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This September MMO stalwart NCsoft is set to launch its latest MMO in the West, for which read the USA and Europe. Aion has already enjoyed a successful launch in its native Korea and China. It is a high fantasy MMO, and therefore can’t help but get compared to the ultra-successful World of Warcraft, but does it stand a chance against that behemoth?

In short, Aion is never going to be as large as World of Warcraft, but NCsoft isn’t expecting it to be, nor does it need to be in order to be considered a success. It needs to generate a reasonable following prepared to stick with it, thus generating a reasonable playing and social environment that’s essential for an MMO, and essential for the revenue to sustain it. And the good news is that Aion has enough gameplay and new ideas to generate that critical mass.

Comparing Aion with World of Warcraft is tempting because it is easy as they are both fantasy MMOs, but the backstory to Aion is very different. It draws upon legends and mythology from around the world, although most heavily from Korea. The whole game world then both looks and feels different enough from World of Warcraft for gamers to feel they are experiencing something new.

Graphics and environment alone though are not enough to set a game apart, and Aion knows this. The principle addition in gameplay terms is that of flight. When you reach level 10, after a brief in-game ceremony, you are given a set of wings and the action starts to occur on more than just the ground. Quests may require you to fly around and even combat can start to use the third dimension. There’s something entertaining about hovering our of reach while you blast a target. Flight is limited of course, otherwise you would become invincible. So you can only fly for a period before landing in the main game area, although PvP has this limitation removed. Flight does add to the fun of Aion, but it’s not the only new idea.

Aion may at first glance look like it doesn’t offer many classes, with only Mage, Fighter, Priest and Scout to choose from, but don’t be fooled. At level 10, so when you’ve had time to experience enough of the game to develop a playing style, you get to choose a path, or sub-class, so you can specialise. The Priest, for example, can choose between being a healer and a buffer.

Level 20 introduces another way to customise your character – Stigma Stones. Instead of having the abilities of your character fully defined by your class, you can use Stigma Stones to allow your character to do something that the class doesn’t normally permit. For example, Cloth Armour too lightweight for your melee loving Mage? Not to worry, a Stigma Stone will allow you to wear metal armour. This way you can create a set of bespoke skills that mean your character is actually quite different from someone else’s playing the same class.

Big ideas are great, but Aion has plenty of small touches too that make your realise how well-rounded it is. Want to sell some goods you’ve crafted? Set up a Private Store and sell them direct to the public, rather than via Auction (good for potions outside of raids). Struggling to find a quest location? Click on the Locate button in the quest dialog and then use the semi-transparent map to navigate your way there.

What’s not to like about Aion? Perhaps some will find that despite the extensive and successful localisation that it still retains an Eastern feel that Western gamers may not warm too – Talking Weasels can feel a bit odd, even in fantasy. World of Warcraft won gamers over by opening up their UI to third party add-ons and it’s a shame Aion hasn’t done the same, but these are minor quibbles with what is a polished MMO.

Due for release in September 2009, Aion is going to be a monthly subscription based MMO available on PC.

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