| Dark Blood Online Posted: 27 Jul 2012 04:49 PM PDT Dark Blood Online pits player versus player in exciting arena combat. As the descendant of a fallen hero, it is your task to discover the evil seeking to take over the world, and use mysterious powers to overcome it. Engage others in exciting, fast paced action. Utilize skills, combos. and abilities to overcome your opponents. Fight in a bloody arena, where only the strongest will be recognized.  Publisher: Outspark
Playerbase: Medium
Graphics: Medium
Type: MMO
EXP Rate: Low
PvP: Yes
Filesize: 1.8GB Pros: +Class change even in combat. +Unique pet and monster transformation system. +Professional voice acting. Cons: -Crating takes a lot of refining. -Quests can be very grind heavy. -Monster transformations generally not worth using. 
  
OverviewDark Blood OverviewDark Blood Online is a PvP fighting game where players compete against one another in arena style combat. The game features mature content, and the battles get bloody and intense. There are several arenas that players may be put into, and each one has different tactics that need to be used in order to survive. Dark Blood ScreenshotsDark Blood Featured VideoComing Soon.. Full ReviewDark Blood Review Dark Blood Online harkens the nostalgia of platformer games of the past. With a 2-D background and 3-D characters, this action-packed side-scroller envelops players in a world battling evil forces. Using themes of magic, fantasy, evil creatures, and a rustic middle-ages look, Dark Blood is an MMO even the most casual of gamers can enjoy.  Breathe Life into Them Character creation is interesting to say the least. The animation choices to the female characters' breast create a strange visual of "breathing boobs". This animation translates into the gameplay as well. As with most MMOs, you have several options to customize the one of four characters currently available. The ability to modify the character's body, face, hair, etc, is all there for the players. Players are able to choose from a warrior, knight, hunter, and mage as their starting character. Below the character selection there is a small animation window that showcases the three different levels each class become. With the lack of a stats sheet for each character, new players must guess which class is right for them based on the animation box or just their past experience with generic classes in other MMOs.  When starting the game you're immediately thrown into a story of storming a castle and fighting monsters with a group of NPCs. The story at this time is vague, but the game chooses to immerse the player into the story, rather than tell a background story right off the bat. The battle scene also serves the purpose of providing a tutorial of the game's controls. Dark Blood's tutorial is a remarkably refreshing take, as it doesn't pile a list of instruction one right after another. It shows one control, allows the player to get used to that control, and then introduces the next in succession after offering ample time for the player to master the previous instructions. Once inside the castle, you fight monsters side-by-side with the NPCs on your team, guiding the player along the story. This is where it becomes confusing. After watching a short cut-scene of the action, your player wakes up semi-naked in a forest. You then have to help a woman from being attacked from wild hogs. Why you wake up in that forest is unexplained. Suddenly, you're in town talking to the blacksmith. These transitions are confusing, and the link between the different scenes seems unconnected.  Sound the Trumpets While the quests themselves try to explain the storyline and have you progress through the game, the manner in which they are performed is awkward. Some quests can be completed in seconds, one right after another. Players are met with a fanfare of trumpets each time a quest is completed. When you can complete a couple of quests in a matter of minutes, hearing the fanfare over and over can easily get on your nerves. The subjects of the quests are hit and miss at times. Sometimes the game gives an imaginative quest that's exciting and challenging, at other times it feels like a tedious chore.  