MMORPG News

MMORPG News

Hellgate: Expanding to Tokyo Next Week

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 09:15 AM PDT

Fans of Hellgate will have a new location in which to battle the demonic hordes come September 22nd. The Tokyo region will be added to the game with new quests, monsters, gear and more.

Guild Wars 2: Rata Sum, Capitol of the Asura

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 07:40 AM PDT

The Guild Wars 2 team has sent out the latest video featuring the capital city of the the Asura, Rata Sum. The city seems like a giant playground and is filled with the noises and ambiance that Asura love best.

General: Kingdoms of Amalur Pre-Order Bonuses Announced

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 07:10 AM PDT

38 Studios has announced several very nice pre-order bonuses for its upcoming title, Kingdoms of Amalur.

General: Zombies are Better than Vampires

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 04:58 PM PDT

Pirates and Ninjas. Capulets and Montagues. Daffy and Donald. Pittsburgh and Green Bay. The ages are replete with folks verbally sparring about why what they love is better than what someone else adores. In today's column, Coyote brings up another pairing that can divide families: Zombies and Vampires and the roles they play in today's culture. Read on and then leave the neutral zone to fight for what you love!

Star Wars: The Old Republic: SWTOR's Story Will Change Questing Forever

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 10:29 AM PDT

Exclamation points and walls of text are the standard for quests in MMOs today. In his latest column, MMORPG.com Managing Editor Bill Murphy takes a look at innovative new quest features that Bioware is bringing to the table with Star Wars: The Old Republic. See why Bill thinks questing will change forever and then let us know what you think in the comments.

Wakfu: PAX – The Pandawa and Drunken Martial Arts

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 10:52 AM PDT

The DOFUS Pandawa character has evolved for Wakfu players in that it will be playable right from the start as opposed to being a premium character. At the recent PAX convention, MMORPG.com's Carolyn Koh got a look at the Pandawa and the fascinating world of drunken martial arts. Check it out and then leave us your thoughts in the comments.

SMITE: PAX – The Game Teaches Us to Love the MOBA

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 10:42 AM PDT

During PAX last month, MMORPG.com's Adam Janovyak had the opportunity for a first hand look at Hi-Rez Studios' SMITE, an upcoming MOBA. From all that Adam saw, SMITE is well prepared to take on the genre including giving ancient gods the opportunity to beat the snot out of one another. Check out Adam's thoughts about SMITE and then leave us a comment or two.

Star Supremacy: Closed Beta Launching September 19th

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 06:47 AM PDT

Players looking for a new space-themed MMO will want to head over to the Star Supremacy site and sign on for the closed beta which is, according to Barbily Games, set to launch on September 19th.

Allods Online: New Content & a Smoother Leveling Curve

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 06:42 AM PDT

Both North American and European Allods Online players will see some significant changes to the leveling curve with the October update. New content will also be added to the game as well as new 24/7 PvP arena action.

MapleStory: In-Game Marriage & Heartbreak

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 06:34 AM PDT

In one of the oddest press releases we've ever received, the MapleStory team has sent along word that over 75% of in-game marriages have ended in virtual divorce (surprise, surprise!) in the last year alone.

Runescape: Walk Down Memory Lane with Classic Version

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 06:28 AM PDT

First launched in 2001, RuneScape Classic has been on the scene for ten years now. Jagex has just announced that players will have one last chance to walk down memory lane in RuneScape Classic from September 15th to 29th.

EverQuest: Veil of Alaris Beta Apps Being Accepted

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 01:42 PM PDT

The official closed beta for Everquest: Veil of Alaris began yesterday but the dev team is still accepting applications for players to help test out the latest expansion to the iconic series.

Guild Wars 2: Writing the Snarky Little Geniuses

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 11:51 AM PDT

In the latest article specific to Asura Week, Guild Wars 2 design team member Angel Leigh McCoy talks about the challenges, and the fun, of writing what she calls the "snarky little geniuses".

Rusty Hearts: Open Beta Begins

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 11:41 AM PDT

Perfect World Entertainment has sent along word that its hack'n'slash title, Rusty Hearts, is now officially in its open beta phase of development.

PlanetSide 2: Comm-Link: Matt Higby

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 11:31 AM PDT

The PlanetSide 2 site has been updated with a new post by Creative Director Matt Higby. In the article, Higby speaks about the creative team and its mission when it comes to PlanetSide 2.

End of Nations: F2P Interview at RTSGuru.com

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 11:23 AM PDT

End of Nations Executive Producer David Luehmann stopped by RTSGuru.com to chat with editors about the recently-revealed free to play nature of the game. The interview features a look at why the decision was made and how it will impact future development and more. Head over to RTSGuru.com to read the full End of Nations Free to Play Interview.

General: Diablo III: Auction House to Utilize PayPal

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 11:17 AM PDT

Blizzard has announced its partnership with PayPal to enable players to purchase items in the Diablo III auction house.

Lord of the Rings Online: Rise of Isengard Screens Show Off Combat

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 09:55 AM PDT

Turbine and the Lord of the Rings Online team have released eight new screenshots from the Rise of Isengard expansion that is set to hit servers later this month. Check them all out in our Lord of the Rings Online screenshot gallery.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Same Gender Romances Coming Post-Launch

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 09:26 AM PDT

In an official statement on the Star Wars: The Old Republic site, Bioware's Stephen Reid has told fans that same-sex relationships between players and companion characters will be included in a post-launch patch.

4Story: New Dungeons Coming in Next Patch

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 09:21 AM PDT

The 4Story team has announced that two new dungeons will be added to the game with the next content patch. Both Hellfire Labyrinth and Mardook's Nest will be accessible only through the Aerial Wargrounds.

Eden Eternal: Anuran Race Included in Latest Update

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 09:10 AM PDT

Aeria Games has announced the release of new content for Eden Eternal that includes a new playable race, the Anuran. In addition, players over level 20 will be allowed to sell their own goods in player shops.

Hellgate: Descend into Hell with Ripper X

Posted: 12 Sep 2011 06:06 PM PDT

What originally began its life as Hellgate: London has been reborn as today's Hellgate. The new iteration is a reborn version of the original and our own Ripper X has stopped in for a look. Check out Ripper's first impressions in Hellgate: First Impressions with Ripper X, our latest exclusive game overview video.

Rift: Caedryn Reborn

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 12:08 PM PDT

We have a brilliant new feature for our MMORPG.com readers. Called "Chronicles of One Telaran", the column is a series of basic guides and walkthroughs told in a journal fashion by a master storyteller. Chronicles follows the adventures of one man throughout the entire game. First writer Paul Crilley presents the story of Guardian Caedryn. Later, you'll hear the exploits of an as-yet unnamed Defiant. Sit back, relax and enjoy Chronicles of One Telaran: Caedryn Reborn!

Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Darker Side of Smuggling

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 09:21 AM PDT

If Han Solo played Star Wars: The Old Republic, there's no question he'd play the Smuggler class. Smugglers, by their very nature, aren't always good guys, sometimes allying with nefarious characters such as Jabba the Hutt. As MMORPG.com Community Manager Mike Bitton says, "Han Solo wasn't always a hero". In today's column devoted to SWTOR, Mike talks about the darker side of the smuggler. Check out Mike's thoughts and then add yours in the comments.

General: Five Things to Love About Playing Solo

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 11:34 AM PDT

In The List today, MMORPG.com Associate Editor Suzie Ford takes a look at all the wonders of solo play. Massive multiplayer means nothing to we, the soloists of the genre. Find out why soloing is THE way to go in The List! Have more reasons to add? Think that group play is the only way? Let us know in the comments.
Posted by Shri Krishna

General gaming

General gaming

TGS: Capcom Really Likes Spending Money on Dragon's Dogma

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 07:41 AM PDT

You may recall that Capcom developers have spoken a few times about Dragon's Dogma -- their upcoming medieval-'em-up with climbable creatures and a high-end Monster Hunter feel -- being a pretty expensive game to develop.

There was the time they said that the team working on it is the biggest within Capcom, at around 150 members. And the time they said games like this "cost a ton of money" and that's why we don't see more of them from Japanese developers. Sites like Kotaku have even mentioned rumors that this is Capcom's most expensive game to date.

Review: You Can Play Gears of War 3 for 100+ Hours (If You Liked the Last Two)

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:01 AM PDT

Gears of War 3 is an amazing game, jam packed with things to do. It's designed from the top down to ensure that you never stop playing it.

Most players will start out with the campaign. Which delivers an amazing (but expected) number of set pieces, and badass moments. The best way to experience said moments is to play Gears with three of your friends in co-op mode on one of the higher difficulty levels (normal is seriously a joke.) You can play in standard or arcade mode, which awards points and offers you a multiplier for killing enemies without you or an ally going down and needing to be revived. When you can't get four friends together, it might be worth running through the campaign alone to see the game's story -- which is much improved over the previous two iterations.

