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'Moons of Madness' blends Lovecraft with 'Dead Space'
There aren't many great H.P. Lovecraft-inspired games, let alone ones that venture outside of Lovecraft's time period, but Rock Pocket Games and Funcom think can do both at once. They've announced Moons of Madness, a "cosmic horror" game that blends Mars exploration with Lovecraftian supernatural elements and at least a few cues from Dead Space. You assume the role of a technician at a Mars base who grapples with failing systems, a missing EVA team and strange visions, all of which ties into a strange signal emanating from the planet. You're fighting both against very real (and appropriately tentacled) enemies as well as your own possible insanity.
Free DLC guides roguelike Eldritch to the Mountains of Madness
Eldritch, Minor Key Games' attempt to blend Lovecraftian horror with a first-person take on the roguelike dungeon crawl, will be developing a few new diabolical symmetries on December 19 with the release of the Mountains of Madness DLC. The good news here is that this addition is utterly free. If you own Eldritch, simply download the DLC once it's available, and it's all yours. The bad news is that beyond that we know very little. Minor Key Games has released the above trailer for the DLC, but unless the most horrifying thing you can imagine is inexplicably huge penguins, the footage is scant on the kind of psychological horror players would hope for from a DLC named for one of the Lovecraft's most famous stories. With less than two weeks left until Mountains of Madness debuts, it seems we'll have to wait until then to see exactly what it adds. Personally, I'm hoping for something squamous, but I could easily go for a few unknowable geometries or an antediluvian deity representing entropy itself.
Know Your Lore, TFH Edition: What are the Old Gods?
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. They are malignant entities, forces of chaos and destruction that were locked beneath Azeroth long, long before most of the sentient races we know today came to be. The Old Gods, horrific creatures capable of warping mind and thought, bending "lesser creatures" to their whim, once reigned supreme on Azeroth until they fell to the Titans. Yet they persisted still, even from within their prisons deep beneath the soil. C'thun, Yogg-Saron, N'zoth, and even the haunted last breaths of the Old God Y'Shaarj have presented a persistent menace that simply will not go away. And according to at least some accounts told in Titan records, it's because they can't go away. They can't be killed. Destroying the Old Gods would result in the destruction of Azeroth itself, which is why the Titans chose to merely imprison them instead of flat-out destroy. But one question lingers, in the midst of all the this muddled history. Who -- or perhaps more appropriately, what -- are the Old Gods? Where did they come from? Which version of their history is correct ... or is the truth simply sitting somewhere in between the two? Today's Know Your Lore is a Tinfoil Hat edition, meaning the following is a look into what has gone before with pure speculation on how it happened. These speculations are merely theories and shouldn't be taken as fact or official lore.
Revival is a story-driven sandbox in the making
Lovecraft-inspired Revival's recent reveal caught our attention with its promises to "revive the MMORPG" by way of a gorgeous sandbox. Developer IllFonic went on record stating, "It's a genre that has a bad name. There are hardcore fans in the genre, but there's no reason why the whole world shouldn't be playing this genre. The genre has been locked out with a bad taste for a decade. It's time to rethink it, go back to the drawing board, start from scratch and tell everyone that an MMO isn't a stat-chasing, quest-ignoring snorefest." Music to sandbox fans' ears! Naturally, we were keen to hear more, so we spoke with IllFonic Creative Director Kedhrin Gonzalez and surprisingly received very few "we can't talk about that yet" responses. Just remember as you make your way through our interview: A lot can change between the prototype and final release version, so don't unbridle your skepticism just yet.
Know Your Lore: The Sha
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. Have you had the dream again? A black goat with seven eyes that watches from the outside. - The Puzzle Box of Yogg Saron We did not bring them to this land, they were there all along. But we unleashed them from their prison, allowing them to run rampant over the verdant hills and fields of Pandaria. Our arrival on Pandaria's coast was nothing more than a catalyst that sparked a chain of disastrous events the likes of which Pandaria has never before seen ... at least, not in written history. The Sha are a unique villain, the first in Azeroth's history that we alone are responsible for. We've dealt with the horrors of the Burning Legion, we've fought the armies of the Lich King, we've even brought down and vanquished the fallen Aspect Deathwing. But we've never before had to fight something that was spawned not from the evil of the universe, but the evil within ourselves. Which makes the Sha utterly fascinating ... and their origins even more so. Please note: The following post is chock-full of spoilers for Mists of Pandaria.
Sound guru brings The Secret World's ur draug monster to life
If you've ever wondered how MMO sound designers do their thing, a new developer video by Creating Sound will probably be music to your ears. Sound designer and "audio generalist" Alexandre Saba takes us through the creation of The Secret World's ur draug sound suite. What the heck is an ur draug? It's a "creature from the deepest, darkest oceans, a Lovecraftian, god-like creature," according to TSW creative director Ragnar Tornquist. Since Funcom couldn't just go out and mic the nearest ur draug, it turned to Saba, who performs a number of foley tricks to bring the creature's bellow, skin, and wing sounds to life. Look, listen, and learn after the cut.
