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Discover the origins of New Eden and the Melding in Firefall's opening cinematic
Last weekend we gave you a look at Red 5 Studios' upcoming MMOFPS, Firefall, and all of its glorious shooter action. What we didn't really take a look at, however, is the lore of the game. After all, why is everyone running around in crazy armor and shooting everyone else? And why is the last bastion of humankind on the planet a Brazilian island resort? The studio intends to answer some of these questions with today's release of the game's introductory cinematic. And man, is it heavy. From the looks of things, humanity decided it was about time to try its luck with faster-than-light travel and failed miserably, causing a gargantuan starship to come crashing into the Earth... right on top of Brazil. But wait! If the starship crashed on Brazil, then why is it still around? Because the starship's wreckage, and the energy field it generates, is the only thing currently keeping the Melding at bay, leaving the surrounding area as the only currently inhabitable site on Earth. Could have been worse, I say; at least Brazil's pretty even after the apocalypse.
Mists of Pandaria Beta: Watch the Alliance intro to Pandaria
You've seen Garrosh get mad at a goblin and toss him around the throne room. Now, watch as Varian Wrynn shouts about the missing White Pawn. Join the elite SI:7 team on a mission to rescue priority target White Pawn. Lost in uncharted waters, you and SI:7 take to the skies on the important mission. The Alliance introduction is metered and well played out. I like the focus back on the Horde and Alliance conflict -- it feels like an old friend you haven't seen in a long time but can quickly pick up the conversation with again. Suffice to say, I'm liking this brand of cinematic storytelling over the Uldum type any day. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
Mists of Pandaria Beta: Watch the Horde intro to Pandaria
Before each faction hits the shores of Pandaria, players get to meet with their faction leader and witness an in-game mini-event that tells the tale of arriving on the lost continent. BlizzPlanet snagged the video, above, where you can see the Horde introduction to the continent with the retelling of a naval battle between the Horde and Alliance, precious cargo, and a lost ship. Garrosh is none too happy with the goblin underling who lost important cargo during the fight and tasks Nazgrim with sending his best and brightest to find the lost ship. What is most surprising is Garrosh's behavior at the beginning of the event, signaling the beginning of his lack of control. Supplies are running low, support is running thin, and each of the various nations of the Horde are having trouble paying their dues. Silvermoon, it seems, is in a precarious amount of debt. Garrosh's patience with his allies is wearing thin, and his brashness might be taking over a bit too suddenly. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
In the beginning: Guild Wars 2 shows off Ascalon Catacombs intro cinematic
Dungeons without context tend to just blend in with the other 55,000 instances we've run in our MMO careers, so a gripping backstory can make all the difference in how memorable a good dungeon run can be. ArenaNet has released a new introductory cinematic for Guild Wars 2's Ascalon Catacombs that helps bring players -- those both unfamiliar to the Guild Wars lore and heavily steeped in it -- up to speed. A Charr narrates a slice of history from the first game, leading up to how this dungeon was created and why it's so full of teed-off ghosts. In an attached developer blog, Horia Dociu tells us why these cinematics aren't just window dressing but essential to the experience: "These cinematics play at the key moments of the story mode in each of the eight dungeons in Guild Wars 2, setting the mood and delivering valuable info. Stylistically, we're pushing the concept of a visual storybook as a form of communicating to the player -- we want the cinematics to feel like moving paintings." You can watch the full intro to Ascalon Catacombs after the jump!
