Warhammer Online: Awesome for friends, not for newcomers

If you're mounting a challenge to the most (financially, at least) successful videogame of all time, you need at least one big innovation to stand out. EA and Mythic Entertainment's "Warhammer Online" has that, according to Variety reviewer Tom Chick, in the form of easy and pervasive social elements, As Tom writes:

In most MMOs, these "player vs. player" activities tend to be the stuff of the endgame, accessible only to those who have spent literally hundreds of hours leveling up their characters and winning powerful magic items. They tend to require an intimate understanding of the gameplay mechanics and class balance, and often a regular group of dedicated players. But in "Warhammer Online," it's a pervasive part of the gameplay, slickly built to be accessible and constant, whether a player logs on for five, 15, or 50 hours a week.

There are plenty of solo missions, but many are designed to throw players into the fighting or cooperative missions where players join forces against computer-controlled enemies. In either case, it's easy to join via an "open group" panel, which shows nearby gatherings that aren't yet full. This is a much more inviting way for players to help each other than the typical MMO system of having to find a group by typing into the chat channel esoteric acronyms like "WH14 LFG T2 Bos".

The other thing a major new MMO has to do is draw in new players and turn the into addicts. After all, if you want people to pay $15 per month indefinitely, your game has to basically be like crack to them. According to Tom, that's exactly where "Warhammer Online" slips up:

Instead of quests moving players along a single track of advancement, there are multiple ways to advance on multiple progress bars. There are influence, renown, masteries, morale, tactics, chapters, tiers, SCs, PQs, RvR, and BOs. It's easy enough to puzzle out eventually, and it'll prove particularly gratifying to long-time MMO players eager to sink their teeth into a meaty new game. But the steep learning curve will alienate some people who would more easily take to "Warcraft."

You can read Variety's entire review of "Warhammer Onine" right here.