Aion – Just another NCsoft MMORPG?

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At first glance it might appear that way.  NCsoft has been churning out the MMORPG’s now for some time and they all seem to have that similar feel.  Lineage 2, Guild Wars, City of Heroes/Villains, and the recent addition Tabula Rasa are all NCsoft titles.  Did you know NCsoft has another MMO titled Aion?  My guess is no.  I’ve been keeping a silent watch on Aion over the past few months and thought now would be a good time to shed some light on this silent runner.

From InsideAION:

“In Aion, players are divided between those that are “The Chosen” and those that are “The Fallen.”  The Tower of Eternity exists as a gateway into the Abyss, and acts as a portal between dimensions.  When a great evil opens the gateways, it awakens the Dragons imprisoned within the Abyss, who seek revenge on both worlds.  It is here that an epic conflict begins, as you take your first steps on a journey to bring salvation to the world.

Aionâ„¢ is the most visually beautiful MMORPG ever made.  In this ethereal world, you will have the power to direct dynamic relationships between angels, demons and dragons to control the fate of the world.  You will evolve Aion’sâ„¢ storylines through social, economic and cultural experiences that are both interactive and cinematic.

Experience an exciting change in the way players can interact with their environment within a massively multiplayer world.  With the power of the Crytec™ game engine, you will be able to climb sheer cliffs and fly through moving clouds.  From weather effects to heat waves to foaming shorelines, the level of detail you will experience will simply amaze you.

This game will transform the way you experience new content.  The actions of every player on each individual server will push storylines toward new directions.  As these actions accumulate, they will eventually trigger which will then further change the game’s economies and alliances.  Players will create their own distinct history and will have their names forever recorded in fame or infamy.

Aion is a game that knows no cultural boundaries, and will provide an art style, story and game mechanics that will last through the ages and be appreciated by a global audience.”

From reading this simple overview of the game I can’t help but think “Sure, this all sounds good but let’s see it happen” and I can’t help but consider the graphics and art style to be nothing new.  Look at Lineage 2 and Guild Wars and then at Aion and it’s clear they all have a strong Asian art-style influence.  It’s beautiful when it’s done properly and obviously by watching videos of gameplay and looking at screenshots Aion does it justice.  NCsoft claims that Aion will be “the most visually stunning MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) ever made”.  The jury is still out on this one.

Definitely keep your eye on this sleeper.  As more information becomes available I will keep you all updated.

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=aMXj5jG7sfk[/youtube]

  • been watching Aion for a long while.

    It looks great,I like the concept and is probably one that I will try out. I beleive Aion is actually being designed in Asia but they are trying to build a game appeals to the masses and not just one type of play style, such as the asian market or western market …

    did you see the clothing video a while back … very nice

  • Yeah the graphics are downright beautiful. I’m not sure if they are the ‘best’ that I have ever seen but they’re definitely great.