AION MMO

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AION MMO is a multiplayer role playing game. It was developed by NCSOFT and was released on December 16, 2015. It received neutral reviews from players.

SHADOWS ONLY FALL IN THE LIGHT The world of Atreia is in pieces. Hate and distrust between the peoples was increasing unabated: whilst the Elyos lead a life without limitations over on the brighter side of the planet, the Asmodians eke out an existence in eternal darkness. Choose your side and join your faction in battle for the future of Atreia. Adventures set in breathtaking graphics await: expl…

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44%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,228 reviews

story38 positive mentions

grinding51 negative mentions

Beautiful and detailed character customization with a deep class system and unique flying mechanics.
Engaging combat system that mixes PvP and PvE well with strategic elements and challenging dungeons.
Rich lore and atmospheric world design with a vibrant soundtrack enhancing the immersive experience.

The game has become highly pay-to-win with essential features locked behind a subscription-based gold pack, limiting free-to-play players severely.
Servers are sparsely populated, leading to difficulty in finding groups and contributing to a dead or dying game environment.
Numerous bugs, poor optimization, and poor customer support degrade the game experience significantly.

story
175 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
68%
10%
The story aspect of the game is widely viewed as diminished compared to its original form, with many players criticizing the removal or simplification of quests leading to repetitive, linear grinding that lacks depth and engagement. While some appreciate the lore and narrative foundation, especially at low levels or in earlier versions, the majority feel that updates and changes have degraded the storytelling, pacing, and quest variety, making the experience feel rushed, shallow, and sometimes frustrating due to quest design issues and pay-to-win elements. Overall, the story no longer serves as a compelling driver for many players and is overshadowed by grinding and monetization mechanics.
- “One of my first ever MMORPGs, one of the best and the longest I've been playing; the pay-to-win aspect killed it but still worth going in for the great story.”
- “To this day, I still remember the lore of the world, the first few areas of the Asmodian story, and the surprisingly complex combat system.”
- “It does really make you get involved in the game and makes you care about your faction and the role you play in the whole story.”
- “The storyline has been altered and recycled multiple times, losing its meaning and opting for repetitive quests without story.”
- “The game that I had poured endless hours into and enjoyed for so long was completely ruined by Gameforge; the entire pacing and context of the story replaced with boring text dump-style lore and virtually zero gameplay.”
- “Nowadays it's just not the same; all the quests that ever existed got taken out and replaced with a linear path that you have to follow, taking quests and going through the same old dungeons.”
graphics
109 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
48%
9%
Aion's graphics are generally considered dated by modern standards but retain a certain charm with beautiful landscapes, detailed character models, and vibrant environments. Some updates have improved visuals and added effects, though performance issues and glitches persist, especially on older hardware. While not cutting-edge, the graphics remain impressive for a game of its age and contribute to its immersive world, though many players express a desire for a full overhaul or sequel with a new engine.
- “Aion’s visuals, even years after its release, remain impressive with beautifully designed landscapes, detailed character models, and vibrant cities.”
- “Aion, developed by NCSoft, is a captivating MMORPG that delivers a truly immersive experience through its breathtaking visuals, dynamic combat system, and a world steeped in rich lore.”
- “Graphically the game is stunning - certainly for its time.”
- “The game is so graphically difficult for my RX470 ROG Strix; my graphics card would turn off in the middle of the game and recording. Also, the graphics are not so good, I thought it would be good, but it isn't, even on high settings it was so bad.”
- “Sadly, the game doesn’t load anymore, very hit and miss. Graphics become messed up if it does load, often gets stuck on a ten-minute loading screen to load up the initial server.”
- “Graphics are terrible by today’s standards and the engine is sluggish.”
gameplay
85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
62%
13%
Gameplay in the game is a mix of nostalgia and frustration: while longtime fans appreciate its engaging combat, flight mechanics, and PvP depth, newcomers often find it overwhelming due to outdated, clunky, and overly complex systems. The game is criticized for heavy grind, pay-to-win elements, and poor modernization, leading to imbalance and disengagement, though some still praise its unique mechanics and PvP focus. Overall, gameplay feels dated and unrewarding to many, yet retains a dedicated player base drawn to its classic MMO design.
- “For fans of the genre, Aion stands out not just for its engaging gameplay but also for its unique feature: the ability to soar through the skies with your own wings, adding an exhilarating twist to exploration and combat.”
- “Whether you're flying through the skies in epic PvP battles against the opposing faction or navigating floating islands filled with treasure and danger, the flight mechanic brings a refreshing twist to the MMORPG genre.”
- “The mechanics, the quests, the PvP, the classes, the flying... was a dream.”
- “I get it - if you are a returning player, you won't question certain mechanics, but as a newbie, I was bombarded with micromechanics left and right without warning.”
- “Gameplay mechanics retrofitted for fossils: the gameplay mechanics of Aion are like a vintage car – it looks cool in a museum, but attempting to drive it on modern roads will leave you frustrated.”
- “So sum up most of the gameplay today is just lame waiting and linear pathing from quest to quest until you get high level and then it's just teaming up with some random guys for dungeons and then rolling out if you get the items you even need.”
grinding
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
Grinding is a core and often divisive aspect of the game, with long-time players recalling its once heavy grind that has somewhat lessened in recent updates, allowing faster leveling but still demanding significant time investment for gear and progression. Many reviews note the repetitive, time-consuming nature of grinding and farming, exacerbated by pay-to-win mechanics and occasional game-breaking changes that can nullify previous efforts. While some players appreciate the sense of accomplishment from grinding and find it rewarding, others criticize it as tedious, exacerbated by toxic communities and outdated quest designs, making it a commitment best suited for grind-oriented MMORPG fans.
