GDC 2012: A look at Fighters Club Online
There may be no Brad Pitt and bars of soap, but Fighters Club, an upcoming MMO from KOG Studios, has plenty of pugilistic power to make Jack a happy man. At GDC last week, Massively had a chance to see some of the action and talk to the team about its plans for beta and launch. If you're curious about Fighters Club, then tape up those knuckles, slip into some kick-boxing shoes, and let's get ready to rumble!%Gallery-150625%
Fighters Club is a fighting MMORPG developed by KOG Studios, and it's making its way from Korea to North America. There are three classes, and you choose from three pre-set characters: Spike, a boxer; Jack, a wrestler; and Remy, a female acrobatic freestyle fighter. We started off in a seaside town, and there are several hubs for players to hang out in as they level up. Each hub has several instances that give players the chance to fight NPCs, gain experience, and walk away with some loot in the process.
Combat is based on a series of 10 hotkeys that contain special skills, as well as the X and C keys for basic attacks. The movements of the characters are all done by motion capture, so the combat moves are smooth and responsive when you activate an attack. There is also a bit of physics-based gameplay; we watched the character break certain obstacles in the world, and later, use others to wield as weapons. There are high blocks and low blocks as well as special moves like dodges and flying kicks. You can't jump, however, unless you are using a combat move that involves jumping. At level 15, the characters also get a job class change, which lets you decide whether you see the game more as a martial arts game or as more of an arcade, stylized game.
As the instance progressed, we eventually encountered the boss, who introduces himself with his very own cutscene and some extra tricks up his sleeve. Players will earn skill points and levels as they complete instances, and when you train skill points, you can preview what the move you're training will look like. At the end of the instance, you'll be given a grade, which is based on things like number of combos, time to complete it, and damage dealt. You also get to choose from a series of prize cards, and each will reward with coin or an item.
Next, we got a look at PvP, and you can fight 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 arena battles. We saw a fight with Spike (the husky boxer) vs. Remy (the agile, free-style fighter, who was actually named Barbie). During the PvP demo, we watched both fighters make ample use of tables, chairs, and table umbrellas. Just as Barbie was about to land a devastating blow with an umbrella, Spike grabbed a handful of sand and threw it in her face. It's a very skill-based game, so players who just go in and hit the basic attack keys will quickly learn that they're going to lose and lose fast. If you win a PvP duel, you will also get a choice of loot cards as you did in the PvE instances, and your rank will improve.
Fighters Club is slated to enter closed beta in May; it's targeting summertime for the commercial launch. It will be free to play with a cash shop, but right now the majority of the items are vanity, and the remainder are things that would give you a benefit only in PvE. Visit the official website for more details and news as it nears launch.
Massively sent four resolute reporters to San Francisco to bring you back the biggest MMO news from this year's GDC, the largest pro-only gaming industry con in the world! From games like The Secret World to PlanetSide 2, we're on the case, so stay tuned for all the highlights from the show!