The mechanics of the game are actually quite enjoyable, relying on the player to use the keyboard more so than any other controls. There are satisfying animations of each action sequences, and an overall solid combat system that creates an exciting experience for the player. The AI in the game is a bit off at times though. The creatures you battle may wander around screen aimlessly before coming anywhere near you. Some quests increase the difficultly of battles by simply increasing the number of these brain-dead creatures. There is an overwhelming disappointing feeling when you're pummeling creatures that aren't really fighting back.  Final Verdict: Good Dark Blood overall is an enjoyable game with potential, although I'd recommend it more to the casual gamer. The small world and the AI of the creatures may not be enjoyable to those who seek more of challenge from the games they play. While there is story to the game, it was difficult to follow along with; there is also a gap between connecting the quests to the storyline. But for those of you who enjoy PVP action, this game delivers. If action-packed fights are what you seek, but you really don't have the time to devote leveling up a character, Dark Blood would be a good fit for you. Within the time this review was written, they introduced their first content update, so I expect the game to grow and improve over time. ScreenshotsDark Blood Screenshots VideosDark Blood VideosComing Soon LinksDark Blood LinksOfficial Game Page System RequirementsDark Blood System RequirementsMinimum Requirements:
OS: Windows XP Service Pack 3
CPU: Intel Premium 4 2.42 GHz / AMD XP 2600+
RAM: 1GB
HDD: 3.0GB +
Graphics Card: GeForce FX 5700 / ATI Radeon 9600 PRO (128MB) |
| Universal Monsters Online announces closed beta signups Posted: 27 Jul 2012 04:06 PM PDT Bigpoint has announced that signups have begun for their new browser-based MOBA: Universal Monsters Online. Players interested in checking it out are encouraged to sign up on the Universal Monsters Online website. This initial testing phase is to get feedback for optimization and balance. Players can choose from several iconic Universal Studios monsters, such as the Wolfman, Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. The arena based gameplay pits two teams against each other, in a timed, winner-take-all competition. It emphasizes cooperation between teammates in order to take down their opponents and win the match. Bigpoint also publishes Drakensang Online and Battlestar Galactica Online.  Universal Monsters Online Gameplay Screenshot
Source: Bigpoint Undertakes Universal Monsters Online into Closed Beta Action Strategy and MOBA Fans can Sign-Up Now for Exclusive Early Access to the Free-to-Play Browser Game San Francisco – Jul. 27, 2012 – Bigpoint – a worldwide leader in online games – today announced that Universal Monsters Online has entered closed beta, and is now accepting player registrations to access the game before its global open beta launch. Developed in collaboration with Universal Partnerships & Licensing, Universal Monsters Online is a fast-paced, free-to-play Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game that brings together Universal's iconic monsters into one competitive experience. "We're excited to have players jump into the closed beta of Universal Monsters Online," said Billy Delli-Gatti, Producer, Bigpoint. "During this phase, we're able to test and optimize the game for improvements, and the community feedback we receive will help to ensure that the game is fun and entertaining." Universal Monsters Online pits the brand's iconic cast of monsters into a "winner-take-all" timed gameplay session where two opposing teams claw and gouge their way across a richly-detailed game environment to achieve the ultimate victory: raiding enemy territory to locate the damsel and returning her to the team's fortress. During the closed beta, players will be whisked into character selection mode where they can choose from a diabolical lineup of legendary monsters – Dracula, The Wolf Man, Creature from the Black Lagoon, and of course, Frankenstein's monster among many others. Full-team cooperation will be demanded to survive, succeed, and defeat the town's chaotic villagers, zombies, and seemingly indestructible turrets. Registration for Universal Monster Online's exclusive closed beta before its worldwide release can be found at: http://www.UniversalMonstersOnline.com/. In the following weeks, Bigpoint will increasingly unlock new player accounts for gamers to experience their favorite classic Universal Monsters in a refreshing new MOBA.
