Hm. Where do I begin then:
For starters, I only made it to level 15 before the beta closed down for the next phase, so I can't really comment on the end-game portions nor the PVP portions.
This is what I can say for sure:
Graphics:
The game is stunning to look at. From the animations, to the sounds, to the fluid motions of the wings during flight. The game is a visual feast. Perhaps not on a LOTRO level, but heads and shoulders above everythingelse out there. The spells are well done, the effects and lighting are just marvelous. The "theme" of the areas I've seen are mostly angelic/dark angelinc (not really demonic), but then again I only saw 4 "zones". The character customization screen puts every other MMO to shame. That includes CoX/CO. Every part of the face has 2-3 sliders. Eye slant, eye depth, eye width, eye angle etc etc etc. I spent 3 full days in the game and not a single character looked like another. Nor the NPCs. There is even height adjustment sliders from 2-3ft 8-9ft tall.So visually? The game is amazing and extremely diverse.
Mechanics:
Wow, where do I begin. Never have I seen such a great system ruined by one feature. The spell system is great. Instead of just casting the same spell over and over, you can create spell "chains". A level 2 spell can't be cast right off the bat, it requires that you cast a level 1 spell and then chain in the level 2 spell. It really makes spell casting interactive and avoids monotony. Again, I didn't test much beyond the Spiritmaster class, but it in itself was very well done. Pets were as interactive as the spell casting, having to use their abilities at certain times intead of just having it on /afk autocast.
The flying was probably the best part of the game mechanics. It was obvious they spent ALOT of time working on the system for it too. Flight (where possible) came at the click of a button (it would make your wings appear) and you'd lift straight up into the sky and use a decend/accend key system. In areas you could not fly, there was a glide system where you could leap from hills/towers and glide to your chosen destination. The flight was not infinite however, as the wings (when under leveled) have a time limit indicated by a bar. The combat system for flight was fully implemented in the beta as well, and it was like fighting on the ground, yet still in the air. Hard to explain but well done none-the-less.
The gearing system also was very unique and something completely new to MMOs. If you were wearing a very "nice" looking set of armor, matching and in style, but a new "upgrade" piece of armor that dropped for you is an eyesore, NO PROBLEM! Just "melt down" the upgrade, take the melted down stats and replace the stats on your "good looking" piece of armor with the new one. This insures that you have the look YOU want and not the one the developer of a new zone wants you to have. It really adds to the already huge diversity between players. To top it off, there is an armor dye system so that even if two players have the same gear set, the color scheme could be completely different.
----- More to come.
rly:
