MMO News |
- Blade Hunter – Satisfy your Violent Urges
- Monster Madness Online
- Wakfu F2P Review
- Aura Kingdom Launches Into Closed Beta
- Weekly Recap #168 Dec. 23rd – League of Legends, Jade Dynasty, Marvel Heroes & More!
- DOTA 2 Winter Update: Wraith-Night
- PWI: New Horizons Expansion Trailer
- HiRez Speaks out Against Youtube Copyright Changes
| Blade Hunter – Satisfy your Violent Urges Posted: 24 Dec 2013 01:09 PM PST By Jordan Hall (ApocaRUFF), OnRPG Journalist
Introduction Blade Hunter is an action-packed side-scrolling MMOARPG. If you’ve played Dungeon Fighter Online, the nostalgia factor will be high. With its 2D graphics and intense combat, you will probably find yourself enjoying the game immediately. While not much new is offered, what is available is tried-and-tested gameplay mechanics that have proven to be quite enjoyable. With it’s own unique spin on the side-scrolling ARPG genre, Blade Hunter should be a blast to play.
Customization This one of the weak points of the game, unfortunately. However, I can understand it as Blade Hunter is based on the popular side-scrolling ARPGs that were developed in the early 2000′s, so it makes sense that they would go that route. You are given three classes to choose from, and these are your typical caster, warrior, and rogue. You don’t have much control over your character past the gear you decide to wear, and the choices are limited even in this area. Perhaps later on in the games development more customization will be offered, but for now it’s severely lacking.
Graphics I was actually surprised by how much I liked the 2D graphics in Blade Hunter. I didn’t think I would hate the graphics, but at the same time I expected I wouldn’t particularly like them either. However, once I was actually in the game and playing, I couldn’t help but marvel at the background artwork. The character artwork and animations aren’t half-bad, too. Can’t say I can complain about anything as, once again, the retro-style was a purposeful design decision by the developers. It’s a bonus that it turned out quite well, and you can tell some talented artists worked on this game.
Controls I don’t think this often, but Blade Hunter would be a great game to play with a controller. It’s unfortunate that I didn’t have one handy. WASD or arrow keys were used for movement, and keys such as H, J, and L were used to activate special moves. I have to admit that, at first, I found the controls confusing and hard to use. After a half an hour or so, though, I was able to play just fine. Overall, the controls were responsive and smooth, so I can’t complain.
Community The game offers many different chat channels to communicate with other players, including guilds, parties, and PM’s. It seems like a lot of the players do not speak English as a native language, and it’s not uncommon to see other languages in the world chat (and there’s nothing wrong with that). There are a lot of English speakers, too. A lot of the players seem to be younger (in the 12-16 age range), but there are more than a few mature players though. I didn’t notice any trolling, and had a mostly pleasant experience with the games community.
Gameplay The gameplay in Blade Hunter is similar to other ARPG’s. There are a hub towns, from which you go out and complete zones and dungeons of varying difficulties. The goal of the game is to progress along the story, trying to complete areas with the best possible score while completing quests for rewards. Although the game is a "side-scroller", you are actually given six directions (Forward, backwards, up, down, foreground, background) of movement, as opposed to the usual four (Forward, backward, up, and down) that we expect from a side-scroller.
Combat in the game is pretty exciting. There are basic attacks, special abilities, and combos. Expect to see enemies (or yourself) flying around from being hit. Movement, specifically jumping, is important to combat when fighting certain types of opponents. Hit-count is very important in this game, to the point that your end score when you complete an area is affected by how high you got your hit combo.
The questing and storylines in the game aren’t as in-depth as you would expect from a game in 2013. Quests consists of completing areas, so don’t expect any choices or puzzles. The story unfolds via cutscenes, which you’ll probably end up skipping after the first story-arc (I did, at least). I didn’t have much of a problem with this, as most of us wont be playing the game for the story (though it is a nice bonus). Don’t expect much more than a decent read if you want story from this game.
The areas are pretty straight forward. You’ll go to the edge of the hub town, get a map that allows you to choose which zone you want to enter, and then you’re in. From there you will kill plenty of normal mobs, maybe one or two sub-bosses, and then you’ll face off against the main boss of the area. The bosses often have special abilities and a massive amount of HP. This will, for the most part, be the only challenging portion of the area. Once you kill the boss you are given a score, consisting of stars for different things such as your hit-combos, and an overall grade. After that you’ll get a chest to open for some loot, and then you’re popped back into the hub town.
