Wednesday, April 6, 2016

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Assassin’s Creed: Pirates Mobile Game Review

Posted: 06 Apr 2016 06:04 PM PDT

Whenever you hear the word Assassin's Creed, you'd often expect templars, assassins, Abstergo and some faux conspiracy history stuff that would often times make you wonder what the people at Ubisoft were smoking when they made these games. Thankfully, we have a bit of variety with the seven seas as the focal point for their pirate themed AC game, Assassin's Creed: Pirates.

Overview

In AC:Pirates, Abstergo is on a treasure hunt mode (probably to regain some of the lost finances from the various structures the assassins have destroyed in the course of the various AC games) and gets close to La Buse's treasure. Or as actual history dictates, one of history's biggest pirate treasures.

So in typical Assassin's Creed nature, Abstergo is going to do the roundabout way of getting the treasure by getting into the memories of Alonzo Batilla, another pirate who befriended La Buse before he became a legend. All right we should have known there would be some crazy Ubisoft twist in here somewhere.

 

Assassin's Creed: Pirates Mobile Game Review

Gameplay focuses on plenty of pirate affairs, and ship steering shenanigans.

Gameplay

Assassin's Creed: Pirates focuses on boat exploration as your means of getting around places in a designated map. Ship travel substitutes the typical one man parkour style of getting around places as per any other AC title released. You have controls on the rudder and sails on your ship (regardless of wind) and bounce around the waters as you get to mini-game areas that are littered with enemies or passing ships.

The areas you get into are littered with mini-game portals where you get to accomplish tasks such as destroying another ship, exploring Aztec Ruins for gold, time trial challenges, and taking over viewpoints. Aside from that you also get to fish and capture whales, along with other things piratey in nature.

As you continue along adventuring, eventually you can bolster your ships stats or upgrade its visuals, though both come at pretty hefty costs. You'll likely need to spend more than La Buse's treasure to max the ship out.

 

Assassin's Creed: Pirates Mobile Game Review

The visuals on ship battles are pretty nice for mobile.

Collection of Resources

AC: Pirates is a game that tries to put you into the whole piracy experience without getting you out of the comfort of your home. And it does that quite well. Aside from the ship gameplay you get to experience ship pillaging and location looting in all its glory. Hopefully this is something you immensely enjoy, as you'll be doing it ad nausea to accumulate enough resources to upgrade.

I keep emphasizing it because it's seriously ridiculous. The whole economy in Pirates is at 300% inflation rate where it's a wonder pirates can afford the funds to even keep a crew staffed. While this inflation isn't so bad that you have to pay to progress, Ubisoft seems to be pushing the limits of players to highly encourage they do so.

Ship Battles

One of the most notable, and most used game feature you'll get to face in Pirates is the ship to ship battles. This plays out through a collection of mini-games that you have to masterfully play as you continue to advance up the ladder of pirate infamy.

You take turns with the AI controlled opponents in attacking each other with cannons and whatever other add-on you have equipped on your ship. When defending, there's a few mini-games that will change up the way you can mitigate incoming damage. One involves steering your ship as you avoid the cannon barrage of your opponent. The other mini-game on defense is the side to side view of the boats where you can get to "slice" the cannon balls or tap the exploding barrels your opponent throws at you. You can also cancel the attack pattern if you dodge damage perfectly by throwing a spider chain at your opponent. To use this, you'll have to do another mini-game that requires you to connect the chain in a series of three on-screen motions.

 

Assassin's Creed: Pirates Mobile Game Review

The grind is real but at least there's a lot of variety of gameplay.

Critique

Assassin’s Creed Pirates is a surprisingly enjoyable mobile game that feels more like a condensed PC game than a typical mobile game. The game visually does its best to capture the feel of other AC titles, though it can get tedious and grindy like any mobile RPG. What sets Pirates apart is that the elements related to the grind all feel like real pirate activities, not thrown in Candy Crush nonsense just because it's popular.

Pirates is a game that doesn’t veer too much away from the formula that made other AC titles work, well, except from the main guy parkouring and swan diving into hay bays. What you get is an enjoyable romp of playing as a rude, proud and weather-beaten pirate. And because Pirates perfectly mimics the AC formula down to a T sans the aforementioned, assassins and templars, it also means that the weaknesses if the franchise is also present in Pirates. This means that the game will turn into a tedious task checklist eventually. However, unlike its non mobile cousins where this is just an optional gaming route, you will be forced to to keep on returning to accomplished quests just to progress. Well, unless you pay for it.

Assassin's Creed: Pirates Mobile Game Review

Between ship upgrades and crew recruitment, you will never have enough gold.

