Totally agree with this. I have a level 28 Chanter as well as a 22 Cleric, (yeah always play the priest type class) and am really enjoying the game. The abyss is a lot of fun and you really learn about the pros and cons of flying in this zone. No linger is flying / gliding a means of fast travel, it now becomes more of a strategic tool esp if you are a melee class.
I really wasn't a big fan of the rifts, for me they were more of a gank patrol then anything else but that might have had more to do with the hours i was playing then a fault with the game.
Still wish they had battle grounds for some fast pvp action and anther means of levelling rather then mob grinding but we cant have everything.

/agree

I'll be the first to tell anyone on the fence about Aion that 1-20 is mediocre at best. I nomally don't like to recommend a game that only gets fun after a certain time investment, as I feel any good game should be fun out the gates. But, I'll make an exception for Aion, as the payoff at 20, and 10-fold at 25, is just absolutely worth it (disclaimer: you *must* be a fan of PvP, otherwise Aion just simply isn't for you).

Level 31 Gladiator here, and the PvP is just absolutely phenomenal. I've had a ton of fun with rifting, especially doing the spy quests, as they're not only challenging but some are quite intense. But at 25 the Abyss is just my kind of hardcore playground.

Some of the best PvP I've experienced in a long time. Drawn out and exciting battles, with a lot of cat'n'mouse. Spontaneous group encounters occurring frequently, gloves come off, and it's just a freakin' riot.

Mad fun, Aion is a damn fine PvP game.