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This is what it's like in Tree of Savior's closed beta
What's it like in the Tree of Savior closed beta? Steparu has the answers in a brief but video-filled impressions piece published earlier today. He says that there's not a lot of customization in this particular build, but he does praise the game's unique barracks system and outlines what it's like to play a Wizard and a Swordsman.
Massively's Black Friday MMO sales and deals roundup
Happy Black Friday, everyone! We've been keeping an eye on MMO-related sales and promotional events just for you. Here are a few of the bigguns that might be worth taking advantage of today and through the weekend: Guild Wars 2's digital versions are 50% off through the official website until December 7th. World of Warcraft -- well, the bundle with everything but Warlords of Draenor -- is 75% off through December 2nd. WildStar is on sale for 50% off, so $19.99, for a "limited time" on the official site and at other retailers. ArcheAge has a bunch of marketplace items on sale, along with two new mounts. Today only, SOE is offering double Station Cash, spendable in most of its MMOs. Star Wars: The Old Republic has hinted that a large (possibly hourly) Cartel Market sale is on the way today. All of Perfect World's MMOs have sales running over the next few days; of note to us are sales in Neverwinter, Champions Online, Swordsman, and Star Trek Online, the last of which is offering not just a cash shop sale but a sale on lifetime subs. Lord of the Rings Online is offering double bonus points in its cash shop and bonus XP in-game. Wargaming has festivities and sales planned for World of Tanks and World of Warplanes. Dungeons and Dragons Online is offering +20% XP through Sunday. RIFT is not only selling the classic collector's editions, character slots, and bag slots at 50% off but making the newest expansion available to buy via credits for the first time. TERA has a slew of cash shop item goodies on sale, including bundles with mounts and character slots. Marvel Heroes' multiple sales extend to Cyber Monday. (Update: MJ tells us that logging in Saturday will grant you a free remote-controlled Blackbird jet pet!) And don't forget all the MMOs and MMO bundles/DLC on sale on Steam for the fall sale, as well. Elder Scrolls Online and The Secret World are among them! If you know of others -- and we're sure there are several -- sound off in the comments!
Choose My Adventure: Closing off our time in Swordsman
I've spent quite a bit of time in Perfect World Entertainment's Swordsman this month. Thanks to the unique layout of October 2014, Swordsman ended up getting an extra week compared to most Choose My Adventure endeavors. And while I'm ready to move on to the next game, it was nice to have some extended time with Swordsman before sending it to that magic hard drive in the sky. Sometimes a few extra days can give you time to see things in a game you didn't see before. Swordsman is definitely a game that grows on you. The experience continually improves. If you're willing to stick through the slow opening and limited early experience, there's a pretty interesting game waiting to be discovered.
Swordsman ventures into the Gilded Wasteland
Capture the Flag? That's PvP for little babies who need changing every two hours. Now, Capture the Lion -- that's a game for grown-ups with hair on their chest and thickening inner ear fluid! Capture the Lion is but a sliver of the new content update that's hit Swordsman today. The Gilded Wasteland patch has raised the level cap to 94, improved the leveling curve, and added a slew of regions, dungeons, and PvP modes. Curious about the game? Our own Mike has been exploring the ins and outs of Swordsman in his Choose My Adventure series as of late. [Source: Perfect World press release]
Choose My Adventure: The once and future Swordsman
For the last three weeks, I've been whipping and kicking every bad guy I can find in Perfect World Entertainment's Swordsman in the hopes of understanding this peculiar wuxia MMORPG. My Choose My Adventure experience thus far has been mixed; I've enjoyed Swordsman's theme and setting, but its mechanics and hard-to-follow narrative have made the experience a touch less manageable. Swordsman from 1-30 seems at best like an extended tutorial and at worst like a game that plays itself. That's not just my opinion. All of the feedback I can find on the game seems to point in one direction: Swordsman's early levels aren't the main attraction. The real Swordsman exists in PvP (unlocked at level 30), guild quests (unlocked at level 35), and instances (unlocked at 15 -- not bad). Last week's combat discipline discovery at 25 further cemented the idea that Swordsman is a game designed to reward players who stick through the initial grind. I didn't have much time to play this last week, but I did get a chance to sit down with PWE product manager Gabrielle Heiland to talk about Swordsman's first expansion, the future of the game, and how Perfect World feels about the game's current "wait and see" design.
