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Asker Online beta review says Korean game 'missing something'
Curious about the new Korean action-MMO Asker Online? One tester says that you really shouldn't be. Steparu spent time in the first closed beta and reports that the game is treading over familiar territory. He noted that while he's disappointed with Asker's choice of gender-locked classes (with only three classes in total so far), he found the boss fights challenging and enjoyable and the graphics pleasing to behold. "After spending a couple of days testing the game, Asker Online felt like it was missing something," Steparu writes. "I couldn't really get into the game as much as I thought I would have. Mainly because it didn't have anything new to present. The breakable environment and combat is a lot similar to Vindictus. The size of the maps are extremely small which reminded me of Dragon Nest or Continent of the Ninth. Asker just didn't have much of a flare or impact on me."
C9 introduces the Nightstalker
Webzen announced a new advanced class for its dungeon-based MMO Continent of the Ninth Seal, today. The Nightstalker is a mid-range class that can summon companions and absorb them for added boosts and skill gain. To help celebrate the Nightstalker's launch, the publisher is giving away an item code that can unlock free in-game rewards "including 10 Resurrection Scrolls, 5 Extreme Training Potions (100%) (one hour), Town Travel Level 1 (three days) and School look gear set (seven days)." Special prizes are also reserved for anyone who can get their Nightstalker to level 50. Both of these promotions run from now until March 26. Check out the Nightstalker in action during the video after the jump. [Source: Webzen press release]
Jukebox Heroes: Top 40 MMO themes, #40-31
MMO main themes hold the potential to be some of the most powerful and magical pieces of music, partly because we associate them with particular games more than anything else. A great theme will dredge up intense memories or euphoria by the third note, and I see composers putting in their all with many of these themes. A long time ago I did an MMO theme countdown of 20 tracks, but since then I've heard a lot more and have wanted to do the list all over again. So this week in Jukebox Heroes, we're kicking off a countdown of the top 40 MMO themes -- in my opinion, of course. I listened to over 150 themes and spent hours ranking them to create this list. Because these choices are bound to be a little controversial and stir up debate (which is encouraged!), I set down a few rules that I wanted to share here. I limited myself to just one theme from a particular title, even if there were multiple themes in a game. Entries had to be a main theme or the closest equivalent of that; they had to be from MMOs, not from MOBAs; and I had to divorce my weighting of the track itself from the popularity of and my experience with that game. So no points added or subtracted based on the love of the game; I'm counting down the best music, period. Let's see what numbers 40 through 31 have in store for us!
Continent of the Ninth Seal announces fourth expansion, releases Rahkdan's Counterattack
Webzen has announced that its free-to-play hack-and-slasher Continent of the Ninth Seal (or C9, if you prefer) is getting a new expansion. This expansion, the game's fourth, will be released in three parts, the first of which -- titled Rahkdan's Counterattack -- will be available to all players on November 27th, with dates and details on parts two and three to be announced. Rahkdan's Counterattack is bringing with it a bevy of behind-the-scenes work, including "a server-wide character rebalance." The press release states that "The skill damage for most classes will be updated, as well as the monster difficulty." In addition, new questlines are being added to the Okapia and Sarad continents, and "new Epic items will be dropped from the Second through Sixth continents." On top of that, the future installments of the expansion will include "the long-awaited announcement of a brand new basic class" in addition to a new advanced class. To learn more about C9 or to get in on the action yourself, click on through to the game's official site. [Source: Webzen press release]
New C9 expansion adding dungeons, epic items, higher level cap
Webzen wants you to know about the third expansion of its Continent of the Ninth Seal (C9) online action title. Beginning on August 21, players will have a chance to battle the monsters bent on invading Raebin, which is the "thrilling new sixth continent of Glenheim." C9 players will need to battle through multiple levels of the Guardian's Tower in order to find Tertis' Heart and save Glenheim from destruction. The Tower boasts 20 levels and three major dungeons. Webzen also says that it is increasing the level cap to 65 and adding a new class of epic items "which have the potential to overpower other items in the game." You can watch a preview of the expansion via the video that we've embedded after the cut. [Source: Webzen press release]
Continent of the Ninth Seal unveils the Demonisher
Playing a Shaman in Continent of the Ninth Seal just got a touch more interesting, as Webzen has unveiled the Demonisher, a new class advancement available to players who follow the shamanic ways. The Demonisher is a long-range and melee attacker who uses an orb to initiate magical attacks. Demonishers have a wide range of abilities at their disposal, including evasion tricks, powerful offensive volleys, and a transformation skill that increases movement speed and the power of some attacks. Demonishers also offer debuff skills for use in groups. The addition of the Demonisher isn't all that Webzen has planned this month. To celebrate C9's first anniversary, the studio will hold a number of special events on July 24th. These include in-game giveaways, massive online competitions for real-life peripherals, and the chance for new players to start a character at level 20. Check out the demonisher in action after the break. [Webzen press release]
E3 2013: Webzen teases Mu Chronicle R and other titles
At this year's E3, Webzen was hyped to chat about its lineup of games, though it was close-lipped on many of the details. C9 players who remember the extreme dungeon exclusive Massively had a few weeks back are about to get a little more good news in the form of a spoiler: Sorry, but you don't get to actually kill the new boss, just reseal him. Then on June 27th, Webzen plans to announce details on a new adaption of Mu Online currently codenamed MU Chronicle R. Unlike the current Mu, the new game will focus on leveling up and PvP. To promote future bloodshed, Webzen will be holding global tournaments with cash prizes after the game is released. The update will happen across the globe, and in order to prepare for this, Webzen plans to recruit game masters from each region and reward the top GM with prizes. In addition, once the URL has been released, people who "like" the game's pre-launch Facebook page will be entered into raffles that award prizes like an Alienware gaming laptop, Wcoins/gPotato currency, and... apparently some sort of mystery prize. Really, that's all we can say about this till the 27th! The team also teased work on Archlord 2, MU 2, and a mobile Mu game (not a port but a brand-new game. We don't know whether it's related to Chronicle R). Finally, Webzen's MMOFPS Arctic Combat will be seeing another patch hopefully in July.
