MMO News |
- Awesomenauts
- Inferno Legend Review
- Star Citizen Introduces Web-Based Organization System
- Hearthstone Enters Open Beta in North America
- Weapon Abilities Detailed For The Repopulation
- Shores of Hazeron
- Star Wars Attack Squadrons
- League of Angels CB Preview
- Kings and Legends receives an update of Reckoning
- Ubisoft Adds Monuments to Anno Online
| Posted: 21 Jan 2014 06:01 PM PST Bright, colorful animation meets platforming action in this unique multi-platform MOBA. Note: This is a buy-to-play retail game.  Publisher: Ronimo Games Pros: +Customizable heroes. +Available on multiple platforms. +Unique MOBA twist. Cons: -Buy to play. -Balancing and lag issues have been reported.
Overview Awesomenauts OverviewAwesomenauts is a platforming MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) for PC, Mac, Linux, XBox LIVE Arcade, and PlayStation Network. Instead of the traditional 3D model, Awesomenauts employs a side-scrolling 2D model. Players can choose from over a dozen heroes (8 original heroes, seven released in year one, and one additional hero with the purchase of the Starstorm expansion), each of which is not only unique, but offers custom items that change character skills to fit your playstyle. The game also features offline play and drop-in matchmaking to ensure you’re never waiting in a lobby. Awesomenauts Screenshots          Awesomenauts Featured Video
Full Review Awesomenauts ReviewComing Soon… Screenshots Awesomenauts ScreenshotsComing Soon… Videos Awesomenauts VideosAwesomenauts: PC Release Trailer Awesomenauts: Starstorm Early Access Trailer Awesomenauts: System Requirements Awesomenauts System RequirementsPC Minimum System Requirements:
PC Recommended System Requirements: MAC Minimum System Requirements: MAC Recommended System Requirements: LINUX Minimum System Requirements: LINUX Recommended System Requirements: |
| Posted: 21 Jan 2014 05:12 PM PST By Jason Parker (Ragachak)
In Chess, Someone Must Take the Black Pieces Inferno Legend is a fairly unique game, and one that I fear perhaps tries to do both too much and too little at the same time. It is a Turn-Based RPG and an MMO at the same time, which is quite the bold claim. Regrettably, the MMO function is very lacking, though the RPG portion of the game is prevalent. In Inferno Legend, you play as a character in the service of Diablo, the Lord of Terror. Instead of being a hero in this bold game, you take the dark turn, and serve as one of a number of different evil archetypes that all have unique skills and talents to serve the Dark Lord. The story, while simple, is engaging. It is a fairly rare thing in a game to be able to play from the perspective of the antagonists, or place the heroes in the antagonistic role as the case may be. So for this, I salute the producers for putting forth such a bold, intriguing product. But is it ready for the masses? I fear that it is not. The game spends a fair amount of time teaching you the systems that it employs so that you may spend lots of time mastering them, but these same systems tend to be quite restrictive towards your freedom. The story is simple, but enjoyable to get into. Before mankind existed, there were a host of angels and demons, both vying for control over creation. For thousands of years, these two forces did not come in contact with one another, and there was peace to be had. The five highest Angels wished to push their superior civilization onto the earth and create a new race, but there was dissension. A civil war broke out, which the demons took advantage of, playing on the ambition and greed of the opposing side, and formed a coalition, whose goal was to wage war on the Heavens. The "Creation War", hosted by Diablo, Baal, and Mephisto would have catastrophic results; the heavens and earth were re-divided, giving the Demons and rebellious Angels more land than they had before. It sort of feels like if Diablo were made into an anime format with different classes to pick from. It could still use a great deal of work, but it is a step in a bold direction.