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| Illyriad update adds crafting to game Posted: 27 Jul 2012 03:58 PM PDT Illyriad Games has launched a new update to their flagship game Illyriad that allows players to begin crafting various items. The previous 17 resources are now joined by hundreds of new items, with several of them only being available in certain parts of the world. The update includes 72 new weapons, 53 new types of armor, 9 brand new mounts, 13 new specialist buildings, over 50 new resource types, dozens of lootable items from animals, and 187 new technologies to research. This is the largest game update to date, and players can expect a whole lot of changes in how they play the game in the next few months. Illyriad “Developer Chat” Video Source: Illyriad Update Adds Crafting and Advanced Trade 27 June 2012; London, UK. In the largest single release in the game’s history, the game economy of Illyriad, the acclaimed HTML5 massively multiplayer online strategy game, sees a dramatic expansion today, with new commodities, equipment, an expanded gathering system, crafting system and an expanded regional trade system. The previous 17 resources which could be traded in Illyriad are joined by hundreds of new items, ranging from grapes and wine to rare minerals and magical ingredients. With many commodities available only in specific parts of the game world, and some extremely rare, this opens up the possibility for elaborate player trade and crafting strategies, extending to monopolies and cartels. “This huge expansion in trade, and the whole crafting system that we are bringing in, opens up new choices for player specialisation. Specialist traders and specialist manufacturers will both have an important place in Illyriad going forward,” explained Illyriad’s founder, James Niesewand. “Illyriad has always been praised for its depth, and this release does add more depth. For example, military players previously had 8 basic troop types to choose from, but with the new equipment produced by crafting there will be thousands of possible troop load-outs, allowing players to customise their soldiers for different missions, terrains and even climates. So, for the military players, yes, there is more depth. But what this update really adds to Illyriad is breadth, allowing players to explore complex trading and manufacturing strategies.” This update includes:
72 new weapons
53 new armour types
9 new mounts
13 new specialist buildings
More than 50 new special resource types
Dozens of items lootable from animals
187 new technologies to research, ranging from Wine Making, to Faction Markets, to Obsidian Blade With such a dynamic change to the game, the full impact of the release could take several months to be felt by the players of Illyriad. All of the new buildings, equipment, researches and commodities in the release go live at the end of this week. Video with a developer Q&A session about the update can be found here: http://youtu.be/joYf0Y2eYGA
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| Digimon Masters launches Olympics themed update Posted: 27 Jul 2012 03:50 PM PDT Joymax has launched a new set of summer festival events for Digimon Masters. Players can head to the Data Center and begin their career as an athlete by talking to MudFrigimon. Competing will earn you medals, and turning in the medals will earn you a variety of prizes, including Evoluters and Reinforced Digi-eggs. Additionally, there will be a 100% bonus to experience throughout the month of August, with the bonus increasing to 200% on the weekends. Players can recruit a friend, and receive bonuses when said friend reaches level five, 10, and 20. Two new mercenary Digimon are also being released with the update. Joymax also publishes Silkroad Online and Knight Age.  Digimon Masters Gameplay Screenshot
Source: KICK OFF A MINI-SPORTS EVENT WITH DIGIMON MASTERS Play To Win Serious Prizes With Your Friends! Seoul, Korea, July 27, 2012– Joymax, leading online game developer and publisher, launched today a new set of summer festival events for the wildly popular online massive multiplayer title, Digimon Masters. Digimon Masters continues the story and heightened sense of urgency found in the Digimon anime, a fantastic universe where our world and the Digital World are closer than anyone would have imagined continues to evolve and expand the story of the Digimon universe. With prizes including coveted Mercenary Digi-Eggs, it's the perfect time to bring a friend and register together at http://www.joymax.com/portal It's time to hit the field in a number of Digimon-flavored sporting events! Head over to the NPC MudFrigimon in the Data Center to start your sports career and then trade in bronze, silver and gold medals for amazing prizes including costumes, avatar boxes, and more. Will you be the sports MVP? 80 players will win one of the coveted MVP awards, which include prize packs of Evoluters and Reinforced Digi-Eggs. Support your favorite tamer or sports team in-game and be entered into a draw for extra "cheer" gifts. All of this is in addition to a 100% EXP bonus, with a whopping 200% bonus during the weekends now until the end of August. Players both veteran and new can bring their friends to Digimon Masters for bonuses that are out of this world and the Digital World too! At level 5, 10, and 20 both the new player and their sponsor will receive gifts. In-game prizes for recruiting include a variety of items like Digi-Eggs, EXP Boosters, Evoluters, and many more. The full list of prizes can be found, along with other amazing Digimon news, on the official Digimon Masters Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/digimonmasters Two new mercenary Digimon are also joining the summertime festivities, just in time for the Mercenary Eggs gained via the mini-sports spectacular. The extremely popular Betamon, first available in Digimon Battle, is now joining the Digimon Masters team. New owners of Betamon will receive a limited time care package including medals to turn in for MudFrigimon. The first 5 players to level Betamon will receive extra bonuses, including the extremely rare reinforced Kudamon egg. Joining this fan favorite is Ornis Wing which brings Piyomon's Ultimate form. All of these games and festivities run from now until August 21st, so finishing training these new Digimon is your summer homework. Get studying!
