

BookhouseBoy said on 11:28PM 2-08-2009

There's a touch of Juggernaut there, but he really looks like the 1980s Marvel villain (turned sort-of-hero) named... that's right, The Armadillo:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillo_(comics)

Kyle Horner said on 12:03AM 2-09-2009

They're all ripping off nature, in the end. ;)

JP said on 9:24AM 2-09-2009

I just don't see enough uniqueness over CoH yet. It's early, but right now, in that video, it just looks like a cool boss (GW, BS, or Mako) and the player has dual baldes w/ lights... same shit, new skins.

I need more of the big features.
More of how the leveling process works.
More of the openness of the world quests, and how they differ from the instance based CoH.
More about the mechanics (and story reasoning behind. Heroes vs. Heroes?) PvP

Chains101 said on 10:06AM 2-09-2009

I love CoH.....but everytime i watch a CO video i hear the EXACT same music and sound effects as CoH...i guess they own the rights to the music. If they use the same music and sound...im gonna be PISSED. I want something NEWWWWWWWW not same old shit.

Also im a HUGE DC comic fan.....but DCU looks goofy to me. It just looks like a console game to me....if i was shown those videos without knowing what it was coming out on.....i wouldnt guess it would even be PORTED to the PC.

Leese said on 11:09AM 2-09-2009

That music plays in the Rikti War Zone in CoH...

Lemmo said on 12:38PM 2-09-2009

Aside from the sound effects and music being straight from CoH, the animations still have problems for me.

The lack of 'tweening' animations for after attacks or for being hit seem very absent, especially compared to a 5-year-old game like City of Heroes. I don't want to go back to the days of EQ where the only indicator you hit your opponent is seeing their health move.

I know that polish comes at the very end of the development cycle, but if they're nearing that release point, I'd hope we'd be seeing those things cleaned up. The combat looks very choppy and disjointed right now.

Lemmo said on 12:40PM 2-09-2009

Also, is it just me, or do the combat animations seem like they're in fast forward sometimes? I'm all for fast action and gameplay, but it looks like we're watching it at 1.5x speed or something.

Siege said on 10:40PM 2-10-2009

Nice that people are only comparing Co to CoH and then go back and look at DCUO and say its totally unique. funny huh
Co is doing a pen&paper style so it wont look like DCU or CoX, and if graphics is what keeps you to a game then by all means stay on CoH or play DCU, I just want to get into the game and test out gameplay.
Gameplay is gonna make or break these games, and right now, I dont trust SoE cause they seem to get learn from thier mistakes so to reiterate-Gameplay, its all about gameplay