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Massively's hands-on with MMO brawler Forge
Forge is definitely an intriguing game that invites exploration. The upcoming MMO-brawler hybrid from indie developer Dark Vale Games is emblematic of what I see as a trend in multiplayer gaming: The era of the niche game is well upon us. Forge isn't a game that will appeal to everyone; its tendency toward "all PvP, all the time" might be enough to scare away a hefty segment of the MMO crowd already. And the game has a nonexistent grind and gear system. For some gamers, that might be a deal-breaker. But there's a lot to love about Forge, and I think that anyone who gives the game a fighting chance will find something about it to keep him around.%Gallery-162207%
LotRO's Wargs to be stealthy or beefy fighters
It's a dog-eat-dog world in Middle-earth, and only the most vicious of canines will succeed in the cutthroat world of PvMP. Lord of the Rings Online is preparing for a whole host of monster play renovations with Update 6, and Wargs are on tap for some serious love. A new dev diary on the official LotRO site lists all of the many, many changes coming for Wargs due to this shift in focus. As a stealth class, Wargs were seen by developers as being too vulnerable to imminent death after entering into combat. As such, the devs are beefing up the class' survivability by giving players a choice. With Update 6, Wargs can move between Shadow (stealth) and Flayer (brawler) stances, depending on the player's preference and situation. The Flayer stance will replace the old Shadow Howler one. Turbine previously outlined other changes for PvMP in Update 6, including Weavers, Audacity, and Commendations.
Vindictus Europe video shows off new boss, new hero
The latest Vindictus Europe video has a scary new boss monster on display. Nexon is introducing Thor (no, not that Thor), a giant crocodile-like creature with three mouths and a nasty disposition. Nexon describes Thor as an "outlaw of the dark and damp underworld," and the trailer shows a cross-section of Vindictus heroes slicing and dicing the new monster using the title's unique action combat mechanics. While we're on the subject of heroes, the video also teases the latest Vindictus Europe playable character, a giant brawler named Karok. Check out all the gory details after the cut. [Source: Nexon Europe press release]
Behind the Mask: The Force Unleashed
Now that The Old Republic has hit the shelves, it seems like everyone has something to say about it. Cryptic seems to acknowledge it in its own unusual way: by lampshading it. Enter the Unleashed, Champions Online's newest free archetype. No, you're not misreading me here; the Unleashed is not a gold archetype. If you make an account right now, you can play the Unleashed from the moment you enter the character select screen, without spending a dime. Since it's the ninth free archetype, you'd think that he'd be a stable, bread-and-butter class. However, the Unleashed is nothing but. His wackiness approaches the Impulse, but where the Impulse is kind of ineffectual, the Unleashed is deadly efficient. Interested in a sword-wielding knight who slings force blasts? Hit the jump and we'll see what Cryptic's take on a Jedi can do.
Champions Online introduces Star Warsy archetype
If it's true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the devs behind Champions Online can safely be called Star Wars fans. Whether they're Star Wars: The Old Republic fans is another matter, but chances are good seeing as how the game's newest archetype would feel right at home in a galaxy far, far away. The Unleashed is a new brawler role that looks quite a bit like your average Sith lord, right down to the dual red blades and sinister black robes. Cryptic's archetype description features phrases like cosmic knight, dark inquisitor, and militant monk, and the release blurb says that the Unleashed is coming to Champions today, December 19th. Is it a tongue-in-cheek homage or a shameless attempt to capitalize on the biggest hype-train the MMO space has ever seen? You decide, and be sure to head to the Champions website to learn more.
Gamescom 2011: Transformers Universe reveals the Brawler
Gamescom, roll out! At this week's convention, Jagex set up a Transformers Universe booth to demonstrate some of the customization that will be in next year's game and give players a taste of the choices they'll be making when the game goes live. The team also used this opportunity to talk about the first revealed class, the Brawler, and show concept art of these hulking piles of scrap metal and stubborn perseverance. Senior Producer Kris Jones says that the Brawler will be the front line of defense in a fight: "Players who like to engage as the tank in co-op team play will be drawn to this Brawler Class. The strength and resilience of this class makes it the perfect choice for those who like to get up close in a battle environment, for those who like a good brawl." You can check out the Brawler in the gallery below. Transformers Universe is slated for a 2012 release, and interested players are encouraged to sign up to receive more info about the upcoming beta. %Gallery-126338%
New Rusty Hearts dev diary gets bossy
It's time yet again for another Rusty Hearts video dev diary. This time the focus is on the big baddies that players will be pitting their skills against in the anime-style brawler. We're talking, of course, about boss fights. As any brawler or beat-'em-up fan should know, no true game of the genre is complete without a challenging boss fight to cap off a level. The dev diary introduces players to a couple of the early bosses they'll be encountering, such as the nasty Blood Skeleton and the hulking Butcher. In addition, it details the rewards players can reap for defeating these challenging fights, such as copious amounts of gold, high-quality equipment, and high-value loot cards. For the full diary, including some footage of players facing off against the game's many bosses, jump on past the cut for the full video.