Choose My Adventure: Clicking around in Swordsman
Three weeks into our Choose My Adventure adventure, I'm not sure what to make of Perfect World Entertainment's Swordsman. The game boasts a deep literary pedigree and markets itself on its wuxia themes and combat-oriented design. It has a rich, beautiful world that is dripping with powerful design cues and historical influences. Like all PWE games, it is slick and easy to pick up and play. Swordsman is a well-made MMORPG. It is mechanically sound and conceptually solid. So why am I so bored?
Swordsman's Gilded Wasteland launches October 23rd
Swordsman is expanding on October 23rd, according to a new trailer from Perfect World that's releasing, oh, right about now! The content drop is called Gilded Wasteland update, and it adds new regions and new battlegrounds to the wuxia-powered MMO. There's a level cap increase as well (from 89 to 94) as well as "leveling adjustments combined with a multitude of optimization changes [that] will streamline the Swordsman experience for both veterans and new players," according to a PWE press release. You can click past the cut to view the trailer, and don't forget to follow along with Massively's Swordsman-flavored Choose My Adventure series.]
Choose My Adventure: Cracking whips in Swordsman
In last week's Choose My Adventure poll, I asked two simple questions of the Massively community: Which gender should our character be in Perfect World Entertainment's Swordsman, and what path should that character take among the game's 10 available schools of combat? The result was a resounding win for the female-character-exclusive Five Venoms school (probably because whips) and for the creation of a female character. Since the polls closed on Saturday, I've created our character and spent a little time with Swordsman's intro sequence, tutorial missions, and the earliest chapters of its main storyline. I've whipped a bunch of dudes, summoned giant frogs, and set a few horses on fire. And while it's early yet to declare Swordsman a success, failure, or mediocre in-betweener, thus far I would describe the experience as decidedly mixed.
Choose My Adventure: The proud wanderers of Swordsman
Since commandeering Choose My Adventure in August, I've been on something of a sci-fi rampage. First we took a second look at a post-release Firefall; then we spaced out with a beta build of Frontier's Elite: Dangerous. And while spaceships and rocket boots are certainly wonderful things, Choose My Adventure is as much about investigating new worlds and new genres as it is about checking out new games. Thus, it's time to leave the world of science fiction behind in search of something a bit more classical. This month, we're adventuring into Imperial China -- as far from deployable sentry guns and pulse lasers as possible -- with Perfect World Entertainment's Swordsman.
Swordsman announces Gilded Wasteland expansion
Perfect World Entertainment has just announced an expansion for its still-new F2P martial arts MMO Swordsman. Dubbed Gilded Wasteland, the update will boost the level cap to 94 and introduce new desert regions (Ping Liang, Tunhuang, and the Shadow Mountain Plains) and dungeons to the game. PWE also says it will improve the leveling curve, weapon-crafting, and PvP. The expansion arrives later this fall. We've included new concept art below.
Perfect World Entertainment continues to rake in money
Perfect World Entertainment continues its hot streak of revenue generation, posting gains both quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year. The company released its Q2 2014 financials this past week, and reported revenues of $149.6 million, of which $138.8 million come from PWE's online games. Gross profit was $109.4 million during the same quarter. PWE CEO Robert Xiao attributed the company's financial success to Swordsman's release, Dota2's launch in China, and several new mobile titles. Xiao said that the company was looking forward to releasing Legend of the Condor Heroes, as well as pushing Neverwinter into the Chinese market.
Last Week on Massively: Hello to Firefall and Swordsman; goodbye to Vanguard and Wizardry Online
This post originally appeared on Massively from Editor-in-Chief Brianna Royce. At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO story last week, you've come to the right post. The MMO world said goodbye to Vanguard and Wizardry Online this week and learned of the impending closure of heavily criticized mobile MMO Ultima Forever. Bringing balance to the universe were shiny new MMOs Swordsman and Firefall, both of which formally launched. Read on for a look at the rest of this week's top MMO stories.