TGS: Project Draco Looks a Lot like "Panzer Dragoon Kinect"

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 11:54 PM PDT

In meeting rooms at this year's Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft is showing off Project Draco, the game everyone at 1UP made fun of Matt for liking last year but will now turn around and be in love with. Matt and Scooter just saw it, and both wanted to force their opinions on you.

Matt: I'm just glad it's here, first off, since we haven't seen or heard anything about the game in the past year. First impression is it's super colorful, with some interesting virtual pet features, three-player online co-op, and controls that are really similar to Child of Eden's. The whole interface brings back Child of Eden memories, actually, from the right hand lock-on attacks to the left hand more powerful attacks, to throwing both hands in the air for bombs. But the developers tell us there will be a lot more variety for those kinds of things though different dragons, upgrades, etc.

TGS: Final Fantasy Type-0 is Dark, Ambitious, Promising

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 10:59 PM PDT

Final Fantasy Type-0 has lived a troubled life. Originally announced as Final Fantasy Agito XIII more than five years ago, the title has experienced a change of both platforms (from mobile phones to PSP) and game style (from card-based RPG to Monster Hunter-alike). Normally, that sort of history spells trouble. But Type-0 -- still a distant cousin of FFXIII as part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis sub-series -- hardly looks like a development hell trainwreck. On the contrary, Type-0 has the potential to be Square Enix's finest work on PSP... and possibly one of the best PSP titles to date, period.

The Type-0 TGS demo features different content than the one released on Japan's PSN a few months back. It offers a few different scenarios; I picked the one that simulates a multiplayer session with AI-controlled companions. The game feels a lot like recent Parasite Eve sequel The 3rd Birthday (hardly surprising, given its common creative heritage); but where The 3rd Birthday felt like a limited shooter, Type-0 feels more like a proper action RPG. Players can swap between any of three characters with the press of a button, and each fighter has a very different feel. The demo mixes up gender stereotypes by including a heavy-mace-user (a scrawny girl in a skirted school uniform) and a bow-wielder (a more solidly built male).

TGS: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is Cute, Fun, in Need of a Little Polish

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 10:36 PM PDT

Square Enix hasn't announced Theatrhythm Final Fantasy for U.S. release yet, but I hope it makes its way west. It's a stiff challenge for musically challenged people like me, but the adorable visuals and great music combine to make it a fantastic audio-visual experience. That being said, Theatrhythm -- or at least the version on display at Tokyo Game Show -- isn't quite ready for prime time.

The problem, unfortunately, is that it's a just a bit unpolished. That's to be expected from demos, and I'm happy to give the game the benefit of a doubt. But the things that I love about it also create some minor issues that make it feel a little sloppy and unfinished. Again, demo. I get it.

Let's start with the music. Theatrhythm is a Final Fantasy music game, and it uses the original game soundtracks. That means when you play tracks from the original Final Fantasy, you're hearing NES chip tunes. When you play "One Winged Angel," you're hearing Final Fantasy's VII's compressed samples and cold PCM. That's cool. The problem, however, is that those tracks were meant to loop, so they don't have a natural conclusion. And rather than fading down where they would on an original soundtrack compilation, they just fade after an arbitrary amount of time. So that NES theme loops several times, while "One Winged Angel" doesn't even complete a single cycle. Much as I love the authentic, original renditions of the music, the game would probably work better with arranged versions that end properly and embellish some of the more simplistic older tunes with added variety and improvisation.

TGS: Kingdom Hearts 3D Brings The World Ends With You Into the Family

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 10:11 PM PDT

I won't lie: I'm not much of a Kingdom Hearts fan. I like the concept enough in the abstract -- Disney meets Final Fantasy? Bizarrely hilarious! -- but the story and play have always left me cold. I'm warming up the the series thanks to the strength of some of its better portable iterations, though. While the series wasn't much to speak of on GBA or DS, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep on PSP was much better than it had any right to be, and its upcoming 3DS version, Dream Drop Distance, builds further on Sleep's refinements. It also features Neku Sakuraba from The World Ends With You, which does a lot to win me over.

Neku appears as a guest character in Sora's side of the TGS demo -- though not a playable guest. Both Neku and his rival/friend/frienemy Riku team up with captured dream-monsters this time around rather than fighting alongside licensed characters. Neku's role is more that of the Disney-world guests from previous games. He shows up, reveals that he's caught in a "game," leaving him 43 minutes to win or die. Naturally, he asks Sora to be his partner but ultimately decides the tousle-haired protagonist is "a weird guy" and takes off. Sora follows, riding rails in pursuit of Neku, but quickly encounters a boss battle set in a cul-de-sac of Traverse Town.

