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Heroes in the Sky brings out another WWII arcade battler
World War II fighter games, both in simulator and arcade format, have been on the scene since approximately 1946. Well look out below, because here comes another one: Heroes in the Sky. Heroes in the Sky looks to provide a streamlined combat experience, as players will jump into PvE and PvP aerial battles with a mouse-and-keyboard setup. Dogfights can happen in the various WWII theaters, including Europe and the Pacific. It's been around for several years now but is only now making itself available worldwide. If you're curious about giving it a try, you won't have to wait long: Heroes in the Sky will launch globally on February 5th with various in-game events. We've got a trailer for you after the break.
Echo of Soul unveils new NA website
Echo of Soul is quickly becoming known around these parts as a title that is talking big talk prior to its North American debut, and now the Korean fantasy game has a new website to match these boasts. The US version of the website has now gone live, with information, art, community hub, and the vitally important beta sign-up button. It also has a short section on the game's mobile app that will feature access to chat and trading. Echo of Soul's North American beta test is planned for sometime this spring. [Source: Aeria Games press release]
Echo of Soul hopes to make a strong Western impression
What does it take to make a new MMO that can gain traction in this day and age? In a new video dev diary, the Echo of Soul team says that it's spent over four years and 110 developers to pursue a goal of "uniting MMORPGs and mobile games" while making it appealing for both an Eastern and a Western audience. The video goes on to talk up Echo of Soul's Asian launch; it claims the game is "constantly ranked among the top 10 Korean games" since then. Aeria Games Chief Manager Nara Kang concurred that the reception has been strong: "Players feel that EoS is the best MMORPG in a very long time." You can watch the full dev diary after the break!
Runewaker to reveal new game next week
Is it an MMO? Is it a MOBA? Or is it something else entirely? Those are the questions swirling around the news that Runewaker is working on a third title, following Dragon's Prophet and Runes of Magic. Whatever the case may be, Runewaker will be revealing the game next week to the public. After that, this new title will be playable at the Taipei Game Show. The studio did release a couple of pieces of concept art that show two fantasy forces squaring off against each other. There might be a touch of sci-fi in this as well, as the art shows giant robots (golems?) and neat-looking rifles.
Music MMO Anthymn rebrands and preps Kickstarter campaign
After falling well short of fundraising goals in 2013, music-focused Anthymn is gearing up for another shot at a Kickstarter campaign in the near future. The title has rebranded itself as Maestros of the Anthymn, and according to its Facebook page, it is getting ready to make the case for crowdfunding. "To all of our amazing friends and fans -- we are proud to formally announce the name of our upcoming Kickstarter project," String Theory posted. "Welcome to Maestros of the Anthymn, a groundbreaking episodic adventure of song, sword, and sorcery for PC and Mac. Stay tuned later today for our big update on the game, our vision and what's next for the Kickstarter launch plans!" It is unclear whether or not Anthymn will be retaining its MMO focus or going another route entirely with this rebranding. The original concept was for an entire fantasy world where music and magic infused entire nations and where every class had a musical focus and theme.
New studio ArtCraft creating MMO with 'real skill, real risk, and real consequence'
Heads up, MMO fans -- there's a new player on the scene. Industry vets J. Todd Coleman and Gordon Walton have come together to form ArtCraft, a studio that's making a mystery MMO with "real skill, real risk, and real consequences." "We're building something completely different, completely unique. We believe the MMO industry has grown stale. It's time to create something new," Coleman stated. Coleman and Walton have worked on many MMOs, including Shadowbane, Wizard101, Ultima Online, and Star Wars Galaxies, and they say they are building an "all-star" team for this new project. The teaser website for the game asks, "Where did we go wrong?" with the MMO industry and vows to take chances with this new game. There's a countdown timer on the site (62 days as of the writing of this article) and a sign-up for the beta. [Source: ArtCraft press release]
Sandvox SkySaga hits alpha in the UK
Sandvox SkySaga has officially entered alpha, says developer Smilegate. The team announced the start of the testing phase over social media yesterday and today: Great news! We've just started up the Alpha servers (UK only still, I'm afraid), and from now on they'll be running 24/7 (with the exception of maintenance periods!). You read that right: The alpha's open only to UK players right now, though we've had reports that there's no IP blocking just yet. Release is still set for next summer. The game is a voxel-based sandbox with the usual trapping: crafting, harvesting, combat, arena PvP, and an "evolving" online world shaped by the players themselves.
