It feels like I’ve been covering DC Universe Online forever. I took a quick look when it was first announced and spent the better part of an hour playing through multiple character builds during E3 2009. This year, I was able to spend a little more time with a rebuilt version of the game and now I can’t wait for the final build.

Compared to last year, DC Universe Online feels like a completely different game. Last year’s build felt like an MMO still in the early stages of production. Missions didn’t work right and everything felt stiff. In other words, it felt like an MMO. This year, I came away with a completely different take. The game looks better and provided an incredibly stable experience, but what really stuck out was that the game didn’t feel like an MMO at all. It felt like an action-packed, single-player superhero game.

Missions are broken up into segments called Episodes. The E3 2010 episode involved the Joker and his gal Friday, Harley Quinn, held up in the Amusement Mile park with plans to gas Gotham with Joker gas. Batman and Robin were called in, but Robin was captured. Your job is get into the facility, foil the Joker’s plan and rescue Robin.

Gameplay is incredibly fast. I tend to stay far away from MMOs simply because I can’t stand the current “hit the button and keep swinging” mechanic. DC Universe Online has more of an action feel to it. You can pull off a number of combos using the attack buttons, or activate special abilities by pressing either of the shoulder buttons and a corresponding button. Hitting (R1) opens up the four abilities on the right side of the abilities bar, while hitting (L1) opens up the left side. It’s a slick interface and works well in battle.

After working my way through the park, I came face-to-face with Harley Quinn, who was already occupied with the Gotham PD. I immediately jumped into the fray, unleashing all of my character’s electricity-based powers. Soon I found myself in the middle of a huge battle between Gotham’s finest, the Joker’s goon squad and a overly-happy Harley, who merrily skipped around the area tossing out taunts and taking potshots with her mallet.

Defeating Harley earned my hero a Jim Lee illustrated cut scene depicting his continued adventures and a special upgrade for his costume. I really like the way SOE is handling player-created characters and armor. Rather than give players items that resemble iconic DC costumes, they’re crafting a number of really cool looking parts. Though some parts (and colors) are associated with powers, there’s a clean split between the two. The idea is to offer enough variety and flexibility to encourage players to create something of their own design rather than server full of Batman, Flash and Green Lantern clones.

However, the game will include special armor sets bearing traits of classic heroes. As you play through the game, there’s a good chance you’ll end up saving Metropolis and Gotham more times than you’ll care to count. As a special reward, heroes will bestow you with unique armor sets. Superman will give players the “Armor of El,” which looks like a cross between Steel’s armor and the crystalline walls of the Fortress of Solitude. Also on display was Batman’s armor, which resembles a beefier version of the Batman Beyond costume.

No matter how many times I see it, DC Universe Online continues to impress. Thankfully, the previews end this November.