It's no Vampire Savior The races/classes that are available are reminiscent of ancient monsters of mythos and theater. One thing that certainly disappointed me was the inability to pick a different character. Once I chose the Samurai/Akuma, I was stuck with that. After log-in, it takes you immediately to the main map where you left off, and does not show a screen to pick a different character. This leads me to the thought that you would have to have several accounts to play other characters. Vampire: Vampires are a balanced class; easy to pick up and play. They are the kings and queens of the evening, skilled with swords and magical powers. They use their mastery of the night to overwhelm opponents and get to the punch first. Cyclops: Giants from the abyss, they tend to dwell deep within mountains and caverns. They are powerful in a physical sense, bringing a great presence to the battlefield that many cannot hope to match. Combine a massive, mighty hammer with the Cyclopean Beam power, and little can stand in their way. Faerie: A cute magical girl, specialized in the magicks of Hell itself. Preferring Thunder and Ice, these adorable girls should not be underestimated. The best with magic, it is said that even Death itself is able to be bent to these Witches' will. . . Samurai: A fallen warrior, now called an Akuma, or Demon. They are masters of all aspects of the sword, martyred soldiers who wound up in Hell. They eagerly wield their blades in the service of Diablo, combining magic with his blade to rend all foes asunder. Mummy: The Mummy was not available from my point of gameplay. Very little seems to be available about them.
Turn-Based Fast-Paced Action Inferno Legends Combat System is Rather… Bare. Though it is labeled as an MMO, there is almost no interaction with other players. You can challenge players to battle in the Arena, but there is still no dialogue between players – just a battle that one player winds up the victor in. You can set it to autopilot, where it decides the most appropriate action for you, but even if you pick "Attack" or "Skill", I did not noticeably get to choose what I attacked. My avatar would just leap in and start killing! While that's all well and good, I suppose I prefer the Final Fantasy Tactics/Disgaea style, where I can pick whatever is in my range. Enemies who can summon allies can be especially upsetting, as they suddenly ruin your attacks on the major enemy you are fighting. There is no bulling past them, shy of area effects. You are not alone, however. You can recruit allies, or pick them up in events. Progressing through the game can acquire you more allies who can bring special powers to bear on your combat zone. Combat moves very quickly, and even has a timer that occasionally forces your hand. The attack animations for each creature and player movement are unique and colorful, offering interesting special effects, even for this sort of simplified art style. It carries itself very well and the art and musical background lend itself to the story in a very fluid manner. Entering a new act brings you to a map that has a series of missions upon it. Each mission has its own ranking and requirements for rewards, once that mission is done with. The mission itself opens into a new map, that you as the player move step by step, acquiring gold, exp, and battling enemies. They unfold in the shape of hexagon stones that the player walks across, unlocking new terrain with each step. At the end of each mission is a boss encounter, harder than the normal minions that you would face, as is tradition in any RPG. If you should perform well on these missions, you can unlock Treasure Chambers, which have artifacts, gold, and other great rewards in them! However, these treasures are guarded, and it would be recommended to level quite a bit after unlocking a chamber. This game really pushes past the mold the other Eastern browser/install games use, in that it feels like an RPG, descending deeper into these linear, but visually appealing dungeons. Money, Cash, Skills, Come On! Maid cosplay girls, they'll be waiting for you in hell. Running hell's cash shop. This is a free to play game, keep this in mind. Now, there is an option for those who wish to spend money on things. Diamonds are a currency that is acquired at the end of missions, as special event rewards, and things of that nature. You can purchase them with real money, if you have the inclination, but it is certainly not required. There are benefits to spending Diamonds on being a VIP Member. It gives access to another type of soul to accumulate, more Vigor (Up to 100), a third lucky draw at the end of instances (up from two) and other features that could make up for it if you should be an active member of this community. Again, I stress that it is not necessary, and you can acquire diamonds in-game. As of this writing, I have almost enough to purchase a VIP membership, but I feel that it is not necessary to do so. Souls can be used to upgrade minions and your own powers, and can be used on a variety of other things in-game. Gold is another currency which I seem to have an abundance of. Gold can be used to buy items in the shop as well as upgrade certain features, such as lineage points, which go into your own personal lineage (a series of bonus powers to increase the strength of your individual character), or souls to be used on you or your minions. You can also choose to use diamonds, but gold is a fairly prevalent resource. Each character has skills that are unique to them alone. You can unlock skill points as you level up and as your minions level up as well! You can assign them down the trees as you see fit, and upgrade skills that you wish to use with more force. Your minions grow powerful as you do, and with each level your stats grow, and allow you to challenge more content. The game plays at a pretty steady pace, and I found no need to actually purchase diamonds to increase my characters power. Those who are investing more time, again, may feel differently, but it is not a pay-to-win scenario. You can be powerful and have a great time playing this game without investing a single dime. Maybe you feel that because you are having fun, you should throw them some money – that is left up to player. The game does not even mention the ability to pay-to-win outside of the tabs that offer the services. There are other bonuses, however! Playing the game and logging in daily can give you rewards, and there are daily quests that offer nice rewards to those willing to put in the time to do them.