Unfortunately this solid backbone is hindered by the serious weight of how hard Ubisoft pushes the premium market at you. Don't have the stamina of an original Everquest player to grind their mobile game? Your credit card will set you free! The only other relief is getting insanely good at every mini-game to maximize your time and resource gain. But even with perfect skills, the grind will still grind you down.

Conclusion: Good
Overall, Assassin's Creed Pirates stands well versus most shoddy cash-ins of popular PC/Movie franchises. With few pirate games on mobile to choose from, it offers a scratch to that pirate itch with above average visuals. But while AC: Pirates holds its own in its genre, its fun factor has an expiration. Give it a shot, and hopefully the mini-games are right up your alley. If you truly enjoy them than AC: Pirates will hold your attention for at least a month.

Full Gameplay Image Gallery

The post Assassin’s Creed: Pirates Mobile Game Review appeared first on MMOHuts.

SMITE Hades Grim Wraith Skin Reveal

Posted: 06 Apr 2016 04:51 PM PDT

Today SMITE revealed plans for an epic Underworld themed event. Grim Wraith Hades arrives as the first unlockable skin from said event.

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Ace of Arenas Maescia Cinematic Reveal Trailer

Posted: 06 Apr 2016 04:36 PM PDT

Ace of Arenas reveals a new incoming hero, Maescia, in this frantic cake chase cinematic video.

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Plays.tv Platform Launches Today

Posted: 06 Apr 2016 04:15 PM PDT

Plays.tv, the leading video-sharing platform for gamers, has now surpassed more than 10 million monthly active users (MAU) in its first year and includes more than 4 million content creators recording over 1.6 billion minutes of video monthly. The Plays.tv community is global, spanning over 180 countries and sharing video content from over 2000 games. While Plays.tv’s community growth and engagement mirrors the trajectory of other successful photo and video sharing services, the Plays.tv experience is significantly different from livestreaming; it is a user-to-user platform where much of the sharing is between fellow gamers rather than a one-to-many broadcast.

"Plays.tv is really a video storytelling platform that enables gamers to share their stories the way they want" said Dennis Fong, CEO and co-founder, Raptr. "We're blown away by the user growth and engagement we're seeing. Now we're ready to open up the platform to developers who have been asking to tap into our service and community."

The Plays.tv Platform, which launches publicly today, enables game and web developers to integrate directly into the service. The Game Events API, which is currently being used for League of Legends, CS:GO, and soon DOTA 2, lets any game provide real-time metadata to Plays.tv, enabling automated video highlights for players after every game. The Web API gives developers direct access to Plays.tv's massive video library, enabling anyone to embed the videos or create entire applications around Plays.tv videos, with options to pull feeds filtered by game, characters, hashtags, usernames, and more.

Learn more about the Plays.tv developer platform at http://plays.tv/developers.

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League of Angels II Launches on April 7

Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:57 PM PDT

Following the recent success of the Closed and Open Beta events, GTArcade is excited to announce the official launch of League of Angels II in North America on April 7th! During the grand launch event of this highly anticipated MMORPG, a variety of rewarding activities will welcome players into the game. A new server will be brought online each day in order to provide a smoother launch experience for all eager players.

Closed Beta Surpasses Expectations
The reception of the Closed Beta greatly surpassed all expectations. One server was originally planned, however due to overwhelming demand; a second server had to set up shortly after to handle the huge influx of players. Over 800 threads sprang up on the official forums with invaluable player feedback. By April 5th, over 22,000 players had already joined up.

Beautiful 3D Fantasy World
World-class artists and designers were called upon to craft a rich and unique fantasy world for League of Angels II. The works of these masters have graced games like Legend of the Cryptids, Galaxy Saga, and the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, and now their talents have joined League of Angels II to bring the eternal struggle between light and darkness to life. Combined with an advanced 3D game engine and beautiful animations, the spectacular visual in LoA2 is sure to delight fans and newcomers alike.

Evolved Gameplay
League of Angels2 uses a highly refined turn-based combat system that combines indepth strategy with an active skill system which relies on precise timing to unleash devastating, full-screen attacks. The character and equipment progression systems are easy to understand and players can quickly start building their team of epic Heroes. With over 60 unique Heroes and Angels to choose from, there will be no shortage of customization options. In addition, the game features a huge variety of game modes such as Dungeons, Trials, and Arenas that provide endless activities to experience. Whether you are a hardcore PvPer or just prefer some dungeon crawling, the game has s6omething for everyone.

Next Generation of Browser Games
League of Angels II is the next flagship title in GTArcade's original League of Angels franchise. The previous League of Angels titles have both achieved worldwide success. The first LoA is still played in over 150 countries and received numerous awards such as Facebook's Best New Game in 2014 and MMOsite's Best Browser Game in 2015. LoA – Fire Raiders was named Best Mobile RPG in 2015 and has topped mobile charts all around the world.

