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Alter Ego: Issue #4 - Kid Critical in the Scarecrow's Lair
Last time in Massively's DC Universe Online comic, Kid Critical helped Batman foil the Scarecrow's plan to turn Gotham's East End into a living nightmare. The mad scientist subsequently retreated to his lair beneath the city streets, where he managed to capture Batwoman and unleash his hellish fear gas on the pursuing Kid Critical. Now, Batwoman and the Kid must join forces to survive Scarecrow's hallucinogenic traps -- not to mention his cheesy banter. Will they make it out of the Scarecrow's Lair with their sanity intact? Turn the page to find out!
Early beta access a perk of Aura Kingdom Founder's Packs
If getting in and checking out the many classes of Aura Kingdom is on your Christmas wish list, this news is for you: Aeria Games has announced a special Founder's Beta just in time for the holidays. By purchasing a Founder's Pack, players get guaranteed access to this special beta that begins on December 16th, access to the following closed beta, and other assorted goodies. All packs include name reservation and loyalty points, while higher-priced packs also offer costumes, gear, pets, and mounts. The top package also includes special collectables you can keep by your desk. Prices range from $19.00 to $299.00. Get a peek at the pet and two of the mounts in the new screenshots below. [Source: Aeria Games press release]
Lineage 2 launching Valiance expansion December 11th
Though the Goddess of Destruction failed to obliterate Aden, that doesn't mean all was destined to stay peaceful and quiet in Lineage II. On the contrary, on December 11th, old threats (including four returning raid bosses) will resurface and new challenges will arise when L2's newest expansion, Valiance, launches. Beyond the evolving storyline, this expansion brings an assortment of new goodies for players to experience, including updated raiding systems, almost 80 new raid bosses, a new ability system, a skill system overhaul, and the return of the Gracia hunting grounds. Get a glimpse of what's to come next week in the new screenshots below. [Source: NCsoft press release]
Heroes and Villains shares character creator details
One of the applicants for the position of City of Heroes' spiritual successor, Heroes and Villains, has new details regarding its character creator to share as well as several pieces of concept art from the game. Players will start their journey in the character creator by picking an alignment (hero, villain, or freelancer) which will determine the type of stories that they'll experience. Apparently, alignment isn't permanent, but can be changed over time via actions. The next steps for a budding superhero will be to pick an origin, an archetype, power themes, non-combat skills, positive and negative traits, an optional secret identity, and visuals for the hero's body and costume. You can check out what some of the costumes and game locales may look like as well as the first shot of the character creator in the gallery below. [Source: Plan Z Studios]
One Shots: Find the chicken
Will there ever be a game as visually distinctive and memorable as Glitch? Considering that I'm still getting screenshots in from a game that was canned almost a year ago, I doubt it. Reader Phinneas gave me this maddening puzzle that has consumed my days as I pore over it looking for the chicken. Where? Where? Where could it be? Under that tentacle-plant-thing? Under the next? Lurking beyond the frame? Oh, what trickery is this? "This picture is of my favorites of the game's last few days," Phinneas said with an implied taunt in his voice. "I still hold out hope that it will be resurrected someday." As I continue to look for the chicken, you can move on to the rest of our week's submissions!
New screenshots spotlight Age of Wushu's advanced school skills
Coming from scrolls that are literally billed as the Ultimate Scrolls, you'd expect the skills that Age of Wushu's expansion introduced to be pretty impressive, no? After all, these scrolls offer the pinnacle of each school's arsenal, and only the most skilled martial artists can acquire them. To show off the artistry of these new moves, Snail Games has released eight new screenshots highlighting these ultimate skills, one for each school. Check out stills of Dog Beating Staff from the Beggar's Sect, Tai Chi Fist from Wudang, Dragon Claw Technique from Shaolin, and more in the gallery below. We've also included the official trailer so you can see each advanced skill in action. [Source: Snail Games press release]
Age of Wushu tours the Forbidden Grounds in new trailer
Although Age of Wushu's Ultimate Scrolls expansion launched two weeks ago, you may not have had the chance to experience the scenery (and the dangers that hide therein) of the Forbidden Grounds. Even if you have seen your own school's special instance, you likely have not peeked into the unique vistas of the other seven since each is available to members only. Now, thanks to Snail Games' latest trailer and eight new screenshots, you can see the unique designs of each instance that reflect the soul of its respective school. Take a two-minute stroll through the beautiful landscapes in the Forbidden Grounds in the video below. [Source: Snail Games press release]
One Shots: Angmar, you're going down
It's a beautiful morning, so why not spoil it by going to Angmar? Oh Angmar, that blackhead on the face of Middle-earth, with your whining sky and your eyesores everywhere. Why can't evil ever be beautiful, can someone tell me? Perhaps reader Michael18, who took this particular photo, can: "To celebrate the release of the Helm's Deep expansion, I send you some of my screenshots. I tried to capture the beauty of the old zones of Lord of the Rings Online like Angmar. With all the Rohan pictures to be seen on the web over the next couple of weeks, this might be a nice diversion." That's it, Angmar; you're going down. I'm going to get some flowers and go plant them all over your fields. Take that!
