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Mabinogi II: Arena stops development
Hope that Mabinogi II: Arena wasn't on your "most wanted in 2014" list, because Nsquare has announced that it's ceased development on the MMO. The love child of Nexon and NCsoft, Mabinogi II was to be an action MMO arena with spectators watching teams crawl through countless dungeons. The Nsquare team said that the market didn't look ripe for Mabinogi II, although it did say that it would take another look at the project in the future. For now, Nsquare is moving on to work on MapleStory 2 and other titles.
New combat trailer demonstrates Mabinogi 2 Arena battles
Mabinogi 2 Arena, Nexon's recently revealed companion to Mabinogi and Vindictus (AKA Mabinogi Heroes in the east), takes a good fight and makes it the centerpiece of the game. Slated to launch later this year, the action MMO allows players to fight in arena combat as well as spectate others' matches. While a previous video showed off some character models and environments for the upcoming game, Nexon's latest official trailer gives folks a taste of the actual combat moves players can expect. The video shows off both 1v1 and one vs. many scenarios; various kicks, throws, slaps, and slices are exchanged between characters as well as inflicted upon nondescript practice dummies. Footage also demonstrates battle atop dinosaur-like and mechanical mounts, with the pet/mount dealing its own damage. Check out the action after the break.
Nexon working on Mabinogi 2 Arena
If you're a big fan of the inventive sandbox Mabinogi and action RPG Mabinogi Heroes (known as Vindictus in the west), we have to ask you: Is there room in your heart for more Mabinogi? Nexon's betting on "yes" because the publisher is hard at work on Mabinogi 2 Arena. Revealed at GStar 2012, Mabinogi 2 takes the franchise in a new direction in a genre that Nexon is calling "MMO Arena." The game's built on an in-house engine and rewards both spectators and players alike. In fact, being a spectator is a major part of Mabinogi 2 as it provides players another way to be entertained by the game. Spectators can aid participants and be given rewards from them in return. Mabinogi 2 Arena has five classes, combat styles, and body types. It's decidedly an action MMO that involves a wide range of actions such as throwing counters, grabbing opponents, and even slapping. It's slated to launch later this year, and you can watch the shaky-cam trailer after the jump.
The Perfect Ten: Sequelitis
As a long-time movie buff, I've always been fascinated by sequels. I know, they have a terrible reputation and everyone gets this face like he's digesting a porcupine when discussing them, but there's something fun about them as well. I think we always want a good story to continue, to see what happens next, and to answer the question, "What would the first film be like if it were put in the hands of a complete boob?" It would be an entertaining trainwreck, that's what. Even though the MMORPG genre is in its toddler stage, it's seen a number of sequels, prequels and spin-offs, just the same as other types of entertainment. Video game sequels for hit titles are safer financial investments than striking out into new territory, so it makes sense that MMO studios would follow this pattern as well. Right now there are loads of MMO sequels and spin-offs in the works -- including EverQuest Next, PlanetSide Next, Guild Wars 2, Mabinogi 2, MapleStory 2, Phantasy Star Online 2, Dust 514, and even a possible Ultima Online sequel -- so it's safe to say that the trend won't be dying down anytime soon. However, today I want to look at 10 sequels that already made it to release and briefly examine how they stacked up to their predecessors. Oh yes, there will be blood after the jump -- and I will drink your milkshake!