In the darkest pits, he waits dreaming While the main brunt of this game involves dungeon delving, and doing the bidding of an evil, vile demon, there are a few other activities open to players. There is PVP, where players challenge one another to battles to move up the ladder; the matches play identical to regular battles in the story mode. You can find the arena master in the main city where Diablo rules. These battles can be done a certain number of times a day, and battling those above you and winning increase your personal rank. Maybe my character is just amazing, but I found PVP fairly easy while playing as a Samurai/Akuma. There are other battles in the PVP section, such as combo challenges, and the chest challenge, where you battle five enemy groups in a row. Those that survive the gauntlet acquire a chest that could contain any number of items. There are also Alliances, groups of players that one can join, but that does not necessarily increase player interaction. There are other people playing the game at the same time as you, and you can occasionally see some of the achievements these other players accomplish, but it still very much feels like a single player game.
Nature of the Demon: 3/5 Good This game is by no means terrible. Though the poor translation and lack of human interaction can be grating and downright awful, the gameplay itself is rather standout compared to the list of online games that I have played lately. It is an interesting game, and can easily consume several hours in a day if one is not careful. I loved the dialogue, despite how poor the translation can be. If the game were a bit more flexible in combat, and a bit less cluttered visually, it could go a lot farther. Graphics: 4/5 I actually really liked the graphics for this game. They were not 1080p, next-gen style graphics, but the characters and minions all had very unique attack animations. The characters are interestingly designed, and the maps were very beautiful, granting a painted backdrop over the dungeon you are currently delving into. Controls: 3/5 I lump combat into the controls section. You only need a mouse to play this game, as you will do very little typing, outside of naming your character and logging in. The controls were simple, and I was hoping for more options in combat other than Auto and Attack/Skill, which may as well still have been auto. Had this been corrected, I would have gained more enjoyment from it. Features: 3/5 I did not really have as much fun doing the PVP that I would have liked. There are not a lot of things going on in this game, though it may seem that it does. Though the story is delightful, I had a great deal of fun playing it. Most of my time ended up being spent figuring out how best to maximize my equipment and stats/skills spread, and very little seemed interesting outside of the main story, and smashing faces in PVP. Music: 3/5 The music overall really fit a lot of the settings. It could become fairly droning if you play for long periods of time, but thankfully it is easily muted. While it is easily muted, you cannot simply turn it down or up. It is either loud or off. The effects and sounds are nice, but they quite easily drown out anything else that might be going on in the background. One thing I like about other games is the ability to lower the music after a while and use my own, but that is not an option here. |
| Star Citizen Introduces Web-Based Organization System Posted: 21 Jan 2014 05:01 PM PST Star Citizen has introduced its web-based Organization system today, allowing testers to create and join organizations for the first time. Accessible from the Community Menu, the Organization Hub lets players create or join organizations from a central location (currently, players can only create/join one Organization). From here, Organizations can use their own text and graphics, recruit others, set ranks and titles, and even use a new XMPP-based live chat system. Find out more about today’s update here. |
| Hearthstone Enters Open Beta in North America Posted: 21 Jan 2014 03:04 PM PST News just arrived that Blizzard has announced open beta testing for their free to play TCG, Hearthstone begins this week in NA with EU to follow in the near future. Hearthstone has been well received since its initial reveal at PAX East 2013, a rare convention appearance for the normally isolated Activision partner. Blizzard has confirmed no further wipes will be done so there’s never been a better time to abandon your Ebay bid for a CB key and jump into the beta. |
| Weapon Abilities Detailed For The Repopulation Posted: 21 Jan 2014 02:10 PM PST The Repopulation’s website has added a new feature today, listing all the abilities for each weapon type in the game. While currently still in alpha, the list is a great preview of what each weapon is capable of doing and will likely be a great resource moving into the future. You can check out the new list of abilities here, and offer any feedback in the game’s forums. |
| Posted: 21 Jan 2014 01:43 PM PST Welcome yourself to the Universe as emperor of your own race, and pursue expansion and fame in a massive sandbox-style world!  Publisher: Software Engineering, Inc. Pros: +Very customizable. +Complex game mechanics. Cons: -Poor graphics. -May be difficult to learn.