New Rusty Hearts dev diary delves into delicious design decisions
It's time for another dev diary from the fine folks at Perfect World Entertainment, this time detailing the art of Rusty Hearts. We're sure that by now most of you have seen Rusty Hearts and its crisp cel-shaded anime style, but the dev diary goes into detail on what the team is aiming for with the art, and outlines the inspiration behind it. The team is careful to note that while the overall vibe of the game is decidedly dark and gothic, that by no means insinuates that the world will be dull or muddled. Taking inspiration from popular anime such as Bleach and Full Metal Alchemist, Rusty Hearts aims to carve a niche for itself as a "living comic." For the full dev diary, hop on past the cut!
Elsword announces new Raven character
Aside from having one of the cooler names in the MMO space, Elsword Online also has some pretty interesting characters. The manga-flavored brawler added a new face to that roster in today's update, and the dark and deadly Raven joins Rena, Aisha, and the titular Elsword as playable characters ready to adventure their way through Kill3rCombo's side-scrolling opus. Raven is a human fighter with giant metal claws and considerable skill with a variety of blades, and he brings a "quiet, cold, and distant" vibe to the game's brightly colored canvas. In terms of gameplay, Raven is a fast melee attacking class, and he possesses the ability to dual wield, easily chain combos, and fire off heavy attacks without consuming much MP. He also boasts great evasive skills, and you can learn more about him -- as well as download the game -- on the official Elsword website.
Dragon Nest announces open beta events
Take up your arms, adventurers, because Nexon's Dragon Nest begins open beta today! The cartoonishly adorable, combo-based action MMO has finally opened its doors, and Nexon is staging a series of open beta events to commemorate the occasion. The first event is the Open Beta Legion, which runs from today, July 26th, to August 9th, and requires players to band together in parties for bonus XP, and which also gives 10 guilds the opportunity to win special prizes. The second event, The Dragon's Hoard, encourages players to log in to the game daily in order to reap a reward of Scales (the in-game item shop currency). The first weekend of the open beta will see the Charge! event, which grants players an additional 300 daily Empowerment Points for the duration of the weekend. These events, and a few more that just can't be crammed into a meager news post, await Dragon Nest players. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and remember this simple mantra: If it moves, kill it.
Rusty Hearts dev diary unveils new PvP details
The latest Rusty Hearts dev diary from Perfect World Entertainment is a short one, but it's still packed to the brim with new details on the game's PvP system. So if you're the type of player who would rather smash your comrades' faces into the dirt than -- gag -- cooperate, listen up. Players will be able to create private rooms for their friends to join and take part in PvP combat, which comes in a variety of delicious flavors. Of course, you've got your vanilla team deathmatch for those of you who like to keep it traditional, or the elimination deathmatch in which two teams battle until only one is left standing. There's also the VIP gametype, which designates one player of each team the VIP, while the other players are tasked with protecting their own VIP and assassinating the enemy's. All of these games' statistics will be logged for bragging rights, and players will also be rewarded with PvP points that can be spent on fancy new items. Players will also be ranked in a ladder system that will allow them to see where they stand compared to the rest of the world. With all this and certainly more to come, it looks like Rusty Hearts is shaping up to be a competitive player's dream. Jump on past the cut for the full dev diary.
Rusty Hearts reveals Frantz, releases new dev diary
Perfect World Entertainment is treating Rusty Hearts fans to a bevy of new information today, with the release of a new dev diary and some new information about Rusty Hearts character Frantz. Poor, poor Mr. Frantz. As if getting bitten by a vampire wasn't enough, his fiancée ended up in a tragic accident, forcing Frantz to turn her into a vampire as well in order to save her life. Unlike Frantz, who apparently had the willpower to only go half-vampire (you never go full-vampire), his fiancée seems not to have taken it quite so well and has disappeared, leaving Frantz desperately searching for her. Next up is the new developer diary, which is short but sweet. In the video, Product Manager Mark Hill talks a bit about Rusty Hearts and what players can expect from it. None of the information revealed is terribly new, but there is some flashy gameplay footage, as well as some talk about the two of the game's characters who aren't half-vampires. For some new pictures of Frantz, check out the gallery below, and then jump on past the cut for the full dev diary video. And remember, Rusty Hearts' closed beta gears up later this month, so head on over to the official site to sign up. %Gallery-128432%
Dragon Nest closed beta delayed
Nexon's Dragon Nest team announced today that the 3-D brawler's closed beta is being pushed back until June. While this may seem like bad news for fans anticipating the chance to get their hands on the game, Nexon assures us the team felt the decision necessary in order "to provide a polished and positive experience for our players, fans, and testers." The game -- described by Nexon CEO Daniel Kim as "an action MMO that the company is trying to position as the third point in the 'Triangle of Awesome,' along with Vindictus and Dungeon Fighter Online" -- is a dungeon-crawler wherein the player chooses one of four classes (Warrior, Archer, Cleric, or Sorceress) and ventures with others into a variety of instanced dungeons to take part in fast-paced, combo-based combat against all manners of enemies. Until the final date for the closed beta is announced, check out Massively's hands-on impressions of the game from PAX East and -- if you haven't already -- head to the Dragon Nest official site to sign up for beta.