League of Angels starts closed beta on December 4th
Who doesn't need a guardian angel watching over their party at times? In the upcoming turn-based League of Angels, players get just that -- a literal angel as a member of the party providing buffs as well as firepower. If that sounds intriguing, you don't have long to wait before you can check it out for yourself; today, GTArcade announced that closed beta testing will commence on Wednesday, December 4th. Additionally, the studio will be providing daily updates on the game's progress starting this week. Some of the features of this browser-based game include mounts with buffs, fishing (which provides soulstones that can enhance your heroes), a daily match-three game that can net you gems for gear enhancement, and dragon races. For a look at some artwork and screenshots of the game, check out the gallery below. Then for a chance to test out the dynamics, sign up for beta on the official site. [Source: GTArcade press release]
Alter Ego: Issue #3 - DCUO's Streets of Fear
Previously in Massively's DC Universe Online webcomic, Kid Critical suited up with a little help from Oracle and learned to harness his new exobyte powers after escaping from Brainiac's deadly harvester ship. Now, he must assist the Gotham vigilante known as Batman as he tracks the nefarious Scarecrow through the city's East End. Can Kid Critical and the Bat family stop Scarecrow's deadly fear gas before it blankets the entire city? Find out in Alter Ego #3: Streets of Fear.
One Shots: Sleep-deprived corgis
Extra Life, a fundraising marathon by gamers to help sick kids, recently concluded, and several MMOs featured events to support the effort. Reader Paul was part of one of these events in RIFT, although it quickly took a turn for the surreal. "This picture is from the corgi run that took place in the last hour of Trion's event," he wrote. "Basically we were all turned into corgis (and occasionally sheep too), and we took a mini-tour around the world of Telara. Sadly my computer was not able to render everyone there, and many more people were present than my picture shows. I enjoyed myself a lot during all 25 hours and would recommend that people don't hesitate to take part in next years." Now it's sleepy-time for Paul, but that doesn't mean that you can't stay up a few extra minutes to see what lies behind the curtain of secrecy in this week's column!
RaiderZ update introduces Assassin class
Today's RaiderZ update brings a host of big changes to the game. The patch includes an epic version of the Temple of Renas dungeon, a brand-new PvP zone, support for dual-speccing, and an overhaul of the game's Hellhound system. Additionally, the Brune's Glory battle arena now features 3v3 ranked guild matches. Most notably, Perfect World Entertainment has used the patch to debut the Assassin class. Assassins are capable of moving quickly through the battlefield, shrouding themselves from vision and using elixirs to buff their stamina, attack speed, movement speed, and resistance to damage and crowd control. Check out the gallery below for a closer look at some of the patch's content. [Source: RaiderZ press release]
DCUO offers a glimpse of Game Update 31
As DC Universe Online prepares to make its way to the PlayStation 4, SOE is hard at work on Game Update 31 as the foundation for the console launch. Today we've got several screenshots that give us a glimpse into the update, including pictures of Earth from orbit and lava spewing out of a city zone. SOE devs are calling GU31 "the biggest technical update [they] have ever done." The update will include significantly improved graphics, many design improvements, and a smoother leveling path. It should be releasing any day now, but you can get an advance look in the gallery below.
Hands-on with EQ Next Landmark: Building my castle of dreams
If they can build it, they will come. When presented with the opportunity to get my hands on EverQuest Next Landmark and build something for myself, I leaped at the chance. Who hasn't been sitting back, eagerly awaiting the moment he could dive into the wilds of Landmark and let his creativity run rampant? As one half of the Some Assembly Required team, I knew it would be no great sacrifice to try out this upcoming beacon of player-generated-content. And man, was it worth it! I met with EverQuest Franchise Director Dave Georgeson to talk shop and check out Landmark's tools in my own personal hands-on pre-alpha experience. Instead of just gazing longingly at a screen while watching a demonstration, I got to test drive all the various building tools as I obsessively constructed my own amethyst castle. The only real problem I ran into was that my time ended all too soon, and now I must wait until February for the alpha to play again. So is it better to have built and lost than never to have built at all? I may have to get back to you on that when -- and if -- my withdrawals subside. Until then, here's the scoop on my experience along with a new video and some juicy tidbits of new info straight from Georgeson himself.
