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E3 2010: Dragon Nest hands-on
Dragon Nest couldn't be more different from Vindictus, Nexon's other new title. Where Vindictus is all about "elegant brutality," Nexon describes Dragon Nest as "kinetic and beautiful." And though both games are lovely in their own way, Dragon Nest's style is more typical of what you'd expect from Nexon: The art is stylized, with a bit of an anime feel to it. Gameplay felt a surprising amount like Nexon's 2-D classic arcade-style MMO, Dungeon Fighter Online, though DN is fully 3-D and much more like what you'd expect of an MMO. But like DFO, DN's combat is fast-paced, full of flashy animations, and just a lot of fun. With every game we see from Nexon, it's clear that they're taking everything they've learned from previous development and adding it to their latest project. Though we haven't seen everything the game has to offer, Dragon Nest may be their most polished game yet. %Gallery-95665%
E3 2010: Vindictus hands-on
With as many demo stations as Nexon had available to show off their latest games -- Vindictus and Dragon Nest -- we could hardly pass by without stopping to play for a few minutes. And now we're going to try to pass the experience on to you, with words and pictures that don't quite do the game justice. But until it it goes live later this year (they're hoping to launch in the fall), this will have to suffice. So let's talk Vindictus. Vindictus is a free-to-play game of the likes we've never seen before. It's running on Valve's Source Engine and looks simply incredible. It represents a major departure from Nexon's usual stylized graphics -- Vindictus is as realistic as they come, with crisp graphics and clean animation. It's also a departure content-wise: Vindictus is joyfully violent, allowing you to hack away at monsters, smash almost anything element in the environment, and destroy your opponents with finishing moves. And, of course, to look damn good while doing it. It's "all about elegant brutality," Nexon tells us, and we have to agree. %Gallery-95642%
E3 2010: Zentia preview
ChangYou's Zentia is -- you guessed it -- another free-to-play title coming from Asia. So what makes it stand out from the rest? We talked to the game's senior producer, Susan Revelt at E3 and she tells us it's the game's story that makes it shine. And we admit, Zentia does start with a rather unique premise: You enter the game as one of 22 (former) immortals who have been banished from the immortal realms and tasked with ridding the world of demons before they can return. It's ChangYou's take on telling a fairy tale... with a humorous twist. (Revelt tells us they're aiming for a Princess Bride or Labyrinth feel with the story and the humor.) Whether this has given them what they need to succeed in the crowded free to play market is still up in the air. Though we've seen footage of the game, we haven't had a chance to test drive it ourselves and the closed beta won't begin until early July, with a planned release towards the end of August. Let's start by talking about the basics of the game... %Gallery-95555%
E3 2010: Might and Magic Heroes Kingdom preview
On Tuesday, we caught up with Chris Early, Ubisoft's Vice President of Digital Publishing, to chat about Heroes of Might and Magic's future with a new browser-based MMO. I must admit, I'm personally a bit skeptical about whether browser-based games can supplant full-fledged applications, but after talking with Chris, I'm sold on the concept -- at least insofar as Might and Magic Heroes Kingdom is concerned. First up, the basics. Just what is MMHK? Ubisoft calls MMHK a "strategic casual MMO." It's turn-based with more of real-time strategy vibe than we've seen in other MMOs and it's designed with people who may only have a few minutes a day to play in mind. Think of something along the lines of multiplayer Civilization with thousands of other people and you'd be near the mark. Now, whether "casual" turns into hours of "just one more turn" is another matter entirely. Gameplay and lore from the Might and Magic franchise we all know and love -- the goal with MMHK is just to throw more players into the mix. Want PvP? You can do that. Want PvE? You can do that. Want to advance as a merchant-type character purely for the pursuit of wealth without killing your fellow players? You can do that, too. Browser-based, which means you can play it on your PC, your Mac, or even your shiny new iPad -- wherever you've got an internet connection.This means there's no software to download or install. Free to play with an optional subscription fee. (Though Ubisoft hasn't announced pricing for the game's North American release, it's currently live in France, where a monthly subscription runs five euros.) If that sounds like something that might be up your alley, read on for more details. %Gallery-95376%
Black Prophecy captures a battle royale in new E3 video
While Black Prophecy has been flying under the radar, so to speak, it continues to pique our interest with slow burn reveals such as custom ship building. The space shooter MMO has been in closed beta for a month and a half, and fortunately for all of us awaiting this action-packed title, Reakktor Media is dropping out of stealth during E3 to give the public a better look. They've released a new two-and-a-half-minute trailer for Black Prophecy that features PvP and clan combat, as well as a glimpse of the missions fighter jockeys can accept. We'll be sitting down with the Black Prophecy crew for a chat at E3 later this week, but in the meanwhile, feast your eyes... upon THIS!
