EA Showcase 08: Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning

With World of Warcraft becoming so popular and mainstream that people are using the acronym “WoW” more times in everyday conversation than they are the word “wow,” it’s about time we got a similar-looking, but “totally different, I swear,” MMO.

The game I’m referring to is none other than Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. We were told that the WAR universe is “all the best bits of fantasy, with all the crap bits taken out.”

If WoW is The Beatles, then Warhammer is “the cooler band, the better band … we’re Led Zeppelin.” With 800,000 people already signed up to play and 120,000 pre-sales, Mythic Entertainment might be right.

Warhammer: Age of Reckoning is out exclusively for PC on September 18. Hit the jump for more info.

I’ll admit it; I’m no MMO expert. Hopefully, you will be able to make more sense of these “key features” than I’m able to:

Dominated by force of arms and magic, Games Workshop’s popular Warhammer fantasy world provides a rich setting for hundreds of thousands of players to experience the epic nature of war and the glory of battle.

Join one of six armies and fight for the Realms of Order (Dwarf, High Elf and Empire) or Destruction (Greenskin, Dark Elf, or Chaos).

Realm vs. Realm (RvR) gameplay means you will never fight alone, but as part of an army of allied players sworn to defend your homeland and conquer enemy Realms. Your every action—every quest completed, every battle fought—contributes to the war effort and can turn the tide of battle, bringing victory to your Realm!

Experience the camaraderie of fighting side-by-side with allied players against otherwise insurmountable odds in groundbreaking Public Quests. These cooperative PvE encounters unfold across multiple stages and allow solo players to experience the glory of RvR.

Embark on the endless quest to complete the Tome of Knowledge and unlock Warhammer lore, detailed monster information, new abilities and rewards, and major story plotlines. The Tome is also the story of your life in the game, tracking your achievements to share and compare with others.

Explore massive Living Cities that become more or less prosperous based on a Realm’s overall performance in the ongoing war. Navigate a maze of twisting streets, visit the local tavern, explore a dark under-city, and meet colorful personalities in a city full of adventure.

Advanced guild features give unprecedented control to leaders and members, and make guilds an integral part of the war efforts. Guilds can create unique heraldry, capture and claim keeps, and earn Guild Tactics as they grow in power along with their members.