Echo of Soul has 'everything an MMO player could want'
"At launch, Echo of Soul will include everything an MMO player could want," says Global Development Project Manager Junhyung Jung. "With 68 areas and over 1,600 quests, EOS offers far more initial content than other games." Them's fightin' words, Mr. Jung. But also playin' words, too. The above quote comes from a new Echo of Soul video dev diary, in which Jung makes a case for why this title should have broad appeal. He runs down the features list, including PvE content, PvP battles, and solo and team challenges. The level cap is also mentioned as where the game "truly begins." You can watch the full dev diary after the break.
Players power direction of Oort Online's development
Oort Online's dev team is not content to make this voxel sandbox in the isolation of its ivory tower (or the corner of a deserted warehouse, whatever may be), but it has been asking for constant input from backers for the direction of the game's development. "As the game currently stands, the playable features are quite contained as we've been focusing on establishing the core MMO services and game engine," the devs posted. In a recent backer survey, 43% of those surveyed asked for the devs to prioritize the creation of character races out of the four options presented. In addition, the team said that some of the biggest priorities for a 1.0 release include resource gathering, crafting, and PvE combat. At the bottom of the list? "Real money purchases -- I want short cuts!" Oort Online is a "universe-sized" sandbox that's currently in alpha testing and has raised over $123,000 in crowdfunding. [Thanks to Jose for the tip!]
Echo of Soul story trailer tells of the war between gods and giants
With Echo of Soul heading from Korea to North America and Europe next year, it may be time for those interested in the fantasy MMO to discover a little about its world and lore. For those fans, we present Echo of Soul's story trailer, which gives an overview of the conflict and struggles that players will be facing in this game. Players will take part of an ongoing battle between gods and the giants by attempting to prevent the giants from assembling six fragments of a "shadow soul" (Arrogance, Sloth, Jealousy, Rage, Despair, and Discord) that could spell the end for, y'know, everything. You can watch the full minute-and-a-half video after the break.
Descendants Kickstarter promises 'real freedom of choice'
One thing you can say about Descendants, a new space sandbox that's asking for fan donations via Kickstarter, is that it's certainly not lacking in ambition. This creators of this sci-fi title promise that players really will make a difference: "Our main goal is to create exciting game mechanics with real freedom of choice." The rundown of Descendants' proposed feature list is staggering: The game will have 20 playable races, 50 base classes, 20 prestige classes, crafting, land ownership, and a full-fledged political system. Cities can be built and spaceships designed from the inside-out. Of course, this sort of ambition doesn't come cheaply; Descendants is asking for $900,000 to get this game cooking. The team created a 40-minute overview video of the project that you can watch after the jump to see if this is a game worthy of your interest -- and your dollar.
Lost Ark is a full-featured MMO; check out the new trailer
Lost Ark made quite a splash in our community here when we got a first look at the game last week. Despite its isometric hack-and-slash facade, Lost Ark is now revealing that it will have a range of features to put it firmly in the MMO camp. Steparu has a great writeup on the new information surfacing about this game, including some of Lost Ark's class lineup. Players will be able to roll as a Battle Master (monk), Devil Hunter (ranged guns), Arcana (gambling skills), Warlord (rifle tank), Infighter (melee attacker), Summoner (pet master), and Berserker (AoE attacks). Lost Ark will also feature an open world with hidden quests and locations, drinking minigames, raids, PvP arenas, and even ship sailing. Don't believe that this could be an MMO? Check out the new 20-minute gameplay trailer after the jump and let us know what you think.
SkySaga videos encourage you to explore its world
We've got more to share today about SkySaga, that new sandvox that's trying to woo the Minecraft crowd. Radiant Worlds has released a new pair of videos this week that show off the game's playful and exploratory nature. In the videos, you'll follow a trio of adventurers around as they navigate the various biomes of the world and get into nasty scraps with mean foes. Of course, the biggest mystery here might be, "Where are their arms and legs?" See it all after the break!
