Did NCsoft manage to deliver an expansion that manages to appeal to the western gaming market? Ten Ton Hammer has given Aion a comprehensive run through to find out if Assault on Balaurea delivers.
Cautions
Returning players should also know that many Aion accounts have been compromised or hacked. If you attempt to log in and find that your account has banned, immediately contact NCsoft customer support at (512)225-6359 Monday through Friday, 12 noon to 5 p.m. CT.
Gameplay - 80 / 100
border="1">
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/89475"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 220px;">
New zones offer new content and a smoother progression
The expansion is clearly geared to entice higher level players back into the fold and those who heed the call will not be disappointed in what they find. The two new overland zones are surprisingly big in size given that they only actually cover a five level spread rather than the 20+ level spread of the older zones. This gives a wonderful effect of a great amount of gameplay space with more relevant content for those players. No longer will you have to trudge through low level mobs searching for something that you can actually defeat in a fair fight or rub elbows with those unwashed low level masses!
Keeping in line with traditional zone build, you will find the familiar format of soloable content upfront and group focused elites in the back of the zone. This is important because no one wants to stumble over elite mobs when they are out doing some light solo questing.
In addition to the full overland content, players will also enjoy several challenging dungeons that range from impressive to Omg, you had BETTER be well geared! as well as a raid style zone for 12 players that will make a name for any legion that manages to conquer that bad boy.
If you are more of a lone wolf dont worry, the expansion still has something for you. Three new solo instances were added for levels 18-22, 37-41, and 50-55. These quality instances are not only fun but also very rewarding and casual players may just find themselves rushing to the next level set that will get you access to one of these!
Now while the solo instances are awesome, there really isnt much else in the way of lower level content which is a bit of a disappointment for me. I prefer expansions that bring in a range of new content as they tend to do a much better job of encouraging former players to return as well as add to re-playability for capped players who start up new toons. All players do get pets which are adorable and a lot of fun to collect, but other than basic utilities, they don't really add much to the game.
Another point to mention is that while NCsoft did add a lot of quests and the expansion has a better flow of progression than the rest of the game, players striving to get to level 50 to enjoy the new content will still be hitting the grind. Yes, there are tons of repeatable quests but it is still grinding if you have to run those repeatable quests ten times in order to see any progress on that experience bar.
Graphics - 97 / 100
Probably one the coolest aspect of Aion's graphics is the combat effects. With five new levels to play through, gamers get the benefit of brand new abilities. These arent just lame upgrades to what you already have on your hotbar, but new eye candy that gives you a solid reason to scroll out and play in third person just so you can admire how freaking badass you look while dishing out the pain. Its exactly why I always play in third person in Aion.
Sound - 82 / 100
One caution though, if you have your sound up in town you'll hear the new sounds of a million and one pets roaming around. Most of the time these are a cute background noise that isn't really bothersome unless you're at the broker and everyone around you has a pet out that is randomly doing hops and flips. I eventually turned my sound down because after a while, cute turns into face stabbing annoying.
Multiplayer - 90 / 100
For those looking for more hardcore fun, a 12 person instance has been added that pits two groups against raid quality mobs that will boost legions into fame for having conquered it. Of course, there are also two new fortresses for the Elyos and Asmodians to fight over that wield the unique potential to unite a faction in a server wide frenzy of multi-player fun. All of these features allow players to work together for conquest, gear, and entertainment in a way that only Aion could bring to the table.
Value - 100 / 100
border="1">
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/87899"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 220px;">
One of the cuddly pets available when you buy the expansion
There is no better value that getting something for nothing which is exactly what you get with Assault on Balaurea. Being offered as a free expansion, players can return to Atreia and experience the latest additions with nothing more than a re-sub and a patch.
For new players and current players who want the extra fluff and goodies, you have the option of picking up the expansion box copy or the downloadable version for $39.99 in order to score the updated game and expansion, 30 days free game (applicable to current subscribers as well), and exclusive pets for each of your characters.
Lasting Appeal - 82 / 100
Luckily Aion has never been a purely PvE game so there is still new PvP challenges that await those dedicated players. Once the PvE realm has been destroyed, I expect focus to abruptly change to PvP as veterans wage war against each other for fame, glory, and hot chicks.
Pros and Cons
- Free Expansion (yay!)
- Quality high end content for capped players
- Sprinkles of solo content for casual players
- Pets for fun and function
Cons
- Not enough new content for lower level players
- High leveling curve - it may just take you until the next expansion to get to 55
- Some group difficulties for returning players who haven't geared up effectively
Conclusion
Overall 82/100 - Good
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Aion Game Page.