Overview Shores of Hazeron OverviewShores of Hazeron is a 4x style MMO offering some innovative sandbox style features. You begin as an emperor of your own planet and created race, and from there may go out to explore the world and the universe, customizing everything along the way and interacting with others from across the galaxies in a seamless world. The game utilizes special design technology including complex DNA systems and ship builders to give you mastery over your experience. Shores of Hazeron Screenshots         Shores of Hazeron Featured Video
Full Review Shores of Hazeron ReviewComing Soon… Screenshots Shores of Hazeron ScreenshotsComing Soon… Videos Shores of Hazeron VideosShores of Hazeron Trailer System Requirements Shores of Hazeron System RequirementsComing Soon… |
| Posted: 21 Jan 2014 12:22 PM PST Disney, LucasArts and Area 52 Games invites you to live out your X-wing dogfighting fantasies with their upcoming F2P space shooter: Star Wars Attack Squadrons!  Publisher: Disney Interactive Pros: +Limited information available. Cons: -Limited information available.
Overview Star Wars Attack Squadrons OverviewStar Wars Attack Squadrons is a free-to-play online space combat game where players customize iconic Star Wars™ ships and engage in high-velocity 16 player dogfights in fabled Star Wars locations. Features: Intense PVP Action: Battle online in three PvP game modes – Free For All, Team Dogfight and Base Defense Ship Customization: Upgrade and personalize your ships as you collect and modify them to your own specifications. Team play: Team up with your friends and develop a community of Starfighter Pilots. Rewards: Earn points after successful matches to unlock new items and upgrades Star Wars Attack Squadrons Screenshots      Star Wars Attack Squadrons Featured VideoComing soon… Full Review Star Wars Attack Squadrons ReviewComing Soon… Screenshots Star Wars Attack Squadrons ScreenshotsComing Soon… Videos Star Wars Attack Squadrons Videos System Requirements Star Wars Attack Squadrons System RequirementsMINIMUM REQUIREMENTS PLEASE NOTE: These requirements are subject to change as the game moves along in development. OPERATING SYSTEM
BROWSERS
HARDWARE
UNITY This game runs on the Unity Game Engine and you’ll need to install the Unity Web Player to play the game. |
| Posted: 21 Jan 2014 11:11 AM PST By Remko Molenaar (Proxzor) Something that I believe is coming soon to the MMORPG industry is blurring of the line between browser and client MMORPGs. With improvements in Cloud technology and html development improvements, so called browser games are getting closer than ever to taking their gameplay to the next level. League of Angels is a new turn-based fantasy MMO that is fully playable in your browser, and this game shows us again why downloading games and installing them on your computer is an overrated thing. League of Angels is surprisingly enough a game about Angels! Yeah I bet you didn't see that one coming, but it is true; these Angels will protect you with their life and fight on your side. Right from the bat you are paired up with an angel that believes in you, thinks you are the hero and straight away the game builds a setting where your level 1 novice is still a force to be reckoned with. When you have done the simple intro part of the game, you are given a choice of what class you want to play and what gender. Unfortunately there are not too many choices, and in fact only two right now, but I'm sure there will be more in the future. It's a pretty simple choice between warrior and mage until then. Many of these browser games really have a proactive interface, and just like in League of Angels there are many flashy icons telling you that you have won something and are able to get your daily loot and stuff of that nature. It's like receiving an email from a Nigerian prince telling you that you have won a million dollars. Sure that's nice and all but I prefer a clean interface with nothing flashing unless it is really important. I tend to miss some of the more important interactions purely because it's such a mess. Rather early in the game you are taught that your gear and level is really important when you are picking fights with someone else. Even when trying to slaughter monsters in the first couple of quests, you'll find the power gap can be huge without the maximum gear on your character. If you fall in battle they'll even throw a message your way alerting you that gear can be upgraded with better bonuses, or better gear can be crafted (and then further upgraded). If you have played other Asian MMORPGs or know their culture, you know they believe in prioritizing features most western gamers don't care for. Expect to spend plenty of time focusing on horoscope and zodiac elements if you want to maximize your progress. Like I said, we westerners do not really