If you've yet to commit to DC Universe Online due to price or hardware restraints (if you don't have a PS3 or a PC, you're S.O.L.) or maybe horror stories of sever overloads, you can now visit the virtual world of Champions Online for free. That's right, while Sony's beautiful but presently buggy DC Universe costs $15 a month to visit, Cryptic Studios' long-running Champions game -- retitled as Champions Online: Free-for-All -- now offers free admission to anyone with a suitable PC.

Developed by Cryptic Studios and published by Atari, Champions Online: Free-for-All is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in a superhero universe. Ostensibly based on the tabletop RPG game, Cryptic, who also created City of Heroes, based the game on the Marvel Comics universe before arcane legal circumstances necessitated the change. The game offers players what it touts as "unlimited" character customization options with "unimaginable" powers, with particular emphasis on creating one's own nemesis.

Naturally, Champions Online: Free-for-All offers users some pay-only extras that some more serious players may desire. A "Gold" subscription model gives players the abilities to mix and match powers, access to more costumes, access to all current and future Adventure Packs and a monthly allowance of 400 Cryptic points. You can learn more about the payment plans and associated features at the Champions Online feature matrix.

[Via Joystiq]