TGS: 3DS Frankenstick Hands-On and Photos

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 08:14 PM PDT

3DS SlidePad extension

After all the jokes, analysis, and theories on how a second analog stick could help Nintendo's current 3DS predicament, I got my hands-on the "Frankenstick" base/second analog pad attachment (that will add camera control to games like Monster Hunter, Metal Gear, etc.) at Capcom's Tokyo Game Show booth today.

I didn't have much time with the unit, and it wasn't running any software, so these are early impressions, but the main two things that jumped out at me are that it feels as big as it looks in pictures, and it's very light -- it seems almost hollow, which makes sense given that there's probably not a lot of tech packed into the base.

I've heard people compare it to the Game Gear, and I don't think that's accurate -- it's much more ergonomic and comfortable to hold, though it does have some of the bulk of Sega's machine. I can't see anyone carrying this around in their pocket, for instance -- the width would make that nearly impossible.

TGS: A Tentative Look at Square Enix's U.S. Line-up

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 07:30 PM PDT

With its strong stable of Eidos games like Tomb Raider, Thief IV, and Hitman, Square Enix's U.S. line-up relies almost entirely on western-developed titles; at the moment, Final Fantasy XIII-2 is the company's only Japan-developed title confirmed for U.S. release. Nothing has changed, exactly, but the existence of a special Tokyo Game Show break-out room for American press hints at possible candidates for localization.

Besides FFXIII-2, the American press room included demo kiosks for Final Fantasy Type-0 (formerly Final Fantasy Agito XIII), Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance (a 3DS title that brings Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame and Neku from The World Ends With You into the Kingdom Hearts universe), 3DS music game Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, and Army Corps of Hell (a new Vita game best described as "heavy metal Pikmin"). Square representatives were careful to stress that none of these games besides XIII-2 have been announced for American localization, but the fact that they were specifically highlighted for U.S. writers suggests they're at least under consideration -- a heartening sign for Type-0 in particular, as it's an excellent-looking title that seemed likely to fall victim to the stagnant American PSP market.

Super Mario 3D Land Marries Nostalgia With Cool 3D Effects

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 04:49 PM PDT

Our own Jeremy Parish wrote about Super Mario 3D Land and how it feels like every Mario game rolled into one back at E3; but unfortunately he's off in Japan right now for Tokyo Game Show 2011. And so the call was made to the 1UP bullpen, sending me off to cover a private demo for Nintendo's first 3DS Mario title. Representatives from the Japanese company let me play through World 1 - 2, 1 - 3, 1 - 4, and the first castle stage to get a glimpse at the game's delightful nostalgic touches.

It's safe to assume that the first stages of any Mario game are a cakewalk, and although level 1 - 2 was no exception, it wisely borrows familiar inspirations from the original Super Mario Bros. The first stage I play begins in the familiar blue brick-lined depths of the Mushroom Kingdom, and plays to your nostalgia with stage music that's a variation of the SMB underground theme.

Review: Radiant Silvergun on XBLA Will Satisfy Your 13-Year Curiosity

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 03:45 PM PDT

It's funny what a mix of good and bad timing can do for a game. Take Radiant Silvergun, for instance: originally an arcade game and then a relatively limited Japanese Saturn release in 1998, the game became a favorite among the ultra-hardcore, import-happy crowd... assuming they could get the game. Due to its short life on the shelf and the general fervor over its developer Treasure, Silvergun quickly gained triple-digit price tags. Some would suggest that not playing Radiant Silvergun doesn't make you a real gamer. Well, it's not that good, but now it's back and better and easier to get than ever.

Radiant Silvergun is definitely a shooter from 1998. It requires a different kind of skill than today's arcade shoot-em-ups, where the number one strategy is knowing when to tip-toe between curtains of bullets. Here, enemies are typically small and everywhere, bosses and midbosses are frequent, and they all have tricky patterns that can throw you off if you don't learn them or don't kill the boss before they get really tricky. On top of that, the game has an orthodox emphasis on weaponry. You have three basic attack types -- vulcan, homing, or spread -- that can be combined to make different combinations, like a vulcan cannon that fires from both ends of the ship, or a homing laser that goes for any enemy in your radius. Oh, and a "radiant sword" that you can swing around or use it to absorb certain pink bullets and charge up a super slash. In this version, you can map the combinations to any button you want, but the tower of button icons on the side of the screen when playing can still look a little intimidating. Nevertheless, it's a feast of firepower.

Posted by Shri Krishna
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