BlizzCon 2013 in photographs
BlizzCon might be over, but pictures last forever, or at least until something happens to our data center. Don't get any ideas. Hey, where are you going with that tornado?! Enjoy our view of the con! Massively's on the ground in Anaheim during the weekend of November 8th, bringing you all the best news from BlizzCon 2013. Whether you're anticipating World of Warcraft's and Diablo III's next expansions or reveals from Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm, we aim to have it covered!
One Shots: A flock of Beholders
Did anyone else watch that absolutely horrid Dungeons & Dragons movie from 2000 starring one of the more annoying Wayans? Just about the only redeeming part of that film was seeing a brief glimpse of a Beholder. I mean, there are few things more D&Dish than Beholders, unless you're going to pull a gelatinous cube out on me. Reader Don sent in today's featured screenshot that has not just one Beholder but a flock of them. "Here is a shot of me in the Delirium drinking contest on my new DDO Shadar-kai," he writes, "featuring the one and only Pumpkin Beholder from Xoriat." Pumpkin Beholder: Next Halloween, he comes for you! We've got this and plenty of other great eyecandy for you as you gorge on the leftovers from Halloween, so check 'em out in this week's One Shots.
Alter Ego: Issue #2 - Learning to fly in DC Universe Online
Last time in Massively's DC Universe Online webcomic, Kid Critical escaped from Brainiac's dastardly clutches and -- aided by the Man of Steel -- brought down one of the evil overlord's deadly harvester ships. But Brainiac still has designs on digitizing Earth and all its inhabitants. And both supervillains and petty criminals alike are leveraging the chaos to cause big trouble for the Justice League and its new exobyte-powered allies. Now, Kid Critical returns home to Gotham City, struggling with his super powers and at the mercy of a mysterious hacker called Oracle. Will he master his exobytes in time to help save the city? Or will he end up as another grease spot on Gotham's mean streets? Find out in Alter Ego #2: Learning to Fly.
Lifting the veil on Age of Wushu's marriage system
Many people consider a wedding day to be a big deal, and Age of Wushu's upcoming marriage system provides a good helping of pomp and circumstance to accompany player nuptials. When the Ultimate Scrolls expansion hits next week, players will be able to tie the knot in an elaborate in-game ceremony that includes a a parade through the city, a banquet (that friends can attend and foes crash), and a dance show provided by the new couple. For those who don't yet have a companion, the marriage system has you covered: Unattached characters can register with the Matchmaker in hopes of finding a suitable suitor. Once you find your match, male characters have to do the proposing by offering a betrothal gift (a self-determined amount of Taels) that, if accepted, starts the whole process rolling. Men, have your money pouches ready because you also have to spring for the wedding package! For a look at what your money will buy, check out these new screenshots and then watch a ceremony unfold in the video below.
Raiders feel the love in Lineage II's Valiance expansion
Raiders have a lot to look forward to in Lineage II's next expansion, which is due to release later this year. Valiance is heavy on additions and updates to the raid systems, including the addition of nearly 80 new level 88-98 raid bosses, updated drop lists for Dragon Raid bosses, a new raid boss summoning system, and a new Adena distribution system for after the raids. The open field raid bosses have also gotten a revamp, as has the raid point ranking system. Did you miss Beleth, Darion, Lilith, and Anakim? Players will be able to once again face these four returning raid bosses. And on top of all that, The Seed of Destruction and Infinity hunting grounds in Gracia have been revamped and changed to instance zones. But wait, there's more! You can head into these new battles in style with a new hairstyle from the beauty shop. Then, when all your slaughtering is done, you can kick back in a new clan hall or relax with the revamped fishing system. Get a peek at all these changes in the gallery below. [Source: NCsoft press release]
Wings Over Atreia: Return of the Aion Easy Button, starring Sauro Supply Base and Steel Rose
First there was Easy Button. Then came Easy Button Strikes Back. And now we have Return of the Easy Button. Yes Daevas, the next thrilling adventure of the easy button is on its way to an Aion dungeon near you! Well, two actually -- so it's a double feature. And we think you might just like this show. The stars of the show? Sauro Supply Base and Steel Rose, two of the new dungeons introduced in 4.0. Unlike my previous reports on the easy button invasion that were post-production reviews, this one is a sneak preview. And joining us to reveal this new Aion blockbuster is Associate Product Manager Sean Orlikowski, who provided a coming soon trailer filled with highlights to help get you ready for the main attraction. Return of the Easy Button releases next Wednesday, November 6th, on a game client near you.