Know Your Lore, Tinfoil Hat Edition: The secret of Pandaria
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. "It's just possible that the curious race we're going to meet in this mystic land, may just teach us a thing or two about who we are, and why we fight." -- Chris Metzen, BlizzCon 2011 What do we know about Mists of Pandaria? We've been told that the major conflict highlighted in this expansion will be between Alliance and Horde. We've also been told that this will be one of the bloodiest wars since the days of Warcraft II. We've been told that there will be consequences for our actions, and we were told when the expansion was announced at BlizzCon that the pandaren have something to teach us. So what's up with that? And what's up with the crazy map making a reappearance? That's the funny thing -- it's all interconnected, possibly. Today we're going on a Tinfoil Hat trip through Mists of Pandaria to talk about my favorite crazy map, some theories on Azeroth, and why exactly Garrosh needs to be removed. Today's Know Your Lore is a Tinfoil Hat edition, meaning the following is a look into what has gone before with pure speculation on how it happened and what is to come as a result. These speculations are merely theories and shouldn't be taken as fact or official lore.
New Secret World dev walkthrough delves into the Savage Coast
All right now, all you occultists, paranormal investigators, and conspiracy theorists, it's your turn to squeal with delight. Funcom has treated the world to a spankin'-new dev walkthrough of The Secret World's Savage Coast instance. You may remember we got our first look at the Savage Coast at the beginning of the month. Now, we get to go in for a first-hand look at just what makes this coast so savage. The walkthrough -- which is so expansive it has to be presented in three parts -- begins with our dev tour-guides Martin Bruusgaard (Lead Designer) and Joel Bylos (Lead Content Designer) jumping into the dungeon linked to the Solomon Island zone, which they note is the first that players will encounter as they play through The Secret World. After a short preview of the quest-receiving experience (which includes voice acting that's rather good, especially for a game still in development), it descends into a rollercoaster ride into the mouth of madness. The developers take on the Draugh (undead Norse warriors out for vengeance) and their masters throughout the course of the dungeon, which culminates in a scene straight out of Lovecraft's best. We'd hate to spoil the whole thing for you (and it's so long we really don't have the space!), but believe us, it's well worth the watch for any TSW fan. So head on past the cut for the full walkthrough videos!
Funcom reveals three new monsters of The Secret World
Good things often come in threes, and when it comes to The Secret World, scary things do as well. Funcom has just released a new monster information triple-pack for its horror-conspiracy MMORPG, and the official TSW website has the goods on the wendigo, the deep ones, and the ak'ab. The wendigo are apparently descended from a tribe of humans who went cannibal, and Funcom's intro blurb cites their cursed metabolism and describes them as "more sickness than species." No less chilling are the deep ones, fearsome inhabitants of the Atlantic Ocean who are known to "drag victims into a death-dive until the unfortunates are crushed into more edible material." Finally we have the ak'ab, and Funcom's website quotes H.P. Lovecraft to help set the mood for describing these "cold, pale things of native myth" that do the nefarious bidding of sorcerers and necromancers.
The Secret World reveals new Accursed Woods location
The Secret World's third location reveal of the week is here, and we're once again back in New England for a look at the Accursed Woods. The new blurb on the game's official website kicks things off with a rather unsettling quote from H.P. Lovecraft, an author whose works have inspired both the story and the visuals of Funcom's forthcoming opus. The Accursed Woods play host to some sort of gnarly, nameless terror, but Funcom's prose makes it clear that players will know the true nature of the evil that lurks beneath the forest floor soon enough. "Soon, very soon, these horrors beyond horrors will leave the woods, and quaint Kingsmouth will fall to their chittering chorus," the site says. Bring your bug spray and head to the official Secret World web destination for more.
The Game Archaeologist and the dragon of the deep dungeon
The Game Archaeologist is a lazy adventurer-slash-professor who dons his trademark cap for a weekly expedition through some of the most famous MMOs of the past few decades. Each month, he chooses a different title in order to examine its highlights, talk with its developers, and invite its fans to share their experiences. Part of the holy mission of the Game Archaeologist is to ferret out the roots of history that ultimately led to MMORPGs as we know them today. Another part of the mission is to root out ferrets, as my claw-scarred arms can attest. Some of that history is fairly recent, but today we're going to travel back -- way back -- to a time before many of you were born. Including me, as a matter of fact. The year is 1974. The world is hip-deep in the throes of shag carpeting, driftwood furniture and the strains of Grand Funk Railroad. It truly seemed like nothing would ever be cool or non-earth-toned again. At this, the lowest moment in all of history, game designers Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson took the concept of miniature wargaming, merged it with a fantasy motif, and sold it under the name Dungeons & Dragons. Geeks everywhere had a reason to rejoice, and through this roleplaying game the foundations for MMOs were laid. Let's take a brief survey through D&D, giving special emphasis to how this great-granddaddy of RPGs passed down a legacy that we enjoy in our modern online titles. Also, there will be popcorn.