In development for 2 years, every aspect of League of Angels II has been designed to push the limits of next gen browser games. The game sends out a clear message that "The Angels Have Transcended" to players around the globe. North America is the first stop in League of Angels II's global journey, but far from the last! More regional launches will follow shortly so stay tuned for exciting news.

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DomiNations Global Age Trailer

Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:35 PM PDT

Dominations celebrates its first year anniversary with the launch of its new Global Age update.

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FACEIT and Twitch Create New Esports League

Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:13 PM PDT

FACEIT, the world’s leading competitive gaming platform, in partnership with Twitch, the world's leading social video platform and community for gamers, is launching a revolutionary esports initiative, the Esports Championship Series (ECS). The initiative’s flagship league, ECS – Counter-Strike, signifies a giant leap forward in the evolution of esports, as it will be the first professional esports league to offer teams co-ownership, like many traditional professional sports leagues. The league will consist of 20 teams (10 from North America and 10 from Europe) and will kick off today with a pre-show at 8:30am PT/11:30am ET and game time at 9:00am PT/12:00pm ET with US$3.5M in payout for prize money and team financial support.

"Players and teams are the heart of the esports community and deserve the opportunity to reap the rewards of their hard work and dedication to grow esports into a mainstream phenomenon," said Michele Attisani, co-founder of FACEIT. "We make the community our first priority and as such, we're excited to support the first esports league that positions teams as co-owners."

All parties involved worked very closely to determine a strict code of conduct for player treatment and payments, making sure everyone has the chance to benefit from the League's success and the continued growth of esports. Teams and players will also be given seats on the league's governing committee to help decide and enforce key aspects of the league, including regulatory framework, integrity, players' welfare, holidays, and best practices to ensure synergy among the league and its participants.

The Esports Championship Series will be showcased exclusively on Twitch. Fans will be given direct access to every match of the ECS through FACEIT's official Twitch channel (www.twitch.tv/faceittv) with closed qualifiers for ECS Counter-Strike beginning today. Twitch and FACEIT will also be providing travel, accommodations, on-site concierge services, high-quality tournament playing conditions, lounges, and parties to ensure an unparalleled experience for players.

"A major part of Twitch's success is built around our relationship with the esports community, from the players and organizations who have made it a leading form of entertainment, to our own staff with deep roots in the scene," said Stuart Saw, Director of Esports Strategy, Twitch. "We've listened to what the teams and players are looking for, which is to have a bigger voice in the movement, and it inspired us to partner with FACEIT to launch the ECS. This will mark a significant and welcome change to the sport, and will lead to a wider impact across the industry."

In addition to the ECS, FACEIT has made another important step in the evolution of esports by creating a development league that will feed new talented teams and players into the ECS league. The development league will kickoff with the launch of season 2 of the ECS. More information on the development league will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

The post FACEIT and Twitch Create New Esports League appeared first on MMOHuts.

Paladins – 2nd Look (Whats New?!?!)

Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:05 PM PDT

Paladins – 2nd Look (Whats New?!?!)

Paladins has changed a lot since the First Look several months ago, now we’re on closed beta 20 with several newly introduced characters, new maps, game modes, card system changes, customization, and plenty more packed into the game, so much so that the first look is now obsolete! Why not take a second look then.

Paladins: Champions of the Realm is a F2P FPS developed by Hi-Rez Studios. Focused on team-based strategy, Paladins combines FPS combat with RPG elements and a collectible card system that allows players to amplify and augment their characters with different abilities. Learn more about the game at MMOHuts game profile here: http://mmohuts.com/game/paladins

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SMITE Patch Notes 3.6: Jing Wei Reveal

Posted: 06 Apr 2016 02:32 PM PDT

Today marked the livestream and reveal of Smite‘s Patch Notes for Patch 3.6: Escape from the Underworld, adding a new event, miscellaneous new skins and changes, and of course, the new goddess Jing Wei.

As part of the new “Escape from the Underworld” event, Smite’s welcoming a new bonus arena event. This bonus round takes place at the end of each Arena match. Teams will be transported to the center of the coliseum, surrounded by lava, and given one minute for a final team fight. Gods thrown in the lava will not return! While the bonus round doesn’t affect the normal match results, teams that win the bonus round will be granted additional Worshipers. Weekly Quests will also be available to let players earn limited items and special new skins are also available for the event. Full details on the event are here.

Two new achievements will arrive for Anhur, Nemesis, and Vulcan. New skins will include Pandamonium Odin, Grim Horseman Guan Yu, Grim Wraith Hades, Worldweaver Neith, Rakshasa Vamana, and Reborn Jing Wei. Pandamonium Odin, Grim Horseman Guan Yu, and Grim Hades will also have new voice packs associated with them. Awilix’s Mastery Skins have been updated, and a new “Trapped” Icon will be added.