Conclusion: Excellent Blade Hunter is a pretty nice retro experience. I had previously never played games like this, but always regretted not giving Dungeon Fighter Online a try as it seemed like people were having a blast playing it. So getting a chance to play Blade Hunter was a treat and I had a blast with it. Some nice bonuses are the fact that the game is browser-based and the game is fairly low-spec and will be playable even on old machines. If you’re looking for a side-scrolling ARPG that is browser-based, this will more than likely be the game that you’re looking for.
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| Posted: 24 Dec 2013 12:31 PM PST Take the fight to the alien mothership in this quirky and intense MMORPG action shooter from the same developers that created Dungeon Defenders!  Publisher: Nom Nom Games Pros: +Lots of customization. +Variety of game modes. +Steam Workshop. Cons: -Limited informaton available.
Overview Monster Madness Online OverviewMonster Madness Online is a free-to-play action shooter from the same team that created Dungeon Defenders, and made available cross-platform. Battle alone or with others in intense PvE and PvP modes, including Rogue-like campaigns, Team Deathmatch battles, and even player-created mods through Steam Workshop. With extensive customization options including skills, gear, and even the game itself, there’s plenty to make your mark. Monster Madness Online Screenshots          Monster Madness Online Featured Video Full Review Monster Madness Online ReviewComing Soon… Screenshots Monster Madness Online ScreenshotsComing Soon… Videos Monster Madness Online VideosMonster Madness Online Announcement Trailer System Requirements Monster Madness Online System RequirementsComing Soon… |
| Posted: 24 Dec 2013 10:12 AM PST By Remko Molenaar (Proxzor) In my opinion there are only a few MMORPGs with an interesting story line, and one of these are Dofus and Wakfu. Wakfu is a game that takes place in the same world of Dofus, it is around a thousand years after the start of the age of Dofus and in Wakfu you will be able to choose one of the few roles to steer the current world into the right direction. Be a fighter, a politician or just a merchant, anything is possible in Wakfu, a game that makes you feel more like a citizen of a larger empire than just a hero. Wakfu is a turn-based Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game. And even though I have never been a big fan of turn based games, Wakfu does this different than others. But before I go more into the intricacies of combat let's start with the basics. In Wakfu you can be anything you imagine. There are many roles that you can fulfill and that's what makes the world feel live more than any other MMORPG. You aren't really bound to do one job; you can just choose what kind of path you take. When you begin playing this might be a bit overwhelming, so a starter class is available to take you through the tutorial. Once you have your footing you'll be able to decide on what your actual class will be. This system provides an nice easy learning slope into the more advanced mechanics, and believe me you will want to learn all you can because Wakfu is a cut apart from the typical MMORPG mold. When you are done with the tutorial or you decided to skip it, you can take the plunge into one of fifteen available classes. Each one of these classes is specialized into something, either in being a specialized melee fighter or one that prefers to stay at a range to kill its enemies. Unfortunately there is not a lot of information about these classes and I had no idea what to choose when picking one. For as detailed as their tutorial is, their class demo is quite limited and I ended up wasting time testing three classes before finding one that matched my playstyle. When you have finally decided on a class and done a couple of quests you can also choose a nation. And these aren't just normal nations that you can find in other MMORPGs. Instead the nations of Wakfu are led by actual players like yourself. When you have become a citizen you can climb up the ladder and actually get a higher job in the ranks of your nation. You can even become a political figure in Wakfu, and before you know it you are the new Obama of your nation. This game is all about strategy; you really have to know what you are doing when picking a fight. Fighting is different, since the combat is turn-based you will have to think through your strategy out ahead of time if you are going to overcome a more powerful leveled opponent. Before the battle starts you are able to pick between a few available positions for your opening move. Some of these are closer to your enemy while others offer flanking opportunities, so consider your class' specialization and plan accordingly. Even during the tutorial I found myself fighting monsters that were way stronger than me and I actually had to redo the fight several times just to get a better outcome. And when you level up you get to pick what kind of way you want your character to build towards. This is done through a skill point system that offers you the freedom to pump various stats. Each class also has elemental spells, fifteen in total, and when you are new you are given one spell of three or four elements. The choice is completely yours and serves to be a primary distinguishing factor from other players using your class. All the elementals define your character by giving you additional range or more powerful attacks. The game is not all about fighting monsters, getting stronger and climbing the ladder. Wakfu encourages you to play with others. Every fight you participate in, you can get a friend or NPCs to join you. Besides becoming a citizen and trying to get a little more influence and power in your nation, you can also earn citizen points. By earning more points you get better ranks inside the nation. After accumulating enough points, you can apply to be a candidate for the governor position. You can also join a clan and participate in crafting and politics with your clans in the ecosystem. In the ecosystem you will have to manage the number of monsters, plants and even the weather in each territory. You have a responsibility and really have to work together with other people to make your nation the best place to live in. Together with other people in your nation you have to decide the evolution. Or take the place of the Joker and set up with your band of villains to see the world burn.