SkySaga bringing a colorful sandvox to you next summer
Happy Monday! We even got you a gift: the reveal of a new procedurally generated sandbox called SkySaga. You don't have to feel as if you need to get us anything in return, however. Radiant Worlds announced last week that it has started work on an "evolving" online world called SkySaga. The team promises that the story and land of SkySaga will be shaped by the heroes during their journeys. It will contain a lot of the sandbox staples, including voxel terrain, harvesting, and crafting. The game will also include PvP battle arenas. Currently, the plan for SkySaga is to begin closed alpha testing in the UK "very soon" and release sometime next summer. We've got an early gameplay video for you to check out after the break. [Source: Radiant Worlds press release]
Check out Red Stone 2, the Korean anime MMO
Before you pack it in for the weekend, we have another new MMO from across the Pacific to share with you. Meet Red Stone 2, sequel to the you've-never-heard-of-it-before Red Stone that has a decidedly anime twist. Red Stone 2 is being developed by L&K Logic Korea and has a large roster of playable classes including Freelancer, Warrior, Martial Artist, Priest, Bowman, Bard, Thief, Berserker, Magician, and (of course) Werewolf. Not enough MMOs let you play werewolves, so it's about time we see that change. The title is going into closed beta in Korea on November 28th, and there are a few trailers after the break that will give you an idea of what Red Stone 2 is all about.
Lost Ark is an isometric action MMO built in Unreal Engine 3
One thing that you can say about a lot of Korean MMOs is that they are a visual feast for the eyes, and new title Lost Ark promises to rival them all. This upcoming game by developer Smilegate is using the Unreal Engine 3 and a top-down isometric view to create a hack-and-slasher. Steparu.com has a nice preview of Lost Ark, saying that it is a potential rival to Lineage Eternal. It has mounted combat and 18 playable characters, some of which are gender-locked. Lost Ark is planning on a 2015 beta, and sign-ups are on the Korean site. If you can't wait that long, you can get a video preview of it after the break.
BlizzCon 2014: Blizzard takes on superheroes with Overwatch
Blizzard announced its newest game today at BlizzCon -- and it might just make you forget all about Titan. The game is Overwatch, a superhero-themed "team-based multiplayer shooter" that is very reminiscent of Team Fortress 2. The studio revealed the new title with a pair of trailers, one giving a Pixar-esque introduction to the world and the other showing off in-game footage. Blizzard said that Overwatch will be "very approachable" for audiences. So when is Overwatch coming out? "It is nearer than you think," teased Chris Metzen, following that with news that the beta is coming in 2015 and the title will be playable at this week's convention.
Korean MMO Echo of Soul immigrates to North America and Europe next year
Love Korean MMOs? Well, there's about to be a new one for western audiences in 2015: Echo of Soul. Aeria Games announced today that plans are in the works to take this free-to-play fantasy MMO and bring it to North America and Europe early next year. The hook for Echo of Soul is a "unique soul-collecting system" that results in a rich layer of skill customization for players. The MMO has a solid heritage behind it, as it was created by "key members" of Lineage II's dev team. Beta sign-ups are now live on the official site, and you can watch Echo of Soul's teaser trailer after the jump. [Source: Aeria Games press release]
RuneScape announces Hearthstone-like card game
Hearthstone's success is hard to ignore in the industry, and it doesn't take much effort to connect the dots between that title's growth and Jagex's decision to develop an in-game card battler for RuneScape. The UK-based studio announced that it's making Chronicle: RuneScape Legends to be played inside of its popular MMO. Chronicle takes place inside a "magical book" that challenges players to use deck-building to create quests that can be completed through PvE and PvP card battles. "Your opponent will be creating quests in parallel with you, but watch out as they might try to steal your weapons or gold," the website states. "At the end of your quests you do battle, with the last person standing the victor!" According to Eurogamer, Jagex has been working on Chronicle since the beginning of the year to be released sometime in 2015 for the PC, Mac, and mobile devices. Chronicle is currently accepting beta sign-ups.
Korean RvR MMO Azera enters beta
A new realm vs. realm challenger is on the scene, and it's looking to move into the next phase of testing overseas by the end of this month. Azera, an RvR MMO developed by SmileGate, will feature factional warfare with a political system that allows players to assume positions of power if they're on the winning side. It is utilizing the Havok Vision Engine and contains five classes and three player factions. The new title is preparing to go into its second round of beta in Korea on October 29th.
