cel-shaded
Latest
Here's a trailer from that Borderlands thing you'll never play
Borderlands Online is still a China-exclusive title, but if for some reason you want to watch the trailer for a game you'll probably never play, we have it for you after the break! MMO Culture reports that Borderlands started its "technical test" today. It also says that the game is an "instance-based online shooter," so really you aren't missing too much if you're a fan of the original series and its open world ethos.
Soul Captor Online goes into open beta, adds two new classes
C'mon kids, those souls won't capture themselves! Soul Captor Online, the MMO that revolves around absorbing and reusing souls for noble purposes, boldly ventured into open beta as of today. To celebrate Soul Captor Online's open beta, the CM team is putting on a series of events. The first of these is an in-game anima hunt that will reward the winners with prizes. In addition to the four classes shown in the closed beta testing phase, Gamania has added two new classes for the open beta: the Celestial Master and Mystic Fighter. The Celestial Master is a strong support class that buffs teammates while debuffing the enemy, while the Mystic Fighter is a melee warrior who relies on evasion to keep the worst hits from landing. You can check out the introductory video for these classes after the jump. [Source: Gamania press release]
Soul Captor Online announced
There's a new cel-shaded sheriff coming to town, and the only question is whether the place will be big enough for a contender this cute and cuddly. Gamania is trumpeting the upcoming arrival of Soul Captor Online, a free-to-play title that revolves around the acquisition and manipulation of monster souls. In Soul Captor Online, players will be accompianied by an Anima, a customized spirit creature that will help them in their journeys. When the player and Anima defeat a monster, the monster's soul can be sucked out to be used for buffs, enchantments, and even mounts. The revealed classes so far in Soul Captor are a diverse bunch: Warrior, Priest, Shaman, and of course, the Onmyoji (mage). There is a pair of unannounced classes hiding in the shadows as well. Currently, Soul Captor is accepting sign-ups for beta. Check out the tongue-in-cheek trailer after the jump and let us know what you think!
Firefall dev update talks beta progress, testing schedules
Wondering how Firefall is progressing as we inch closer to the end of the year? Wonder no more, as a new Red 5 dev blog sheds a bit of light on what's happening with everyone's favorite cel-shaded MMO shooter. The dev team is currently focused on Firefall's open world experience, and said functionality is currently at the center of "a huge push for us this month," Red 5 says. The dev blog also makes mention of the relatively limited access to beta, and says that players shouldn't worry if they haven't received invites yet. "It is definitely not a demo of the game. There are many times where testing is nothing but repeatedly banging your head against a wall while we watch the log files," Red 5 explains. The devs also plan to roll out more beta invites as infrastructure allows, with the process stretching "all the way into next year."
Gamescom 2011: EA and BioWare announce Warhammer MOBA [Updated]
If you've always wondered what Warhammer would look like as a MOBA, EA and BioWare have your answer. Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes was just announced at this year's Gamescom, and the fantasy title will feature three-team PvP with six players per side. Another new wrinkle highlighted in the game's press materials is the ability to swap heroes on the fly and "confound your foes and dominate the battlefield," according to BioWare. The gameplay looks fast, frenetic, and accessible, and EA is positioning the title to capture a piece of the burgeoning free-to-play MOBA market. GameReactor also reports that the new game's scenarios will be built around pre-existing scenarios from Warhammer Online. We'll bring you more on Wrath of Heroes in our Not So Massively column, and in the meantime you can watch the preview clip after the cut. [Update: You can also sign up now for the beta on the official site!]
New Firefall hands-on coming to Gamescom and PAX
Those heading to Gamescom and PAX Prime later this month have a treat on waiting for them: a hot new demo of Firefall, the free-to-play persistent world shooter. Red 5 Studios is gracing both conventions with a hands-on experience to let players see if it lives up to the growing hype. The Gamescom crowd can expect to enjoy the full demo and some intense coop events, while PAXers will get to see additional multiplayer maps as Firefall debuts its open-world experience. Not heading to either convention? Red 5 hopes you don't give up hope, and invites you to sign up for the Firefall beta program, which is currently in the friends and family stage but is set to expand significantly after PAX. Firefall is slated to launch this December, which is not a minute too soon to those anticipating this title. Enough talk -- it's time for action! Hit the jump to check out the awesome new trailer showcasing Firefall's gorgeous cel-shaded look, crazy action scenarios, and glowy glider wings.
Firefall launching in December
The end of the year release schedule just got a bit more crowded, and while debate as to whether Firefall is or is not an MMO is sure to continue, one thing's for certain. The game is launching in December. Red 5 Studios' Mark "Grummz" Kern confirmed as much in a thread on the official Firefall boards over the weekend, and also issued a clarification as to the title's beta timeframe. "They asked me when the game was launching and I said December," he wrote. "For some reason, they interpreted that as beta." The "they" in this case refers to some interviewers at the recent ChinaJoy gaming expo, and Grummz apologizes for the confusion in the thread as well. So, if you're keeping score at home, Firefall is officially blasting onto your PC this December. The beta will be... sometime prior to that. Stay tuned to Massively for more as it happens.