Conclusion: Great Wakfu isn't just a game, it is a second life you are able to live. I always love to see when games like Wakfu encourages player in much more social ways to play together. It isn't only fighting together, you actually have to rule the nation together with other people. Have you ever wanted to run for Governer, and decide the policies that structure the rules of your gaming nation? Wakfu is one of the few titles on the market offering the systems to do this. With a decent sized group of friends backing you, you can have a major influence on even the ecosystem and status of your server. I enjoyed playing this game, and actually fell in love with the turn-based concept of Wakfu. I will definitely play the game more and try to get higher on the ladder. If you like turn-based fighting, and the whole social concept of Wakfu then you should definitely try out the game. |
| Aura Kingdom Launches Into Closed Beta Posted: 24 Dec 2013 10:10 AM PST Aeria Games and X-LEGEND have joined together once more to bring us the highly anticipated MMO: Aura Kingdom, which has launched for closed beta testing on December 23, 2013. For those that have not been keeping up with our coverage: Aura Kingdom is an new anime MMORPG featuring traditional/action-hybrid combat, faithful companions called Eidolons that can assist players in battle, unique travel systems such as gliding through the air and an impressive cell-shaded art style. Not only that, but Aura Kingdom also features eight playable classes, a sub-class system that lets players change their weapon and skills while out-of-combat, tons of unique mounts and more. Aura Kingdom is free to download, and like all Aeria Games titles, is free-to-play. Players with a beta key can download the game now from the official website. Game masters will also be hosting hide & seek events throughout the closed beta where players can win various prizes including potions, EXP and item drop boosters. For more information on Aura Kingdom, check out our profile page here at MMOHuts. |
| Weekly Recap #168 Dec. 23rd – League of Legends, Jade Dynasty, Marvel Heroes & More! Posted: 23 Dec 2013 08:34 PM PST Weekly Recap #168 Dec. 23rd – League of Legends, Jade Dynasty, Marvel Heroes & More! A quick look and discussion for every major announcement and update during the week! This week we discussed updates from the following games: Elsword, Star Wars Attack Squadron, Lego Minifigures Online, Black Gold Online, Aura Kingdom, Combat Arms EU, Continent of the Ninth Seal, World of Warplanes, League of Legends, EverQuest Next Landmark, Marvel Heroes, & Jade Dynasty! Ara Haan joins Elsword as the 7th character: Disney Interactive announced a new dogfighting Star Wars title: Funcom reveals Lego Minifigures Online game features trailer: Snail Games targets the combat mechanics in Black Gold Online: Aeria Games announces Closed Beta date for Aura Kingdom: Combat Arms Europe adds in a new map and PvE gamemode: Webzen introduces the Mystic class to C9 and lets players make a weapon: World of Warplanes launched update 1.1 along with a chance to win an alienware desktop: League of Legends launches the Snowdown showdown: EverQuest Next Landmark may be here sooner than expected: Jade Dynasty launches the enormous Regenesis expansion:
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| DOTA 2 Winter Update: Wraith-Night Posted: 23 Dec 2013 04:49 PM PST By Mohammad Abubakr Similar to last year, Valve has gifted us with another Christmas event. However, they did not simply switch on The Greeviling from last year as they did for Diretide on Halloween. This year we have a completely new event ( at least to those that did not play Horde Mode in WC3 Dota) featuring its own story and even custom heroes. Valve has really outdone themselves this year and has raised the expectations for many fans for future updates. These seasonal events are meant to be treated separate from the original Dota 2 5 vs. 5 game as they are played completely differently. Wraith-Night goes even further by changing the number of players and is played with only one team of five on the map. This team can be composed from a limited hero pool with the heroes having modified abilities (more on that later). The idea behind Wraith-Night is simple: defend your towers against waves of enemies. These enemies are very easy to defeat in the beginning but each individual wave requires a different strategy. One wave may allow simple nuking of waves using AoE spells while others require kiting of large boss like enemies. All the waves are made up of entities that Dota 2 players are already familiar with. You won't see any new monster or hero to leave you guessing. Instead, already existing jungle creeps and heroes are modified to form each individual wave. For example, one wave may consist of many tiny slarks pouncing towards you while another will have only two giant Pudges with giant hooks and force staffs. Even the heroes played by actual players have been modified. You will still be playing heroes such as Wind Ranger (I still prefer her old name, Wind Runner…) but skills such as her Windrun have been tweaked to be better suited for this mode with a larger radius. Since a lot of work had to be done to individually modify and even add new skills (Drow Ranger can now multi shot to hit multiple targets), the hero pool had to be limited. Finally, boxes you can open without keys. It would not be a Christmas event if the players did not receive some gifts. The Wraith-Night does not include