The Perfect Ten: Halloween MMOs
We're only a few days away from Halloween, and already the Massively office staff is dressing up in anticipation. Shawn's post-apocalyptic gear is at odds with Rubi's tastefully modest Guild Wars Elementalist outfit. Greg's Squig is in the corner battling it out with Larry's Chewbacca. Bree is dudded up as a giant red corrective marker; Jef's free-to-play outfit requires microtransactions to view in full; and Kyrstalle is photographing it all with her Poloroid One-Shot camera. I think Eliot showed up in full plate armor and riding a mechanical bull, but that just may be his normal work attire. So as everyone else is goofing off in the spirit of the holidays, it remains to me, your lovable intern, to hack out a top 10 list in honor of All Hallow's Eve. It's the least I can do since they're paying me in candy. While every MMO incorporates horror at some point (even, yes, Hello Kitty Online's Cat-Tastrophie zone), and it's nearly impossible to escape a clutch of giant spiders in any game you visit, I've picked out 10 MMOs that best deliver a slice of October 31st. Some are old, some new, some canceled and some yet to come, but these are 10 of the spookiest MMOs in the world.
Interview with The Secret World's Martin Bruusgaard
Looking forward to The Secret World? Funcom has been great lately about giving us bits of information to tide us over, and the latest news is no exception. TSWOnline.de recently chatted with Martin Bruusgaard, Lead Designer for The Secret World. Bruusgaard delved further into the game, expanding on small details we already know, such as the Lovecraftian influence of the game, and the (slowly) marauding zombies. While Lovecraft, zombies, and Kingsmouth are known elements, things don't stop there. Kingsmouth is just a tiny sample of game regions all around the world that are available to play, and zombies are just the tip of the iceberg: "We've based the population in every region on myths and urban legends in that particular country, which gives us a huge spectrum of scary monstrosities to play with." Bruusgaard has plenty more to say, both about in-game events and some promotional things we might be able to look forward to. The full interview is well worth a read. For more news on The Secret World, keep an eye out for our interview with Ragnar Tornquist at GDC this week as well!
The Daily Grind: Careful where you point that thing
There are parts of the game that you look at it without a great deal of affection. They're bland but functional, the sort of thing that doesn't show up in pre-release screenshots for obvious reasons. Then there are the parts that you look at that could curdle milk based solely on the visuals. They bring you to a state of Lovecraftian horrible knowledge about the hideous true nature of the universe. Maybe something has been modeled to be something particularly ugly, or perhaps it's a combination of poor polygon counts and bad choices in terms of color. In creator-heavy games such as City of Heroes and Champions Online, you might wind up with a character whose calculated appearance is eye-searing. What's universal is that they are so ugly that even if you're used to playing games with unskinned conglomerates of polygons, they strike you as downright hideous. What have you seen in your favorite game that made you just recoil in shock, horror, and possibly disgust? Was it a badly-designed model, or something that was meant to be horrific and succeeded far too well? Did you take screenshots to prove how nauseating it was, or did you just get away and never look back?
The Secret World broadcasts footage from the streets of Kingsmouth
What horrors lie in Kingsmouth when the fog comes to rest? Well that's for you to find out! Thanks to a tip from a certain Erling Ellingsen, we've been pointed to a brand new trailer for The Secret World. It seems that someone has hacked into the security cameras around Kingsmouth, giving us a look at the town's various areas. All of this is set to an unknown narrator explaining exactly how Kingsmouth turned from a small, All-American town into the black pit that it is today. It's important to note, however, that this video is only a preview of the Kingsmouth location -- it's not a gameplay trailer. Erling attached this "quotable quote" in his e-mail: "This is a part of a ramp up of the communication we're doing around The Secret World. We wanted to give gamers a very quick glimpse into the game and the universe, without giving away exactly how the game looks in motion and in all its glory. We're saving that for GDC actually." So GDC it is then! We'll be there! But, while you're all waiting for GDC, go on over to Gamespot and learn more about Kingsmouth. (Also, we saw your Lovecraft Lane street sign! We see your references!)
