Champions Online is a shining example of a Free-To-Play MMO model done well, with the most incredible creative freedoms
With a character creator that is unmatched in variety, depth and quality you can make a hero that looks entirely unique, or you can completely rip-off some of your favourites. You also have a good roster of classes, attack styles and transportation abilities, so whether it's clobbering time or you'd rather just SMASH or it's more like the job for Superman-under-a-different-name, you have more than enough options here to truly flex your creative muscle and make that character your own.
Visually the game is no award winner but it has a beautiful colour palette and the cel-shaded style visuals lend to that comic style visual approach which it brings about with the interface and such.
Speaking of the interface, this is sadly one of the areas in which the game lacks due to its robust character creator. Through making your character absolutely perfect right from the game's offset leaves little room for improvement (aside from honing your skills), especially not appearance-wise. None of the cosmetic items you pick up throughout the game will affect your appearance, and so those who have spent the last several months playing Guild Wars 2 and World of Warcraft will sorely lack this sense of evolution in your armour and weapons.
Also the inventory looks bland with its uninspired drawn images for the items rather than 3D models, and contains too much information per item to digest.
Another one of the serious issues is of course the amount of locked content. In this game, the majority of it is locked. You do of course have free reign to create a character from a wealthy selection of options and complete the game but before your eyes you are shown superior items that you could have if you are prepared to shovel over a few extra pounds, and without surrendering your bank card at least a few times, you will have great difficulty to hit the level cap.
But otherwise I cannot complain. The game runs effectively without a hitch. The mechanics are sturdy and tight enough. I have encountered only one glitch so far, and it was not game-breaking. I have experimented with all of the games features and have made a few real-money purchases that I have been highly satisfied with, including my hero's apartment which, once bought, was available for all characters under my account and it featured excellent customization and some nice little features, such as a tailor and weapon gallery.
In conclusion I highly recommend Champions Online but I recommend it conditionally. It is 100% free but to appreciate it at it's fullest (200%?) you must be prepared to fork out a tiny bit of cash here and there. And this honestly is not asking a lot, because the game is tons of fun and you have the freedom to decide what aspects you wish to buy. The game feels fresh and new and is a great blast and a welcome distraction from other, better know MMO's.
Written by your friendly neighbourhood Wolfysteve