the traditional item drop system but it rewards players with Phantom and Shining Fragments which can be traded for gift boxes. These gift boxes can be opened for items of a guaranteed rarity, depending on the type of box. As expected, more expensive chests guarantee items of higher rarities. Being a free to play game, there are optional items that can be purchased to increase the fragments gained during the event. The Shining Fragments are only rewarded to players who have an active Wraith King's Favor. This 99 cent item lasts 500 minutes (in game time) and must be repurchased when it expires. For those that are into item collecting and trading, the Wraith King's Favor is a must buy. Once players defeat the waves of enemies, they must fight the Wraith King (new version of Skeleton King). This boss battle is very similar to the Roshan fights during Diretide and reminds me a lot of raid bosses in MMORPGs. The fight is not too difficult and consists of dealing damage while dodging the king's spells. It's a lot of fun the first time but can get quite repetitive. To keep things interesting, there are two additional difficulties which will truly test teams' coordination. New Game+ and New Game++ allow players to continue to enjoy Wraith-Night even after they have completed the original game mode. These two difficulties are really difficult to complete without a coordinated team so it is advised to get your friends together before diving into New Game+(+). Valve just added 5 more heroes to the Wraith-Night pool! Overall, the new game mode is amazing. It has brought a lot of new players to the game, players that just want to have some fun and not worry about playing competitively on the normal Dota 2 map. Being a programmer, the existence of Lua files has me most excited. Basically, the Wraith-Night game mode's source files are present and have been coded using Lua. This means that the ability for custom maps should not be too far! I can't wait to play some old WC3 maps using the Source engine. This update not only includes Wraith-Night but also brought with it another long awaited feature. Ranked matchmaking has finally been added to Dota 2. Now competitive players can see how well they play by comparing their match making ratings. This mode is unlocked after approximately 150 games are played. There are two different MMRs, solo and party. Solo is tracked when you are playing completely alone and party for a party of any size. The game modes are also limited to captain's draft, captain's mode, and all pick. It is important to note that since all pick is available, even the heroes not yet added to captain's mode can be picked. While ranked match making is meant to be more competitive, I honestly haven't found any change in the actual gameplay besides being able to see my ranking. Players still play with the same attitude as normal in my games. Defeated the Wraith King!
Valve does not want players to become hostile because of each other's MMRs. For this reason, only you and your friends are able to view your MMR ratings. I do agree with the decision to hide the MMR from the public as this can only cause hostility but I still feel players need some kind of measure to see how well they play compared to others. As of now, you are simply ranked with a number. There is no easy (or accurate) way to determine where you rank on the ladder. It would be nice if Valve included features such as public MMR for top 500 (similar to Starcraft II's grand master leagues) or the division system as seen in Starcraft II. In conclusion, the Wraith-Night update is great. I've had a lot of fun playing the new game mode. It is a great way to relax and play Dota 2 when you do not want to play as seriously. However, I am slightly disappointed with the ranking system. It is great that we get to see the ranking but there should be some sort of method to determine where you stand. |
| PWI: New Horizons Expansion Trailer Posted: 23 Dec 2013 03:19 PM PST
Perfect World International unleashes a new zone, new level 100+ Reawakening system, an improved starter-zone, better UI, and more in their massive New Horizons expansion. |
| HiRez Speaks out Against Youtube Copyright Changes Posted: 23 Dec 2013 03:06 PM PST As has been widely publicized in the games media over the past month, recently ‘Let’s Play’ and other user generated game-oriented YouTube shows have been hit by a number of copyright claims. The issue is confusing and problematic. YouTube has attempted to use automation to enforce copyright policy, while the actual policies of game publishers toward YouTubers varies tremendously. Some publishers forbid any use of their content, others allow use of content as long as it is not monetized by the user. Others vary further, allowing/approving monetization to certain youtube networks or sometimes individuals, occasionally with certain usage restrictions. For Hi-Rez Studios games, our policy is simple: We support and encourage you, as an individual content creator, to create videos using our game content AND monetize those videos as you wish. If you are asked for written permission to monetize your videos, send an e-mail request to us at press@hirezstudios.com. We typically provide personal responses & approvals within 24 hours. More generally, we believe multiplayer games spread most effectively when gamers can see the actual gameplay for themselves. You are effectively helping to get the word out on our games and for that we thank you. |
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