Aion: Tower of Eternity Beta Preview

BY Matthew Erazo | POSTED: 19 August 2009

Angels in the Abyss.



The MMO genre is becoming a competitive war zone much like the PvP combat that they feature so prominently. Many new MMOs are throwing their hat into the ring to challenge World of Warcraft to its massively multiplayer throne. From Champions Online and Warhammer Online to free to play juggernaut Free Realms, each game tries to innovate the genre in a way that WoW hasn't yet. The newest kid on the block, Aion, is set to release soon and is already gearing up to take on the genre in full force. But does it have what it takes to grab a piece of the MMO market for itself? I was able to spend several hours with the game and I'm happy to report that Aion may have a lot to offer fans of the genre.



The first thing I noticed upon logging in to the game, is the rich fiction and world that developer Aion Team has created. The game takes place on the world of Atreia, which was once connected together by the Tower of Eternity. The inhabitants of Atreia were at war with their former protectors, the Balaur, and after hundreds of years of war, decided to seek peace. The Balaur were invited into the Tower of Eternity for peace talks, but soon began attacking the Tower and everyone in it. The resulting battle caused the Tower of Eternity to shatter splitting Ateria into two halves. Those who resided in the bottom half became known as the Elyos, while the harsh environment of the upper half resulted in the Asmodians. Now, as the events of the now called "Cataclysm" take their toll on both factions, hatred begins to seethe and it's now up to you to pick a side and fight for your faction.

While most MMOs throw their stories to the wayside or use them as fodder for world events, Aion takes its lore very seriously and models its worlds and environments around it. Your quest log is split up into three categories: Campaign, Standard, and Work Order. While the last two are your basic fetch quests and kill some many amount of enemies adventures, the campaign quests take the story and actually advance it with your character as the main star. These quests are usually more epic, such as waking forest elders to assist in a pending attack, and are accompanied by cutscenes that progress the story. This type of immersion is usually unheard of in a MMO and is a welcome addition to the genre.

From levels 1-10, the game is standard MMO fare.You'll embark on quests that teach you the game mechanics and basics while also laying out what to expect from future adventures.You choose one of the four character classes: Warrior, Scout, Mage, and Priest. Each class has two subclasses that can be chosen after level 10. Warriors have Gladiators and Templars, Scouts have Ranger and Assassin, Mages have Sorcerer and Spiritmaster, and Priests have Cleric and Chanters. Each of these subclasses specializes in certain skills, such as the ability to summon pets or becoming skilled in Buffs and Area of Effect attacks.



Level 10 also brings more than a subclass. At this level, you gain your wings and become a Daeva. Daevas are higher beings that are able to fly and are the new protectors of humanity on Atreia. At first, you can only fly for 60 seconds and in designated zones, but this can be improved through armor, weapons, and special quests. Flying is one of the single most important aspects of Aion as it ties to the new gameplay feature that Aion is touting; the PvPvE combat.

PvPvE, or Player versus Player versus Environment, takes place in a special zone called 'The Abyss'. The Abyss is what was left after the Tower of Eternity was destroyed and is where the main battleground between both factions takes place. It is a chaotic place filled with multiple platforms and fortresses that can only be reached by flight. You can only access The Abyss at certain levels as this is the only time the portal is available. Once in The Abyss, you engage in World of Warcraft-like battlegrounds where you must take the fortresses and artifacts to secure areas. Every time you kill another player or capture an area, you gain Abyss Points which can be used to buy ranks or special equipment. Sometimes only certain equipment can be accessed if you control a certain area, so it's best to coordinate with your teammates to plan effective attacks.

While that sounds like basic PvP combat, the third faction, the Balaur, are also in the picture and represent the environment. This wild card of a faction can either team up with you our your enemies, or sometimes they will attack both sides and you'll have no choice but to team up with your enemies to take down a common foe.  This idea represents the core of PvPvE, where anything goes and you'll have to be on guard every time you are in The Abyss.



Aion is shaping up to be a great addition to the MMO genre. In a genre that is filled with imitators and false starts, Aion is showing that it is bringing something new to the table while also providing refined genre stables. The combination of interesting lore, gorgeous environments, and engaing PvPvE combat are proving to offer fans of the genre something to cut their teeth on come September 25th.