If you check out our E3 coverage, you can tell that we're seriously pumped about City of Villains. Imagine getting bitten by a radioactive spider and not having all of that annoying "moral responsibility" nonsense to slow you down. Still, much the way Dr. Moriarty, Lex Luthor, and the Joker are nothing without their do-gooder opponents to battle, so too would City of Villains suffer without the forces of righteousness in City of Heroes to struggle against.

The good news for everybody who still fights on the side of law and order is that NCSoft isn't resting on their heroic laurels when it comes to their incredibly fun superhero MMO. Since its release in April of 2004, the game has undergone a steady stream of large-scale content upgrades. Dubbed "issues" in honor of the game's comic book roots, these content upgrades have changed the world of Paragon City, adding limited Player vs. Player in the Arena, new Epic-level powers, the chance to play as the alien Kheldians, and, of course, capes. The latest upgrade prepping for release is "Issue 5 -- Forest of Dread."

One of the most interesting elements of the new issue is the way that NCSoft is pretty much dedicating this particular update to magic. One of City of Heroes' best, and subtlest, features, is the way it's able to almost seamlessly incorporate every comic-book cliché in the universe into one intellectual property. In Paragon City, super scientific heroes battle side-by-side with mutants, aliens, and magicians. For all that, though, it's always been the magical heroes who have been a bit out of place in a modern metropolis. Not any more. A new zone has been added to the game, Croatoa, and the misty wooded region is simply dripping with dark magical forces, powers far older than mere "science."


Croatoa is host to some pretty powerful new villains who are just as evil, if slightly more "Halloween"-like than their scientific counterparts. Among the new enemies available are nasty little imps called Red Caps who enjoy wearing silly pointed hats that aren't so silly when you realize they're red because they're dipped in the blood of their enemies. There's also a new giant monster roaming around called Jack-of-Irons who aids his imp friends when their cleverness fails and a massive ass-kicking is required. Battling them for control of the region is the Cabal, an organization of witches, the pumpkin-headed Fir Bolg, and lording over the whole region are the legendary Celtic Tuatha de Dannan, demons whose sole good quality is they make the Red Caps look like pacifists.

Even worse, the magic-connected villains who were already in the game are getting an upgrade in the form of "zone events." The Hellions will now begin burning buildings in the game's various zones, generating fire-fighting missions for any nearby heroes. There's also a new drug on the street called "Superadine" that's fallen into the hands of the Trolls, creating berserk new "super-Trolls" who run wild in the street until brought down. Older game missions are also being tweaked, with new goals such as escorting hostages added to up the challenge level.

Fortunately, player heroes won't be helpless against all these new dangers. In keeping with the magic/pseudo-medieval theme of the update, players will now be able to choose from bow-and-arrow themed power pools including a ranged power Archery set with things like Aimed shots, Exploding Arrows, and Stunning Shots. Support characters such as Controllers and Defenders have their own set of buffing/debuffing arrows that include Glue Arrows, Acid Arrows, and EM Pulse arrows that can wreak havoc on mechanical enemies. Interestingly, for those who would enjoy playing a Black Canary to the bow-wielding Green Arrow types, Issue 5 will also introduce Sonic power sets which includes a disorienting Shriek and a defensive Disruption field. Issue 5 will be available as a free update within the next few weeks, in the meantime, though, enjoy these 17 exclusive screens.