Bright Shadow Online announced
MMO collectible card games aren't quite as prevalent as their traditional RPG brethren, but titles like CardMon Hero, Urban Rivals, and even BattleForge have been making their online presence felt in recent years. Today Gamania Digital Entertainment Europe is adding another title to that mix with the announcement of its Bright Shadow Online MMOCCG. Bright Shadow's beta begins this Friday, July 8th on Gamania's beanfun! platform. Interested players can grab a beta key by playing the Bright Shadow Memory Game at the title's website. The minigame involves matching six pairs of monster cards, at which point you'll unlock your key. Careful, though, you've only got four lives to spend. Bright Shadow Online features 20 classes, 60 randomly generated dungeons, over 600 collectible monster cards, and extensive character customization according to Gamania's official website.
The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: True Fantasy Live Online
As an extremely amateur historian -- and an extremely attractive archaeologist -- I've always been fascinated with the "what ifs" of gaming's timeline. What if Blizzard had pulled the plug on World of Warcraft during development as it did for Warcraft Adventures? What if Hellgate: London had a lot more time and resources before it launched? What if North America had embraced the free-to-play model much earlier instead of the subscription model? What if Shawn came to his senses before he hired me? Life would've been a lot better. Or worse. That's the problem with counterfactual history: We can make educated guesses, but we'll never really know. While it's sad to see MMOs shut down due to underperformance, it's especially maddening to contemplate MMOs canceled before they even made it to the starting gate. In a new periodic series here at The Game Archaeologist, I'm going to look at a few of the "what ifs" of prematurely terminated MMORPGs. And to kick us off, I'm tackling probably one of the most frustrating, painful subjects that still linger amongst potential fans. I'm talking, of course, of True Fantasy Live Online, the game that could've shown the true potential of console MMOs. Or, y'know, not.
TUAW's Daily App: Samurai II: Vengeance
We'll start with the obvious: Samurai II: Vengeance is one of the best, if not the best, looking games I've ever seen on the iPhone. It is simply gorgeous, with a unique, cel-shaded look filling out incredible 3D worlds. I'm excited for Epic Citadel's progeny, of course, but this one's in a class all its own in terms of the graphics. It's just amazing. The gameplay isn't quite as astounding, but it's still quality. You play a samurai who (surprise!) is looking for vengeance and has to hack and slash his way through hordes of bad guys. Attacks are combo-based, and controls are responsive enough, given that they're based on overlay buttons, to pull off the attacks you want. Enemies are somewhat repetitive, but in an action game like this, that's kind of the way it works. And speaking of action, things can get kind of gory. Sometimes, by attacking just right, you'll up and chop a guy's head off or even slice him in half. That might be offputting if you're a more casual gamer, but what did you think was going to happen if you ran around swinging a samurai sword? The game is US$2.99, and when you consider that includes both iPhone and iPad versions as well as Game Center integration and a survival mode, Samurai II: Vengeance is a bargain at twice the price. Definitely pick it up, if only to wander through the game's world and marvel at the way it's all portrayed.
Red Steel 2 is MotionPlus exclusive, cel-shaded
As you probably already know, the latest issue of Nintendo Power blows the doors off of the recently announced sequel to the Wii's slightly disappointing, sword/gun-toting FPS launch title, Red Steel. Now that the mag has landed in a few quivering, anticipatory hands, more details about Red Steel 2 are beginning to surface.First and foremost, the title will apparently be cel-shaded -- hinted at by the sole piece of concept art we received yesterday, and confirmed by a number of scans which are beginning to creep onto the internets. Also, we recently got confirmation from Nintendo Power itself that the game will be "Wii MotionPlus exclusive," a phrase we can only interpret to mean "you need a MotionPlus dongle to play it." (Are you guys comfortable with calling it a dongle? That's such a lovely word. Don-gle.)We'll let you know when we hear even more facts about the game. And by facts, we don't mean "my brother's girlfriend's sister's stepmom goes to a beauty parlor where she read about Red Steel 2 while waiting for her bouffant to dry."[Thanks, Fernando Rocker!]
The Daily Grind: Do you like cel-shaded MMO graphics?