As always, there will be item changes and god changes in the works. Here’s what’s on the list:
Items:

  • Spellbound Kusari – No longer provides crowd control reduction.
  • Genji's Guard – Now offers 10% cooldown. When you take magical damage, your cooldowns are reduced by 2 seconds every 30 seconds. Costs 200 less.
  • Oni Hunters Guard – Passive now regenerates every 10 seconds, in or out of combat.
  • Spectral Armor – New passive: When you activate a relic you gain ghost walking for 4s.
  • Emerald Talisman – Reduced cost by 1300.
  • Stone of Gaia – Down 100 gold.
  • Soul Stone – Increased additional magic power at 5 souls from +30 to +60.
  • Shifter's Shield – Cost reduced by 300.

God Changes:

  • Agni: Increased Base attack speed from .86 to 1. Decreased attack speed gain per level from 1.01 to .95. Helps him stack passive.
  • Apollo: So Beautiful mana cost reduction. Cooldown 11s now at all ranks.
    • Across the Sky – 40 mana per second, can fly forever.
  • Bakasura: Eat Minion – Can consume any non-buff jungle creature at 100% of health.
  • Chang'e: Moonflower Dance – Healing increased, damage increased. Made to better clear lanes early game.
  • Hel: Hinder – Slow increased 5% at all ranks.
    • Cleanse – Light CC Immunity for 1.25s flat. Nerf on her massive CC immunity.
  • Odin: Ring of Spear cooldown increase 15s.
  • Scylla: Sic'em – Increased magic scaling by 15%
    • Crush – Increase damage late game by 110. Wow.
  • Sol: Stellar Burst – Won't go on cooldown when bugged.
  • Sylvanus: Nature's Grasp cooldown reduced early game. Mana cost goes down at late game.

Of course, the real star of the new patch is always the new god, and this time, it’s Jing Wei! Here’s Jing Wei’s revealed kit:

Passive: Rapid Reincarnation: Flies when leaving the spawn to fly for 5 seconds.

  1. Wind Gust – Knocks enemy into air, damage over time. She can use it to fly into the air temporarily. Doesn't knock up minions or allies. If enemy leaves and reenters, they get knocked up again. Can be hit while she's in the air.
  2. Explosive Bolts – Brief activation time, loading crossbow with 3 bolts. Next 3 attacks have all properties of basic attacks including crits and procs, but wider and they explode in a small radius. As you rank it up, gives a passive crit bonus.
  3. Agility – Ground dash. Can use while in the air to go further. Can shoot while flying. Can use to change direction when knocked into the air. Can't go over walls.
  4. Air Strike – Dashes forward in the air, shooting enemies in a straight line with four shots, then has 2 seconds after to choose where to land.

The full patch notes are available here.

SMITE Patch Notes 3.6: Jing Wei Reveal

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Moving Hazard Free Trial Launches on Steam

Posted: 06 Apr 2016 01:56 PM PDT

Psyop Games and IllFonic are launching a special free trial version of Moving Hazard, their multiplayer first person shooter where players use zombies as weapons against their enemies. Shooter and zombie fans can now download and play the game for free for a limited time through Steam at http://store.steampowered.com/app/334670/.

"We've been incredibly encouraged by our player feedback on Steam – everyone who plays Moving Hazard really seems to enjoy weaponizing creeps," said Rocco Scandizzo, Managing Director, Psyop Games. "Our early adopters have helped us refine gameplay, determine new content, and make Moving Hazard a much improved game already. Now we feel that we owe it to them to add in as many new players as possible to create an even larger community. We're hoping that the Trial Version will bring in a new batch of PC players to discover the joy of commanding ravenous zombies to eat their foes."

The free Trial Version of Moving Hazard will provide full multiplayer play versus players from around the world, including access to all of the maps and game modes. The free trial will allow players access up to Level 5, with plenty of weapons and loadouts, unlockable items, hideouts, matchmaking, and more. Any and all progress made in the demo will carry over when players purchase the Early Access game, and higher level unlocks will become available at that time.

Moving Hazard's Early Access release includes a robust feature set for a competitive shooter, including cutting-edge Unreal Engine 4 graphics, loadout customizations, player Factions with multiple classes, four maps, four game modes, and eight unique weapons. In addition, the game offers more than 30 Player Perks, more than 50 Weapon Mods, matchmaking and lobby services. The game's "Player Hideout" allows players to level up, upgrade items, and select personalized skills.

Moving Hazard will continue development throughout the Early Access process, adding additional major features as well as taking and responding to community feedback to tweak the game and plan future upgrades. The game is expected to enter a full release on Steam later this summer.

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