acrobatics
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E3 2009: Bill Roper on character themes and customization in Champions Online
The superhero MMO genre has been ruled by one game and one game alone for the past five years: City of Heroes. NCsoft's title being quite literally the only game in town for superhero fans is about to change, with competitors like DC Universe Online and Champions Online on the way. We have a good idea of what to expect with DCUO given the recognizable characters the game incorporates, but what of Champions Online which is based upon the Champions pen and paper RPG?We've wondered what Cryptic Studios will do to differentiate Champions Online from the competition; Massively had a chance to sit down with Bill Roper, the game's executive producer, to discuss that question at E3 2009.%Gallery-17946%
DC Universe Online video walkthrough shows new things aplenty
There's been a lot information coming out of CES 2009 concerning DC Universe Online, but it's all been text up until recently. Gametrailers has a three part video walkthrough that details things like character creation philosophy, combat, movement powers and even a fight alongside Superman himself. If that's not putting your tights in a tizzy, we're not really sure what will. From the looks of things, DC Universe Online is certainly making good progress. We've been seeing the new player models for a couple of days now, but this is the first time in a while that we've seen any movement/attack animations. The newly added acrobatics travel power reminds us a lot of super leaping in City of Heroes, only with the added benefit of air-dashing, wall-grabbing and double-jumping. We're also digging the death penalty, or lackthereof, and how players can rally back from a knockdown if allies are nearby. Did you enjoy this? We've donned our capes and tights to explore SOE's DC Universe Online in-depth. Come explore more of Metropolis and Gotham with your friends at Massively!
New movement powers revealed in DC Universe Online
There hasn't been too much said about travel powers beyond flight and super-speed in DC Universe Online. We already knew that speedsters were going to be able to run up and down walls, but that was it. Chris Cao has taken care of our limited information with a DC Universe Online official blog post that reveals a new travel power and some more details.The new power in question is acrobatics, which features things like double-jumping and air dashes. Chis also mentions that players would be able to "stick to an underpass" which should give Spider-man fans reason to be excited. Not that anyone should expect web slinging in DCUO, but it sounds like they'll be the next best thing.But acrobatics and super-speed aren't the only powers getting cool moves. Players with flight will be able to swoop down in a hawk-like maneuver to catch a speedster as he passes by below or hit a quick boost to supersonic speeds to escape enemies in pursuit. There's even going to be powers usable only while in flight. Certainly, it seems like every travel power will have a couple cool tricks up its sleeve.
Parkour-based FPS in the works
In development by Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment (DICE), the upcoming PS3, Xbox 360, and PC title Mirror's Edge hopes to bank on the success of the Prince's acrobatic abilities in Prince of Persia in a first-person 3D environment. You play the role of Faith who climbs, sprints, and leaps around a utopian metropolis fighting the corrupt authoritarians in power. The main character's moves were inspired by parkour and have been kept deliberately simple. Mirror's Edge aims to give players a better sense of being in a body, forcing you to pay attention to things like acceleration and the way your head moves as you walk or come to an abrupt stop.While the game will be packed with action, don't expect shooting to be the central focus, as realistic physics play a huge role in the gameplay. Ever try bouncing off a wall holding a heavy assault rifle?