Swordsman launches today
Did you know that Perfect World is launching Swordsman today in the West? Well, now you do. You can view a gameplay teaser for the free-to-play wuxia MMO -- along with today's press release -- after the break. [Source: Perfect World press release]
Swordsman launches July 29th
Are you excited for Swordsman but not willing to jump into an open beta test without a launch date? Then all we can tell you is that it's time to get jumping because Swordsman will fully launch on July 29th. The launch will bring along the Demon Pit event, pitting players against demons underground in exchange for the most powerful equipment in the game. Launch will also apparently bring "streamlining" to the player experience, although we don't know the details just yet. If you're not even sure what Swordsman is, the short version is that it's a wuxia action MMO based on the novels of Louis Cha. The long version can be found in the producer's trailer just past the break or in our recent stream of the game. The even longer version... well, the game is in open beta, so you can always just download it and try it out for yourself. That would work. [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release]
Swordsman enters open beta today
Perfect World Entertainment's newest installment in the MMO battleground is entering open beta today. Swordsman focuses on large-scale PvP in a martial arts environment; the wuxia feel to the game is inspired by the novels of Louis Cha, who has sold over 100 millions books worldwide. Swordsman's open beta will allow cross-server functionality and open the in-game store. Those who participated in the closed beta will get their rewards starting today, as well. You can find out more about Swordsman at the game's official site. [Source: PWE press release]
Swordsman slashes its way into open beta on July 3rd
Perfect World Entertainment has just announced that its martial arts-flavored Swordsman MMO will enter open beta on July 3rd, bringing to an end the closed beta that began on June 17th. Special $60 hero packs were announced yesterday. To coincide with the announcement, Swordsman Product Manager Gabrielle Heiland has narrated a new dev walkthrough video highlighting the game's story, guilds, PvP, and combat mechanics and visuals. Enjoy the vid below!
Swordsman opens up sales of its Hero's Pack
Swordsman is currently in closed beta, but it's moving into open beta soon, and as is now the tradition, that means it's time to offer players a chance to buy the game. Sort of. The game is free-to-play, but if you feel like dropping $60 on the game before it launches, you can pick up the Hero's Pack, filled with all sorts of nice little prizes for your future martial artist characters. Purchasing the Hero's Pack nets you a special mount, costume, and apprentice. You also nab 10 Mithril (which can be sold for a mountain of in-game currency), 600 East Sector Treasures (used for summoning a boss), and a ring (used for wearing a ring and getting a stat boost). Players who purchase now will get early access to the open beta as well. If you're enjoying the closed test or just like the idea and really want to buy into the game now, the option is open. [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release]
Swordsman gracefully leaps into closed beta
Sharpen your blades, for Swordsman has started closed beta and there's no going back. Perfect World Entertainment announced today that the free-to-play martial arts MMO has begun closed beta testing in the West. The closed beta will take place only for a limited time, ending on June 27th, but for those who get into it, there will be opportunities to unlock items for the launched game. The team is on top of known issues for the closed beta so far. Interested testers can register for a chance at a key or lurk on Swordsman's Twitter feed. [Source: Perfect World press release]
E3 2014: Hands-on with Swordsman and Dawn of the Immortals
I have a problem: I like a lot of the mechanics in Wuxia games like Age of Wushu, but I have trouble getting into them. Perfect World Entertainment's Swordsman Online, while lacking some of the mechanics of AoW, might have a mixture that catches people off-guard. And while you're off-guard, PWE's Dawn of the Immortals might come in and show you how the world of mobile MMOs is starting to progress. I had a look at both Swordsman Online and Dawn of the Immortals at this year's E3. Read on!
Watch Swordsman's gameplay trailer
Eighty million Chinese players can't be wrong, right? If numbers can't impress you, perhaps seeing Swordsman in action might. Perfect World Entertainment released a new gameplay trailer for Swordsman today, giving a quick overview of the game, its world, and especially its fast-paced combat. It will begin a limited-time closed beta test on June 16th. Check it out after the break and let us know what you think! Is this a title that could steal your martial arts affections?