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| Metin2 updates to celebrate The Olympics Posted: 27 Jul 2012 03:31 PM PDT Just in time for the Olympics, Gameforge has updated Metin2 with a couple of new features. Players can personalize their appearance with different hairstyles and outfits. These outfits can also be traded to other players if you get tired of them. Alchemists can now extract powerful crystals from gear above level 35, that strengthen the equipment the crystals are used on. This feature is most designed to help with difficult content, allowing players to develop powerful stats on their equipment. Finally, players may find fragments of a hero’s medal across the world. Collecting them all gives an amulet with various bonuses to the player, and a chest that can contain one of the new outfits. Gameforge also publishes Bounty Bay Online and NosTale,  Metin2 Gameplay Screenshot
Source: Metin2: Outfit and Energy Systems implemented Two new systems and a sporty event for the 2012 summer games Karlsruhe, 27.07.2012 - The hunt for medals is open in the kingdom of the Dragon God. In time for the start of the 2012 summer games in London, Gameforge will be entertaining Metin2 players with a sporty event and the new outfit and energy systems. Outfit switching in the land of the Dragon
The new outfit system brings a breath of fresh air to adventurers’ wardrobes. Players can now personalise their appearance with different outfits and hairstyles. If they do not find their favourite outfit straight away, or if they feel their old one no longer suits them, players have the possibility to exchange them amongst one another. All these items will then cover the player’s existing equipment: the equipment’s attributes will be kept however. A Winner’s Chest will be offered in the item shop during the summer games in London for a limited time. This will include exclusive outfits styled after various sport types. Hunt for medals
The hero’s medal fragments have been strewn in all directions. An amulet with valuable bonuses and a chest that may contain one of the new outfits wait as a reward for heroes who are able to bring these fragments together. Energy system
As of now, Alchemists are offering additional services in which they are able to attain extremely powerful energy crystals from items level 35 and up. These strengthen the bonuses of equipped items, helping to master even the most challenging battles bravely. Cashback Event
All players who make purchases in the item shop between 28.07.12 and 29.07.12 will receive 10% of their spent Dragon Coins back on their accounts on 30.07.12. Thanks to this, the new outfit introduction is even more value for money.
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| Rock Hippo announces Olympic events Posted: 27 Jul 2012 02:52 PM PDT To celebrate the 2012 Olympics in London, Rock Hippo has released new events for MicroVolts and Brawl Busters. Players in Microvolts can compete in five different events that award Micro-lympic points for their clan, such as a relay race and swimming. These points can turn into various rewards, such as bronze, silver, and gold weapon sets. Brawl Busters players will be able to compete in a variety of events as well, like boxing and a zombie killing Marathon. The top three crews in the Brawlympics receive the rare Lightning outfit set for each member.  Microvolts Gameplay Screenshot
Source: GO FOR THE GOLD IN THE MICRO-LYMPICS AND BRAWLYMPICS GAMES Brawl Busters And MicroVolts Celebrate The 2012 Summer Olympics Markham, Canada – July 27, 2012 - To celebrate the start of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, Rock Hippo Productions announced today that both popular free-to-play games, Brawl Busters and MicroVolts, will host their very own Micro-Lympics and Brawlympics games for their Clans and Crews. Both events will begin today, July 27th and run through August 12th. Busters can suit up and go for the gold at www.BrawlBusters.com. MicroVolters can check out all that the Micro-lympics has to offer at www.MicroVolts.com. Starting today, MicroVolters can participate in 5 events to earn Micro-lympic Points for their clan that can translate into huge grand prizes including a Gold, Silver or Bronze Weapon Set. Events will include all the Olympic favorites including a Relay race as players try to grab five batteries in the fastest time from the enemy’s base, a Diving contest to master the most fanciful dive from the top of the Toy Fleet map and a Shooting competition to aim for the most hits on the jumping GMs as they bounce off trampolines!. To compete in these games plus more, players can visit http://mall.MicroVolts.com/microlympics.aspx for all the event details! Players can also look forward to a brand new English MicroVolts website coming soon next week! Busters worldwide can also look forward to a slew of exciting Brawlympic competitions! Players will strive to earn the most EXP in the Marathon event, top Boxers will face off in a Team Deathmatch tournament, quick brawlers will take on Zombie Survival in Sprint, sharp-shooters will compete for the Archery medals, and teamwork will be put to test in Relay Race! The top three Crews of the Brawlympics will win the highly-coveted and rare Lightning outfit set for each Crew member. Players can check out all the event details and participation info at http://mall.BrawlBusters.com/brawlympics.
