History Videogame / DCUniverseOnline

** [[ArcherArchetype Bows]]: A very weird, yet versatile, version. Its primary skill tree is melee, but it still has the standard TrickArrow and RainOfArrows abilities as well. This is a great weapon for beginners for its faster-than-average attack speed, simple combo system, and adaptability.

The player can explore the fully realized cities of both [[CityOfAdventure Gotham and Metropolis]] (as well as the surrounding areas during certain missions) at will as they complete quests and battle against/with other players and iconic characters from the Universe. Compared to other {{MMORPG}}s, [=DCUO=] has a bigger focus on fast-paced combat, storytelling, and player customization, as it is optimized for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 as well as [=PCs=].

* TheAgesOfSuperHeroComics: The game plays around with this in interesting ways. Metropolis is ''very'' [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]]; the first enemies you encounter as magic (ComicBook/WonderWoman) or meta (ComicBook/{{Superman}}) heroes are dudes running around in stereotypical Egyptian costumes and ''sentient gorillas with rayguns'', respectively. While the level of "serious" fluctuates as you level across the story, it generally remains fairly silly. Gotham, meanwhile, features pretty much only Batman's rogues' gallery, meaning you're fighting street toughs pushing steroids, madmen with fear gas and whatnot as a hero, and as a villain you're just straight-up roughing up cops and paying them off for the mob, and participating in a gang war; the feel is much more "[[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy Nolan]]"/[[UsefulNotes/TheModernAgeOfComicBooks Modern Age]]. Even the alerts vary; the HIVE moon base is very {{Camp}}, while Bludhaven is [[DarkerAndEdgier quite a bit more serious]].

* LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading: After starting the game for the first time, the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 version required an initial download that could take ''over six hours'', even on broadband!

** Queen Bee Zazzala was a B-list villain for the Justice League comics in the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Ages]]. Now she's in control of the remnants of the old HIVE organization from ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'', having turned it into a ''real'' hive, [[spoiler:and she's thrown the HIVE's lot in with Brainiac]]. Even ''Superman'' [[OhCrap seems a bit perturbed by this one]].

** Two-Handed: Often a {{BFS}} or [[DropTheHammer hammer]], these specialize in heavy damage per hit, heavy {{knockback}}, and have the slowest attack rate in the game to compensate.

** The Iconic powers (Save for the Innates). While the idea of using Superman's Heat Vision or a Batarang does sound cool, they require a lot of Power Points and have no power interactions (Which are very important in [=PvP=] and endgame content such as Hard Alerts and Raids). Recent patches changed this to make them work better and stronger, although some of them are still passed in favor of [[BoringButPractical more practical powers]].

** [[JustForPun Furious]] [[Literature/CuriousGeorge George]]

''DC Universe Online'' is a SuperHero {{MMORPG}}, following on the heels of ''VideoGame/ChampionsOnline'' and ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes''. The game is set in the [[Franchise/TheDCU DC Universe]] and allows the players to [[AnAdventurerIsYou create any character they want]] without the usual class system of [=MMOs=], as they can mix and match using any combination of powers (e.g. mind attacks), weapons (e.g. dual-wielding pistols) and abilities (e.g. super speed). The player character will then align themselves with either the famous [[BlackAndWhiteMorality heroes or villains]] of the DC universe, whereupon they are mentored by one of the big three of either side (e.g. Franchise/{{Batman}} for technological heroes or ComicBook/TheJoker for technological villains).

* TheAgesOfSuperHeroComics: The game plays around with this in interesting ways. Metropolis is ''very'' [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]]; the first enemies you encounter as magic (Franchise/WonderWoman) or meta (Franchise/{{Superman}}) heroes are dudes running around in stereotypical Egyptian costumes and ''sentient gorillas with rayguns'', respectively. While the level of "serious" fluctuates as you level across the story, it generally remains fairly silly. Gotham, meanwhile, features pretty much only Batman's rogues' gallery, meaning you're fighting street toughs pushing steroids, madmen with fear gas and whatnot as a hero, and as a villain you're just straight-up roughing up cops and paying them off for the mob, and participating in a gang war; the feel is much more "[[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy Nolan]]"/[[UsefulNotes/TheModernAgeOfComicBooks Modern Age]]. Even the alerts vary; the HIVE moon base is very {{Camp}}, while Bludhaven is [[DarkerAndEdgier quite a bit more serious]].

