The massively multiplayer online RPG hasn't changed much in the past ten years. Ever since Everquest introduced gamers to a large, 3D world, most that followed have only added their own spin on that idea, polishing and expanding where necessary, but hardly ever innovating. Blizzard's World of Warcraft is a fantastic example of this, and is, for the most part, the pinnacle of that formula, sitting atop a throne that seems unreachable. Aion looks to change that with a few clever mechanics, which might seem like gimmicks at first. They are, in fact, actually incredibly important to the game, and manage to make it feel different, all the while helping it rise up above most of the genre. Why is that line really funny? You'll have to keep reading to find out.

In the beginning, there were two ruling races in Atreia: the humans and the Balaur. Over time, the Balaur grew power-hungry, and attempted to take over Atreia and wipe out both humans and the gods. As a response, the god Aion created the The Empyrean Lords to help watch over the world, and some humans began to evolve, ascending to become Daeva and growing wings to help fight the Balaur. In a massive attack, the Balaur destroyed the Tower of Eternity, splitting the world into two halves: a dark and a light side. While the light side was fairly peaceful and its people, called Elyos, safe from trouble, the other half was filled with danger and darkness. Over the course of thousands of years the inhabitants became Asmodians, clawed, evil creatures with a hatred for the light, lead by a handful of fallen Empyrean Lords who blame Aion's pacifism for the world's destruction. Beyond looking technically advanced, it has one of the best styles of any game in its class. The world's two sides are represented well, with the Asmodians living in death and darkness while the Elyos' lands are paradise by comparison. Though different, they share many similarities, which makes sense within the lore.