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| Mail.ru games celebrate the Olympics Posted: 27 Jul 2012 02:39 PM PDT Mail.ru has announced that it will offer everyone that plays their games a chance to compete like the athletes from the Olympics, right from home. Legend: Legacy of the Dragon players can compete in traditional events like a triathlon, javelin throw, or archery, as well as some unique ones like the caber toss. The server with the most medals at the end of the competition will receive great honor. Juggernaut will also feature similar games, such as hurdles through aggressive monsters, and a shot put throw.  Legend: Legacy of the Dragons Gameplay Screenshot
Source: Mail.Ru Games’ Legend: Legacy of Dragons And Juggernaut Celebrate The Olympics July 27, 2012–While from today on athletes from all over the world compete at the Olympic Games in London, Mail.Ru Games, publisher of internationally successful games like Gunblade Saga, Juggernaut and Legend: Legacy of the Dragons, offers everybody staying at home the chance to enter another kind of friendly competition. The goddess Sheara invites athletic Magmars and Humans in Legend: Legacy of the Dragons to enter the Faeo Summer Games. Sports people compete in rather traditional sports like a relay race, a triathlon, a javelin throw and archery, as well as in some extraordinary ones including tossing the caber and the Beroner run, where contestants have to carry their mounts on their shoulders. Successful contestants win Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. At the end of the Faeo Summer Games Mail.Ru Games will tally the results of every server in order to see which race has gained the most medals and by that, Honor. But the Summer Games have not been restricted to only one of Mail.Ru Games several games. For example players of Juggernaut match each other in a hurdle race full of dangerous and aggressive monsters, a relay race, shot put and a javelin throw. At the end of the games, champions of all races and factions celebrate their victories with numerous minigames and a funfair.
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| Grepolis launches Olympic events Posted: 27 Jul 2012 02:23 PM PDT Innogames has announced the release of Olympic-themed events for Grepolis that will run parallel to the 2012 Olympics in London. Players may train athletes to take part in the games. Four disciplines will be tested: hoplit race, archery, javelin, and chariot racing. Success at each of the games awards bay leaves, which can be turned in for in-game bonuses and advantages. The most successful athletes will earn their kingdom vast improvements, with massive boosts to troops and cities being awarded. Innogames also publishes Tribal Wars and Forge of Empires.  Grepolis Gameplay Screenshot
Source: Let the Games Begin: Grepolympia Starts Today! Hamburg, July 27, 2012. Today InnoGames started an event of Olympic proportions in the strategy browser game Grepolis. Grepolympia will be running on the ancient island worlds for the next four weeks – running parallel to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. From now on, the most excellent athletes in the worlds will face each other in fierce competition. Players, who successfully train their protégés will receive numerous in-game advantages. Players will prepare their athletes for four gripping disciplines: hoplit race, archery, Javelin throwing, and chariot race. Each competition takes a week and requires a balanced training of several skills. Successful athletes obtain bay leaves, which can be exchanged for several bonuses and advantages. The most successful will be bestowed with awards, ensuring eternal glory, and powerful Olympian rewards, massively boosting one’s troops and cities. Grepolis is a strategy game set in Ancient Greece. In the browser-based title, players are tasked with building up a vast metropolis and uniting with others to establish a powerful military and conquer far away islands. The gods of Greek mythology; Zeus, Hera, Athena, Poseidon, Hades and Artemis influence the players’ fate. The game is free to play and does not require a download. Next to Grepolis, InnoGames has published major browser game titles such as Tribal Wars and Forge of Empires. With more than 80 million registered users, the German company belongs to the biggest developers and publishers of online games.
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