The Secret World revealing more secrets soon, Funcom confirms Kingsmouth connection
Sources have told us the Kingsmouth website is in truth connected to the enigmatic developer known as Funcom. They've also informed us that this is just the beginning of a new The Secret World initiative from the mysterious developer. In fact, those very same dark forces- er, sources, told us that you can expect to see a significant reveal happen this very weekend. We asked Funcom's Erling Elingson for a comment on these shadowy happenings, "The recent release of the Kingsmouth website is just one of many unique initiatives that will be happening around The Secret World in the next few weeks. Not only are we teaming up with a major site this weekend to give gamers a unique glimpse into the game through new and never-before-seen footage, but there are also other secrets lurking under the surface waiting to be discovered. The ever-growing community surrounding The Secret World did a great job deciphering the clues that led to the discovery of the Kingsmouth website, and they will have plenty more to play around with in the next few weeks!" Success! Our dark lord's ancient powers worked wonders. Wait, we mean uh, our highly charismatic and soothingly baritone voice made them talk, yes. So, you'll want to keep a lookout this weekend TSW fans, and don't stop investigating for clues. If you did, the all-knowing master would be very upset...
Playing WoW for charity: Interview with the WoWathon team
The gamers who are playing WoW, marathon-style, for charity are still streaming their mega-leveling session over on Ustream. Thanks to fellow gamers and readers like you, they are getting close to have surpassed their goal of $5000 in order to stay playing until they get level 80. Every penny of the donations goes to Child's Play, the Penny-Arcade charity for helping sick kids in children's hospitals.The WoWathon team are leveling, chatting, eating, singing -- living their lives on the internet for your viewing pleasure and hopefully your donations. They are also, unbelievably, being griefed while questing and trolled in chat. Unflappable, these Gamers for Good continue their quest to help raise money for an excellent cause -- sometimes with Blizzard GMs as guardian angels.They took time out after reaching level 40 and even woke up one of their team (Thank you, Alex!) to answer my interview questions:
WRUP: Eldritch terror edition
Well, it's that time of year again -- that special time of year when a young man's thoughts of buying BlizzCon tickets turn to a creeping psychosis. When dark whispers echo from the cavernous depths of the serpentine tunnels beneath the earth's crust, their walls emblazoned with pulsing eldritch symbols unknown to any living civilization. When dreamers with minds unguarded bear witness to the psychic rumblings of beings lost to time. If you listen closely you can hear it, sussurating even now...Ïa! Ïa! BlizzCon tickets f'thagn!Oh, and it's also that time of week (Saturday) where we check in with our many writers (and one Peruvian pygmy mummy) and see what the heck they're doing this weekend. The two may intersect in ways you probably anticipated. So let's see just what's causing our writers' sanity levels to drop dangerously low this weekend. Adam "Holisky: Trying to pull off 75 daily quests from Friday through Sunday. Alex Ziebart: I won't be doing anything. I profaned an ancient tomb and now I've switched bodies with a Peruvian pygymy mummy! A primeval headhunter is running around in my body! If only I could alert an expert in mystical anthropology who could provide a tincture, or perhaps a talisman, to break the spell. Allison Robert: Praying my connection holds through an Ulduar-25. NO, THIS IS NOT A HORRIBLE DREAM, DEAR READERS. THIS IS REAL LIFE. AND THERE'S MORE, LURKING JUST BEYOND THE JUMP.
Yogg-Saron, Old God of Death speculation
One of the things that caught my eye in the Ulduar preview that was posted awhile ago is the description of Yogg-Saron. The flavor text describes him as 'the Old God of death.' Considering our big target in this expansion, the Lich King, that's extremely interesting.Wrath of the Lich King has heavily hinted at some sort of connection between Yogg-Saron and the Scourge, though we never quite find out what it is. The Scourge make heavy use of Saronite, an ore with Yogg-Saron himself as its origin. When the Alliance investigates this ore in the Dragonblight, they discover the Scourge says Yogg-Saron's name with some degree of hate and contempt.A lot of people fear there's a "puppet of the master" thing surrounding the Lich King, that he's not actually his own power, he belongs to Yogg-Saron. I find this unlikely for one really big reason: The Scourge hates Yogg-Saron, and everybody else that we've run into that have fallen under Yogg-Saron's will either love him utterly or serve him faithfully. If you go to the Saronite Mines in Icecrown and do the quest Slaves to Saronite, you see just how faithful some of his servants become once they've been controlled. If Yogg-Saron were controlling the Lich King, we'd see a very different Scourge.
The Digital Continuum: Where mundane and fantastical merge
The wizard leaps across the chasm, deftly avoiding a hurled ball of fire that the Goblin shaman had thrown in a rage. A space fighter weaves through suspended rocks in space as hostile blaster fire scorches the tips of his wing span. A retail employee swings the massive hammer he found in the home improvement section, saving a co-worker from the blood-thirsty sprite from another world?