** In addition, running 'The Vault' gives you the chance to get some costume pieces that are purely fanboy loot, such as hoodies with Franchise/GreenLantern or Lobo logos and baseball caps emblazoned with [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Bizarro's]] or ComicBook/{{Robin}}'s logos.

** Heat vision power. The [[Franchise/{{Superman}} original guy]] also uses it a lot.

*** A flattop / mustache combo goes by the name [[Franchise/SpiderMan "Editor in Chief"]].

** In the Smallville alert, the Justice League sends in a team of four heroes against Doomsday, which may be a ShoutOut to the ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' show. In the show, [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Clark]], [[Franchise/TheFlash Bart]], ComicBook/BlackCanary and ComicBook/GreenArrow teamed against Doomsday; in the game, it's Steel, ComicBook/RedTornado, Black Canary and Green Arrow. Superman is stated to be unavailable in-game and Steel is one of the heroes that fills in after ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman. The only unexplained change is Flash to ComicBook/RedTornado, although both are primarily red.

** Circe was little-known outside of Franchise/WonderWoman fans before now (her biggest previous "moment" was probably [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0b7sE57wE4 her famous appearance]] on ''[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Justice League Unlimited]]''). Now, she's one of the banner villains of the game and one that magic villain [=PCs=] interact with a lot; she's essentially been promoted to the third part of the villainous PowerTrio.

** BladeOnAStick: These hardly have any ranged attacks, but their melee is the most varied and dynamic and can chain stuns while ending the combo with a AreaOfEffect {{knockback}}.
** [[MartialArtsAndCrafts Martial]] [[BareFistedMonk Arts]]: Its weapons include weirdly-shaped katars and uses throwing stars for its ranged attack. It also has a moderate attack rate, but the combos are much simpler with limited crowd control compared to the DualWielding and the BladeOnAStick above.

** As an example, Queen Bee Zazzala was a B-list villain for the Justice League comics in the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Ages]]. Now she's in control of the remnants of the old HIVE organization from ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'', having turned it into a ''real'' hive, [[spoiler:and she's thrown the HIVE's lot in with Brainiac]]. Even ''Superman'' [[OhCrap seems a bit perturbed by this one]].

** After a deadly debut, Felix Faust bcame a laughingstock, C-list villain whose most memorable moment was having Isis [[GroinAttack castrate him with her bare hands]]. The game repackages Faust as a powerful necromancer who can go toe-to-toe with Zatanna and hold his own. He raises an army of zombies and very nearly steals the "power of Shazam" from Black Adam.

** As an example, Queen Bee Zazzala was nothing more than a C-list villain, at best, for the Justice League comics in the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Ages]]. Now she's in control of the remnants of the old HIVE organization from ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'', having turned it into a ''real'' hive, [[spoiler:and she's thrown the HIVE's lot in with Brainiac]]. Even ''Superman'' [[OhCrap seems a bit perturbed by this one]].
** Circe was probably almost unknown outside of rather hardcore Franchise/WonderWoman fans before now (her biggest previous "moment" was probably [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0b7sE57wE4 her famous appearance]] on ''[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Justice League Unlimited]]''). Now, she's one of the banner villains of the game and one that magic villain [=PCs=] interact with a lot; she's essentially been promoted to the third part of the villainous PowerTrio.
** Gorilla Grodd was something of a joke during the 60s and 70s and was kind of ''the'' poster-monkey for the "evil gorilla!" stereotype during the Silver Age; ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'' didn't help. ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' helped rehabilitate him, and now in DCUO, he's got a full-blown ''army'' of sentient gorillas which stands apart from the rest of villain-dom (he hates all humanity equally), he's fought multiple times throughout the game (particularly by heroes), his villain group is the first one you encounter outside the NoobCave as a meta hero, and he's generally given big billing as a major threat - and it ''works''.

** Felix Faust was something of a laughingstock, C-list villain whose most memorable moment was having Isis [[GroinAttack castrate him with her bare hands]]. The game repackages Faust as a powerful necromancer who can go toe-to-toe with Zatanna and hold his own. He raises an army of zombies and very nearly steals the "power of Shazam" from Black Adam.

* SwissArmySuperpowers: Green Lantern Rings. Light is one of the power sets. Heroes gets one of these and villains get yellow rings. Red Lanterns are in on the action too, and can fight for either side.