Massively Exclusive: A look at C9's new 'extreme' dungeon
Continent of the Ninth Seal is preparing to unleash a raid to end all raids tomorrow. Webzen is marketing Bardiel Seal as an "extreme dungeon" that will send innocent players to their doom as they fight three new raid bosses: Molleck, Creios, and the Rebecca twins. Despite the raid designation, Bardiel Seal only requires four level-62 players to tackle. If the bosses are downed, the game will reward the victors with some of the best armor to hit C9 yet. The fourth and final boss of the dungeon will be patched in next month. To celebrate the release of Bardiel Seal, Webzen is handing out a reward package for returning players. Get a first look at the dungeon in the gallery and trailer below! %Gallery-186634%
Continent of the Ninth Seal adding raid mode, new dungeon
Webzen has announced that it's adding a four-player "raid mode" and a new dungeon to its Continent of the Ninth Seal action fantasy MMO. The company's press release highlights something called an Extreme Dungeon which houses three "dangerously difficult" bosses and appropriate rewards for defeating them. Continent of the Ninth Seal features four classes (Fighters, Shamans, Hunters, and Witchblades) each of which give way to more advanced subclasses with plenty of combat combos to explore. C9 boasts traditional MMO PvE as well as 16-player PvP matches. Check out the Extreme Dungeon teaser after the break, and look for the new content on the live servers on April 24th. [Source: Webzen press release]
Webzen buys 100% of Gala-Net, gPotato
Webzen has announced that it is acquiring MMO publisher gPotato as well as its parent company Gala-Net. According to Reuters, the transaction date is February 15th, after which Webzen will hold 100 percent of Gala-Net's shares. MMO Culture notes that Webzen has already said hello to gPotato customers by publishing Continent of the Ninth Seal on the company's portal. A translated Gala PDF document indicates that the company's second quarter sales for the fiscal year ending in March 2013 were down over 43 percent from the same quarter of the previous year. gPotato is known primarily for publishing Allods Online, Aika, and Sevencore in the west. [Thanks to everyone who tipped us.]
Continent of the Ninth Seal now playable in Europe
Continent of the Ninth Seal has officially launched in Europe. The action MMO was developed by a Korean company called Cloud 9 Studio, with some assistance from noted free-to-play firm Webzen. In Europe, C9 falls under gPotato's publishing banner, and it's now available for play via Gala Networks' servers. C9 features FPS controls, an extensive combo system, and both PvE and PvP gameplay. Massively's had hands-on time with the game on a couple of different occasions, so have a look if you want a preview of what you'll be facing in the world of Tampera. [Source: gPotato press release]
Free for All: Killing monsters in my undies in C9
Calling your game an "unrivaled action RPG" is a pretty daring thing to do. After all, we play in a market that offers games like Vindictus, TERA, Dragon Nest, and Dungeon and Dragons Online. Action-based MMOs are nothing new, really, but they do seem to become more extreme with every new title that comes out. Where Vindictus goes for dark realism and DDO strives for classic gameplay, C9, aka Continent of the Ninth Seal, goes for over-the-top combos and incredible boss battles. It delivers on its promises for the most part. I've played pretty much every action-based MMO on the market, and so far, the bold claims seem true: Nothing rivals C9's loud, combo-liscious approach to combat. Not all is perfect, of course, but most of the issues I had with the game resulted from art design or customer service. Those areas might be easier to fix than a boring game.
E3 2012: Hands-on with Webzen's C9 and the Witchblade
So let's talk about C9. I suppose we should start with its full name, which is Continent of the Ninth Seal. It's a 3-D fantasy action RPG for PC, and it's developed by a company called Cloud 9 Studio. Webzen is handling global publishing duties, and the firm also hosted the E3 shindig I attended yesterday in order to get some hands-on time with the game. Action combat is all the rage in MMOs nowadays, and C9 has it down pat. Tab targeting is conspicuously absent. Combat is all about reaction time, situational awareness, dodging, blocking, and chaining together ridiculously powerful combo attacks. Is it an MMO? As ever these days, that depends on whom you talk to. For its part, Webzen calls it an MORPG (leaving off the first "m" for massively), and the game focuses primarily on PvP and small-group PvE.
Webzen gearing up for C9 PvP tourney, Witchblade reveal at E3
Webzen's Continent of the Ninth Seal, otherwise known as C9, hasn't made a lot of noise in the West as of yet. That may change after next week's E3, when the South Korean action MMO import will introduce a new class and strut its stuff via the championship finals of its PvP tournament. The new class is called the Witchblade, and E3 attendees will get some hands-on time with it as they battle the forces of evil in the game's Blenheim region. Webzen is also showing off Arctic Combat, a new online FPS set on the frozen tundra of World War III. Check in with Massively next week as we'll be on the ground in Los Angeles to bring you all the latest MMO news and views. [Source: Webzen press release]