- “Just when you collect gear, finally, game changes and your gear becomes obsolete and they force your hand to again spend hours upon hours of grinding for new gear, and in circles it goes again and again and again.”
- “If you wanna get the best of the best, prepare yourself for months of farming, grinding, endless daily/weekly quests.”
- “Only criticism is towards 1 campaign quest which either you have gold pack (which you can't buy permanently) or you spend hours and hours grinding away to be able to craft the item needed (artifact activation stone).”
music
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
32%
12%
The music in the game is widely praised for its immersive and high-quality orchestral compositions, often recorded by real classical orchestras, creating a memorable and fitting atmosphere. Players appreciate the soundtrack's emotional impact and how it enhances the game's environments and gameplay, with some considering it among the best in MMORPGs. While a few mention occasional oddities in combat music or changes to the original soundtrack, the overall consensus highlights the music as a standout and beloved feature.
- “The music in the game is very immersive; the developing company actually hired a real classical music orchestra to record all of the songs that you hear in the game.”
- “Aion's compositions are just incredible and so touching; there are many moments in the game which are made so much more amazing by the music. Even now, when I watch shows or hear similar music, I am immediately drawn back to Aion.”
- “Either way, I am never disappointed by the combat or the music, and it keeps me having idle fun for weeks on end when I do get that whim to play again.”
- “Occasionally the music in combat sounds a bit strange, but not too far off.”
- “One thing about Aion which is incredible though, even from the very start and has never changed up until now, is the music.”
- “Where is the original OST from this game? Why do I need to listen to this poor music instead?”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
92%
8%
The game's humor is mainly appreciated through unique class sounds and amusing animations, such as the cleric's heal casting and funny dungeon experiences. However, some users find the comedic elements unintentional and criticize aspects like outdated graphics and absurd in-game prices, resulting in a mixed perception of humor that combines charm with moments of frustration.
- “But the sounds the cleric makes when casting heal was funny.”
- “Unfortunately is dead af, but I still play it and the community is awesome, good people, funny dungeons and a long story.”
- “Prices of the insanely small amount of white drops you get is hilarious!”
monetization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
27%
64%
Users overwhelmingly criticize the monetization of the game, describing it as a persistent "pay-to-win" cash grab dominated by aggressive microtransactions and poorly managed by Gameforge. Many express frustration that essential in-game content is locked behind costly, limited-time purchases, detracting from the experience and driving players away despite the game being free-to-play. Overall, the monetization approach is seen as exploitative, harming the player base and the game's long-term health.
- “Gameforge has killed this game with microtransactions and censorship.”
- “Well, that has changed; Gameforge forcing themselves into the development of the game, essentially turning it into a shameless cash grab, making use of the 'Aion' name and the nostalgia of old players.”
- “Gameforge is a cash grab company, not a game company; in-game economy and natural game resources wiped and placed in the cash shop.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from severe stability issues, including frequent freezes, crashes, and stuck loading screens, often requiring system restarts. It runs on a heavily modified but outdated engine, leading to numerous bugs, graphical glitches, and performance problems that significantly affect gameplay.
- “Buggy as hell, terrible optimization, game using heavily modified CryEngine.”
- “The loading screen is just stuck at 62%, everything freezes and I have to restart my entire PC.”
- “Getting stuck, quest texts missing, graphical glitches, artifacts, random crashes.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game suffers from consistently poor optimization, with frequent lag spikes, crashes, and performance issues, especially on non-SSD drives. Despite a visually appealing design and extensive content, outdated engine technology and server problems exacerbate the subpar experience. Additionally, monetization practices limit access to core features, further impacting gameplay satisfaction.
- “The core game is very good with a large amount of content and many patches added over the years, but the graphics and optimization are lacking.”
- “The game itself looks great, but the Steam version is not optimized.”
- “There has been no optimization for this game since its release.”
- “Thought that maybe classic servers would change something; bring them back onto the right path (it worked wonders for WoW after all), but no... same predatory system; same terrible optimization even worse; the free to play tag is a blatant lie, since if you don't pay for your - premium upgrade - you won't even have access to base features such as trading, gathering or even earning progression mandatory in-game currencies.”
- “The game suffers from lag spikes and FPS drops, due to poor ISP and servers by Gameforge and poor game optimization by NCSoft.”
- “Trash game, not optimized, 90% chance to crash during siege.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
Emotional responses to the game are highly polarized, with some users finding the story complex, mature, and emotionally impactful, enhanced by touching music and memorable moments. Conversely, others feel frustrated by repetitive, lackluster gameplay and a pressured leveling system that diminishes immersion and enjoyment. Overall, emotional engagement varies greatly depending on individual player experience and expectations.
- “- Boring story”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive storytelling, visually appealing environments, and fitting soundtrack, creating a strong and engaging mood. However, some users feel the experience is limited if the game lacks full playability.
- “This was a great, atmospheric, and story-telling game with innovative PvP.”
- “The cities and environments in the game are very good looking and, along with the competent soundtrack, create a fitting atmosphere.”
- “I honestly believe the atmosphere would be good... if it was actually a playable game.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users appreciate the detailed character design, noting that especially when choosing the Asmodians faction, the effort put into character development and scenery is clearly evident.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers strong replayability through its three major factions, with two playable ones featuring distinct storylines and maps, encouraging multiple playthroughs.
- “The world is split into 3 major factions; 2 of them are playable and have different storylines and maps.”