Finally, an MMO to rattle the cages.
However, all this is about to change. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is a new, although not completely original, MMORPG that improves on everything WoW fails at, and makes what it doesn't fail at even better. Cue WoW fanboy flaming comments.
I am not a WAR fanboy. I never have been. I have been looking forward to the game, yes, but only because it showed so much promise to give WoW a kick in the ass and get it back in gear, or give us a brand new addiction by which WoW will sink to 2nd place. Now let's get down to the meat of this review.
Graphics: 8.5/10
The graphics in WAR are really the only gripe many people have about the game, and sometimes rightly so. If you do not like the look of the Warhammer miniatures, it would be stupid to assume something different would come from a game built on that universe. Dwarfs in WAR look like the miniatures, as do the Orcs, Chaos, Empire, High Elves, and Dark Elves. If you do not like the art style, get in line, but don't belittle the game just because it's not your thing. Bottom line, the Mythic crew succeed in creating a semi-photorealistic world which players trundle through in order to achieve maximum rank.
Sound: 8/10
The sounds are something different than WoW, and are high quality and make you feel the game. However, they tend to get repetitive after awhile, and slightly annoying. Maybe varying sound sets for each ability would be nice, but if you're content with hearing the same sort of sounds throughout the game, then more power to ya'. If it gets to you SO bad that you just can't stand it any longer and are about to take your speakers and throw them out the nearest second-story window, turn the sound effects off.
Gameplay: 9.5/10
This is where the Mythic crew really earn their pay. Gameplay in this game is incredible, and should be commended and given every award known to mankind. After playing each career for about five minutes (the ones I play regularly more than that, of course), I want to go back and do it all again. The class mechanics really immerse you into the combat, and give it a tactical sort of spin not found in any other MMORPG on the market. The mechanics are seamlessly integrated into the overall experience, and don't feel separated from the class at all. They are woven into every ability you receive from Rank 1, and continue from there. Combat does feel a little slow at times, but it is something people will get used to after they begin to see the tactical advantage gained with long battles. Long battles mean more strategy, more strategy means more skill is involved, more skill involved is more win.
Controls: 10/10
Controls are basically standard MMORPG layout. If you play/have played WoW, Guild Wars, City of Heroes/Villains, or even EVE Online the controls will come naturally to you. If you are new to MMO's, the standard MMO controls are, well, standard. It's really hard to find an MMO that doesn't utilize these particular controls.
Overall: 9.0/10
Warhammer Online is an incredible game, and should be given a try by anyone who plays WoW or the like. Keep an open mind to it, and if you're expecting the leveling rate, combat, questing, scenarios, PQ's, and everything else to feel like WoW, you will be sorely disappointed. WAR to WoW is apples to oranges, and it's the apple's time to shine.
Thanks for reading, and I hope it helped.