DC Universe Online

DC Universe Online is the best super-hero MMO out there and well worth the free download on PS4.

Fun combat and great looks make DC Universe Online entertaining for a while, though various limitations keep it from being a long-term destination.

As a standalone online action game – albeit one with improved missions and realistic content pricing – DCUO would almost certainly fare better in the final analysis. But this is a subscription MMO. As such, it needs to be compelling enough to draw you into the world for months – if not years – to come, and reward the significant investment of your time and money. Without changes to some fundamental aspects of the game, it's hard to imagine that the potential for that longevity exists.

An exciting new direction for MMOs that's plenty of fun already and should only get better with a few patches under its utility belt.

Despite its problems, DC Universe Online still has a lot going for it. It's hard to be overly critical of an MMO that tries so hard to be different and which succeeds in many ways. Even the most casual comic book fans will drool over the lavishly illustrated cutscenes that round off single-player instances and major quest lines, and the accessible combat system embraces many players who would normally avoid the genre. The world is consistently beautiful, and the familiar characters and locations make DCUO uncommonly inviting.

DC Universe Online lacks the 'pow' of the properties that it's inspired by, but it's a decent enough MMO with some solid ideas and a strong following. As a free download, it's hard not to recommend – even if you only intend to give it a try. Just remember that being a superhero isn't all about tight clothing and Christian Bale-esque angry acting, as it takes a lot of hard work to keep the grunts of Gotham in line – and that's exactly how you'll spend most of your time in Sony Online Entertainment's caped crusade.

DC Universe Online is one of the older MMOs on the market, so while it's benefitted from quite a few updates and DLC packs, it still looks and plays like a game on PS3. If you can look past the dated visuals and repetitive gameplay, there's a decent amount of content to be accessed as a free player. The customisation options are deep, although the need for a premium membership does gate some of these options off. However, with a solid server, a high population of players and enough content to keep you flying around Metropolis, Gotham and beyond, this is further proof that practically any genre can work on Nintendo's latest hardware.

For a free-to-play MMO, DC Universe Online is more than worth getting, and depending on how much you enjoy your time with it, you may consider sinking some cash into it. Getting to interact with all the superheroes and villains within the DC Universe was right up my street, and spending my cash to buy new upgrades and gear, as well as a sidekick that followed me around Gotham, made the time I had with DC Universe Online worth it.

That’s what I like most about DC Universe Online. While all the components are very familiar, the game is well-designed to be what it is. If a certain feature is derivative, that’s because it works for the story and gameplay experience. You can tell that this game is a labor of love, and it is maintained by a team that not only loves the source material, but loves fun games as well. And since my Switch is portable, I can grind for levels wherever I go, and take the Amazing Flamefist to the levelcap and beyond.

There’s a lot to offer here, even for a game that’s over eight years old. Comic book fans will be right at home, and MMO fans will want to dig in for a few hours, and some maybe even into their wallets.