Rusty Hearts announces E3 debut
Perfect World Entertainment announced in a press release today that its upcoming title Rusty Hearts will make its North American debut at this year's E3. Presented in a crisp, clean, cel-shaded style, the game is described as a hack 'n' slash dungeon-crawler and allows players to take control of one of many pre-made heroes for a fast, furious and combo-filled brawl through a number of dungeons. It will also include PvP in the form of arena battles, guild battles, and tournaments. And for those of you who prefer to let your thumbs do the work, the game will provide full support for PC gamepads. Keep an eye out for more information on Rusty Hearts from the upcoming E3, and feel free to hit the game's official site to sign up for the beta.
Divine Souls launches today
Divine Souls has been in the works for a while; we first previewed the title way back in March of 2010. Since then, the team at Outspark has been hard at work polishing, tweaking, and updating the free-to-play action MMO, and today gamers around the globe get to see the results. Yep, it's launch day, and very soon you'll be able to indulge in the game's detailed visuals and arcade-style fighting game functionality (including complex air- and ground-based combos). Divine Souls also boasts Xbox and PlayStation controller support and is designed to run on a huge variety of hardware configurations. The game also features a small downloadable client to get you up, running, and into the action quickly. Choose from one of three classes (Mage, Slasher, or Fighter), check out the trailer after the cut, and look for our Divine Souls first impressions later this week.
Encrypted Text: Rogue roles in PvP
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Encrypted Text for assassination, combat and subtlety rogues. Chase Christian will be your guide to the world of shadows every Wednesday. Feel free to email me with any questions! The rogue is the most feared class in player vs. player combat. While other classes may have had their 15 minutes of fame at the top, the rogue has been perennially powerful. In WoW, we were so hated that an entire video series was dedicated to how overpowered we must've been. In The Burning Crusade, the legendary Warglaive combo made us infamous in arena play. Death knights did dominate in the early stages of Wrath, but rogues came back strong throughout the patches. Cataclysm was the first time that I ever worried about the survival of the class in PvP. With health pools skyrocketing again and the much-maligned stunlock nerfed, it was obvious that fights were going to last longer than ever. Our energy system enables us to keep up offensively for an indefinite period of time, but our defenses typically gave out once our cooldowns had been consumed. Figuring out a way to stay alive throughout prolonged combat was going to be the key to success.
Sengoku Basara video strategically retreats from reality
The latest character to be revealed in Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes has us thankful for Capcom's liberal use of creative license. In the game, Otani Yoshitsugu is a sort of mystic shrouded by bandages, who floats magically through the air as he attacks with a ring of flying projectiles. In real life, he had leprosy. After the break, see the fictionalized Yoshitsugu and a similarly embellished version of Mori Motonari, who -- we're pretty sure -- didn't have a giant metal Hula Hoop in real life. When you've seen both videos, you'll probably have one question in mind: what is up with the dialogue?%Gallery-97983%
See Batman's chums in action in Brave and the Bold footage
New footage of WayForward's Batman: The Brave and the Bold for Wii introduces three of Batman's brave, bold pals. Green Lantern Guy Gardner, seen here as a playable co-op character, is given many opportunities to hit things with various bludgeons, cudgels, clubs, and other heavy things created with his power ring (and his mind) -- even, at one point, encasing himself in the shape of a giant hard-light person. Captain Marvel and Aquaman both appear in this footage as summonable partner characters, who appear to help out with a screen-clearing attack. Marvel (commonly referred to as The Big Red Cheese) uses his ability to punch stuff really hard, and Aquaman floods the entire world on demand. A bit of overkill, perhaps, but it's not The Meek and the Measured.%Gallery-95864%
Scott Pilgrim fights evil exes on XBLA August 25
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World won't be a PSN exclusive for that long. According to an IGN report from Comic-Con, Ubisoft's unlikely mixture of Bryan Lee O'Malley's comic series, Anamanaguchi's chiptunes, Paul Robertson's animation and the collected works of the brawler genre will arrive on Xbox Live Arcade on August 25, just fifteen days after its PSN debut. August 25 happens to be right after the last Summer of Arcade release -- not that it matters. August 25 is still summer, and the game is still on Arcade. It doesn't need Microsoft to promote it, because we're telling you about it right now. %Gallery-95506%
Get a beta key, be divine: We have Divine Souls keys for you! [Updated]
Do you miss the days of the fighting, combo-driven brawlers? Do you like pounding your hand on a keyboard/joystick, trying to rip off intense combos that make your friends jealous? Do you hope that one day, your combo-riffic skills could be seen by the world, so you could be hailed for your amazing finger dexterity? Well, that day may have arrived with the coming of Divine Souls, Outspark's new action/MMO hybrid. Sure, you can team up with your friends to take on dungeons, a la Phantasy Star Online, but now you can do it by literally beating the hell out of everything that walks in front of you. If you want more information, or a key to this new type of MMO, come and join us after the break!