think much about astrology, yet it's all the rage in Asian MMORPGs right now. I would have rather seen something else but it at least adds some gameplay that would be better than nothing. Moving onto the most important thing of a MMORPG, the combat! Unfortunately this is also a lackluster thing in League of Angels. Even though it is advertised and considered a turn-based game, there aren't many opportunities to actually enact strategic decisions. Each side does attack in turns, but unfortunately it does this automatically, and I would love to have more skill-based interaction to alleviate some of the emphasis on gear rating. The game seems more concerned with the quest of character improvement than what you can accomplish with your character, and the majority of your time will be spent tracking down and acquiring special angels. I do think that I might sound too negative right now, bashing only on the bad sides of a game. The game also has many positives sides about it. For a browser game, the game is actually really beautiful and the textures are of high resolution. When fighting people and monsters, you will see a lot of different visualizations and spell effects. And people that are really into crafting will definitely love this game. There are a ton of possibilities to make weapons and gear upgrades and crafters will have a stark advantage over those who don't dabble in a craft. There's a plethora of shiny mounts to collect and plenty of heroes you can acquire to improve your team composition in power and effectiveness. For the fanatics like me that like to fight against other people, there is also an arena mode that lets you match up against people from your same level so you can get to know your character and foes even better.
Current State: Fair League of Angels is still in closed beta, and that can be seen in the game itself. I do not want to sound too negative, but I do think the game has some patching to do before it fully releases. The game's total content is lacking, and what is there could use some tweaks. Some areas clearly shine and showcase how far browser titles have come in the past half a decade, and it's worth checking out just to see the visuals in action. Casual gamers looking for low maintenance progression might find the overall experience quite enjoyable. For the real turn based fans, I am not sure if this game is worth the try since everything is automatically done. Either way it's free to try so doesn't hurt to give it a shot. |
| Kings and Legends receives an update of Reckoning Posted: 21 Jan 2014 10:33 AM PST GameSpree, publisher of free-to-play browser games has just announced the release of Update 1.4 "The Reckoning" to Kings and Legends, the unique strategy/TCG, free-to-play browser title. The action unfolds in this latest update featuring two exciting new card races: Dragons and Angels. The Reckoning is an expansive 3-part update that adds a host of Dragon and Angel cards that players can collect through new events. New features in this update includes:
These powerful pieces of equipment can now be forged and add another layer of strategy to a battle! In addition to all this base-content, GameSpree is steadily and consistently releasing its own inspired and exclusive cards available only in Kings and Legends. "Long-term motivation and balancing is a key focus of our plans to develop the game experience even further, identifying opportunities for new unique cards and tactics to make Kings and Legends more exciting than ever!" said Thorsten Russ, Lead Producer. For more information, visit: http://kingsandlegends.com/ |
| Ubisoft Adds Monuments to Anno Online Posted: 21 Jan 2014 10:21 AM PST Today, Ubisoft has announced a new features for their free-to-play, browser-based world-building strategy game, Anno Online, mainly focused on the creation of monuments. By completing a quest chain, players will gain knowledge points and unlock new monuments buildings, with the "Library" acting as the first available option. A monument can have up to three construction phases and players must deliver goods to the construction site and search throughout the game for special construction components. After building the Library, players will discover the tech tree, which consists of several branches that can be unlocked for additional Knowledge Points. These points will provide players the ability to build six different types of Botanical Garden, each one giving the player a specific buff or bonus. Players can visit other players and help them with their monument construction by sending constructors to the construction site for a specific period of time. A player can also request help from other players to improve the construction process of their buildings. For more info: visit: http://www.anno-online.com/ |
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