Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

Next up is the aptly named Choose Your Framework screen which gives you the option to either select a premade framework from a fairly lengthy list, or there’s also the option to create a custom framework. Frameworks themselves will piece together the building blocks of what makes your character ultimately tick (or burn, smash and freeze things for that matter). Selecting any of the premade frameworks will grant you five starting abilities (including  two active offensive abilities) and provide a brief list of possible future skills should you choose to stick with the theme of that particular path.

Unfortunately the option to create a custom framework wasn’t available during my playtime, but I was able to take a peek at just how thorough you could be with that aspect of the process should you so choose. For example if you wanted to create a champion that could use both fire and ice attacks in tandem it’s entirely possible in the current system rather than forever being tied to an offensive archetype from only one elemental type or the other. Cryptic certainly hasn’t pulled any punches in terms of allowing players to create the exact champion they want, rather than a rough approximation.

With a basic origin and power set squared away, it was finally time to dive headfirst into what I could only describe as being a character creation tool so robust it’s almost an entire game in and of itself. Every minute detail of your champion can be tweaked and altered in some way, right down to the type of eyes your character has and what color they are; and I’m not just talking the iris here folks! Want no iris at all? BAM! Done. Want your eyes to be neon green? You guessed it, that’s entirely possible as well.

Thanks to a layered 3D approach, many of the costume pieces will actually sit on top of one another rather than having the typical “painted on” look. Sure, the option is definitely there to wear a basic skin-tight spandex costume and cape combo, but even the material your costume is made out of can be altered, so with a few simple clicks that spandex can become either leather or metal. The metal material selection packs a particularly impressive visual punch, especially when paired with any number of robotic limbs, tubes or plugs.

One element absent from the preview that I was hoping to check out is the concept of altering the particle color of your powers, or even the specific body parts they emanate from. All things considered there are still far more options to play around with than any other MMO currently on the market. For those of you who, like me, can easily while away the hours messing around with customization options, Champions certainly won’t disappoint. I expect a fair few players will spend a good chunk of their play time come launch day simply tweaking the visual aspects of their champions before ever taking their first steps into the tutorial zone in Millennium City. As for myself, I can’t wait to scamper around as Dehydro, reigning doom down on the heads of my doomed enemies!

*insert maniacal laughter*