From the simplistic to the detailed, we've seen more and more MMOs with cel-shaded art entering the market in the last while. Dream of Mirror Online, Zu Online and FusionFall have all launched already and are using a slightly less demanding variant. Champions Online will be coming out later this year and seems to be using a more detailed version versus the others out there. Some people really enjoy cel-shaded animation, preferring the animated cartoon look it gives. Others can't stand it because it means you can often lose certain physical elements due to poor shading, so your avatar winds up looking more 2-d than 3-d. (Sometimes referred to as 'losing your nose' when looking at a head-on view of your avatar facing into the light and the nose disappears due to no shadowing.) Of course, realizing this is ultimately a matter of personal taste - we wanted to ask. Do you like cel-shaded graphics in MMOs? Is it a fresh, fun way to see a new world? Perhaps you like the idea, but think the execution needs work. Does the 'losing your nose' thing drive you bonkers? Or do cel-shaded MMO graphics just not do it for you at all?
Zu Online gets a new look, new server
IGG has just launched a new website for Zu Online, their cel-shaded martial arts MMO. The revamped site features an animated video introduction to the storyline with comic book panel transitions, fitting the anime style of the game itself. The free-to-play game is set in an ancient and mythical Sichuan and has an active community, perhaps even moreso in light of the situation facing its real-life locale.Hot on the heels of the site revamp is Zu Online's new server launch, slated for June 6th. The new server coincides with the game's second anniversary. IGG announced that this new server is needed to accommodate the growing population of Zu Online, as well as to improve the game experience for fans of the title. Via MMORPG
A cleaner look at next-gen, cel-shaded Prince of Persia
An Ubisoft rep tells us, "We haven't officially released any screenshots online for PoP" -- kinda hard to believe when there's a fresh cluster warming up the server on Czech Republic site Tiscali Games. (There's a preview too, in Czech -- and here's Google's best effort.) While the images look virtually identical to those seen in the leaked Joypad feature from last month, being online screenshots, these new offerings have an obvious advantage over the scans we were forced to make due with previously. As for when Ubi plans the official release of screenshots online: "All screens and artwork will be available on the Ubidays press kit on Wednesday, May 28th."In addition, we've posted a new "Speed Art" trailer after the break, depicting Elika, a "powerful companion who accompanies the Prince throughout the game." Elika will apparently be integrated into the actual gameplay, assisting with acrobatics and combat. Just think of her as the new Dominic Santiago, you know, minus the Hispanic meathead part.[Via NeoGaf]
Get your grind on a different way with Street Gears
Gala Networks Europe, holders of Flyff and Rappelz, have announced their third and newest MMO, Street Gears. SG is based around inline skating, with an anime aesthetic and extreme gameplay that combines racing with track skating. It's being developed by NFlavor, who created Rappelz, and who have given it a cel-shaded look that's sure to appeal.As with the other two titles in their stable, Street Gears will be free-to-play, and will become available in June on the gPotato portal. GameTrailers has the trailer up, so check it out!
.jpg.cf.jpg)
Dream of Mirror Online's cel-shaded look works for it
Our own Tateru Nino has been covering Dream of Mirror Online pretty well (both with a nice hands-on and coverage of the problems with EU players), and now Keen (of Keen and Graev) has written up a few of his own impressions of the game as well. He doesn't go nearly as in-depth as Tateru's hands-on (just mentions that there are a few "kill x boars pigs" quests), but he does talk about how the cel-shading and stylization of the graphics is a real boost for the game, both in terms of playability (the low system requirements are great for pulling in casual players) and in terms of feel. Both Tateru and Keen felt that the world was really alive with characters and story.My original concern with the game was that the gameplay would end up "as cutesy as the graphics are," but according to what we've heard, it's actually pretty in-depth. Anyone else given the world of DOMO a try?
Berlin hotel offers cel-shaded room to guests
The Arte Luise Kunsthotel has to be one of the coolest hotels on the planet. Each room was designed by a different artist, and the prices won't require you to sell your PS3 for an overnight stay. The room "Comic" looks like something out of Jet Set Radio Future, or maybe an A-Ha video. That's an actual photo of the room above. You can just imagine losing your depth perception and sense of realism there, and we can't think of a more perfect place to set up a game console. Preferably a Wii, because anything with more horsepower would overpower the room.Check out some of the other rooms in the place, it's a real trip. Next time we're in Berlin, Joystiq calls dibs on this room and "Future Comfort". That shower looks like something out of Terry Gilliam's Brazil.[Via Boing Boing]
PS2 impressions: Okami
Great game, wrong input. After all this talk about how the Wii's control adds nothing to titles like Madden and Tony Hawk, Capcom's Okami is a title that would really be complemented by the Wii remote (or, better yet, the Nintendo DS's touch screen). The game is beautiful and its use of cel shading is rich and artistic, the control scheme has a wonderful pick-up-and-play-feel (the embedded tutorial in the demo helped, too). Since on-screen drawing plays a huge role in Okami, we felt it troublesome that the Dual Shock's controls felt digital: either the on-screen paint brush moved at full speed or it stopped. Since this game requires a delicate art, we're hoping the controls become more sensitive.Okami, now available in Japan, will hit US shores in September.
