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Crytek reveals quirky new MOBA Arena of Fate
Good news, everyone! Crytek heard that the world needed another MOBA and is here to provide one in Arena of Fate. At least it's got a unique IP; players will be slipping into the shoes of characters from history and legend as varied as Frankenstein, Jack the Ripper, and Baron Münchhausen. "Imagine Joan of Arc and Robin Hood cooperating to hunt down Little Red Riding Hood. Wouldn't that be terrific?" asks Game Director Vesselin Handjiev. "But besides the game's iconic heroes, which everyone in the team really loves, we are also challenging ourselves to carefully craft a streamlined player experience that allows for both greater accessibility, and rich, deep, action-packed gameplay." The game will be playable on both PC and consoles and at this year's E3. PC players can already sign up for this summer's planned early access beta test. We've got the announcement trailer below! [Source: Crytek press release]
Space Faction opens up a huge galaxy for you to explore and exploit
Is intergalactic multiplayer the new hotness on the MMO scene? It seems as though outer space has finally opened up for business, and we have another title that's eager to get in on the spaceship and ray gun fun. This new game is Space Faction, a PvP MMO that features ground and space exploration and combat. The factions part of the name comes into play because, according to the official site, "to conquer the unknown, these newcomers must learn to hone their abilities and create factions with others, because as large as the galaxy is, it isn't nearly large enough for everyone." Space Faction purports to feature a wide variety of classes and activities, from treasure hunting to collecting bounties to surveying planets. And also fighting. Lots and lots of fighting. The game looks to be in early development and is currently working on setting up a Steam Greenlight campaign. [Thanks to Thomas for the tip!]
Shards Online developers plan for a player-run MMO
More or less every MMO starts up its advertising with some trace of the idea that you can play however you want. Not every MMO talks about the idea of letting players run the servers at the top level, however. But that's what Shards Online is aiming to provide. A recent interview with the developers discusses the idea, with studio co-founder Derek Brinkmann explaining that it's one of the first steps to dismantling the idea that the designers have to tell you how to enjoy yourself. Citadel Studios is a team made up of former Ultima Online developers who wondered why more games haven't embraced the idea of taking live events to their logical conclusion with modern technology. Shards Online is set in a multiverse, with several different worlds featuring slightly different rules, while players can tweak the overall structure to their individual preferences by running their own servers. The game is in development for Windows, Linux, and Mac, with an alpha expected later this year.
New Swordsmain trailer focuses on your story
Perfect World Entertainment has a new trailer out for its upcoming Swordsman martial arts MMO, this time focusing on the title's backstory and luscious visuals. As in any classic RPG, you start in an innocent village that comes under attack by a sinister foe. Barely escaping with your life, you begin to train in one of the 10 schools and investigate said foe while leaping on top of buildings and being all wire-fu on the world. Check out the short trailer after the jump and let us know what you think!
Perfect World Entertainment announces Swordsman
Don't you love a clear, unambiguous title? Swordsman leaves no doubt as to what the game will involve. Put simply, there will be swords. There will be men. There will be men with swords, men who know how to use swords. There may even be men who know how to use swords fighting other men with swords. It's a title that promises to deliver a whole lot of swords and men with training in same, what else could you ask? Yes, there's more information than that. Swordsman is based upon popular wuxia novels by Louis Cha, set during the Ming dynasty and featuring ten diverse fighting styles. It sounds like a familiar premise, but it certainly beats another outing in which you're a pseudo-European knight with gleaming plate armor, yes? Check out the full press release for the game just past the break, and sign up for beta on the official site if that's your bag. [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release]
Meander through Wander's new GDC teaser trailer
Where most games only offer some percentage of activity options besides combat (from basically nonexistent on up), Wander eschews combat completely in favor of exploration and collaborative gameplay. Can't imagine how a game like that actually looks? Well you're in luck! The devs have released a teaser trailer that takes a short stroll through a lush part of the land. Of course, it's not quite the same experience as when players will be able to don Oculus Rift goggles, but it still offers a glimpse of the world that's built using CryEngine's FreeSDK. See the clip for yourself below, and be on the lookout for an extended version expected to release at GDC 2014 in a few weeks. [Thanks to Rachel for the tip!]
Playwith Interactive announces Eclipse War Online
Playwith Interactive's upcoming new title, Eclipse War Online, is all about change. Specifically, about your character changing. Even more specifically, about your character changing into a monster. Yes, that's the big gimmick of the game. When you kill a monster, it can drop a transformation card, which your character can subsequently use to take the form of a monster with according stat boosts, abilities, and similar improvements. Don't just kill ten rats, become the rat! Or something like that. Transformations also play into the game's environmental systems, with climate and time of day both changing the overall efficiency of your transformed abilities. You can also take part in several different forms of PvP, including open world PvP as well as special instanced maps. The game is planning on hitting beta early this year, so keep your eyes peeled for more information if you just can't wait to turn into a spider after killing one. [Source: Playwith Interactive press release]
Inferno Legend moves into closed beta testing
Have you ever sat down to play Diablo III and thought that the game would be better if you were playing alongside the villains? Considering the fact that angels in that game are also tremendous jerks, it's kind of an understandable thought. Inferno Legend is meant to speak directly to that impulse, putting players on the side of Hell and the demons fighting back against legions of humans, angels, and similar antagonists trying to kick you out of hell. Taking the role of Vampires, Mummies, Cyclops, Faeries, or Samurai, players fight back in a turn-based Diablo-style environment. It's also boasting synchronization between browser-based gameplay, mobile clients, and traditional desktop clients, so you can play however you please while still making progress. The game has just entered its closed beta testing today, so if this sounds like just your cup of tea, you should go ahead and sign up in hopes of taking part. [Source: Changyou press release]
No Man's Sky might not be an MMO, but it's certainly a close cousin
Science fiction has always been about a sense of wonder, but a lot of the time that sense of wonder takes a back seat to enormous spaceships blowing one another to pieces. That's all well and good, but it's not what No Man's Sky is aiming for. The game is meant to be about exploring a strange and vast universe of procedurally generated planets. In a move that should excite MMO fans, the game will apparently include a shared playing space for everyone. The game at its heart features a shared space for all players, with the impact of one person's actions having a ripple effect. What form of interactions you'll be able to have remains to be seen, but the developers behind the game want to offer the idea that pure exploration is a dangerous and hostile affair in environments that may not welcome you. As the game progresses through development, we'll be keeping an eye on it, since the idea of a pseudo-MMO allowing you to trek across the endless darkness of space and interact with others is a heady once -- even if your interactions are only through the consequences of the other person's passing. [We've now added the trailer after the cut.]
Eldevin launching on November 30th
Browser-based fantasy title Eldevin announced today that it will be launching globally on November 30th. Those who have supported the game by purchasing a founder's pack may get into the game as early as November 27th, however. The team's been hard at work patching in improvements including auto-attack, new abilities, an improved tutorial, server-wide chat, a revised UI, and additional crafting items. The game's first open-world PvP area will be part of this launch package as well. Eldevin claims to provide a robust AAA-like game experience as a free-to-play title that runs great in a browser.
Spacetime debuts Battle Command strategy MMO
Spacetime has a new MMO out that isn't saddled with the "Legends" moniker. The studio, which is now called Spacetime Games, announced the release of Battle Command for Android devices. Unlike Spacetime's previous games, Battle Command skews away from an RPG and toward a city-building RTS. Players will develop a futuristic base, pump out an army, and fight both the computer and other players in offensive and defensive campaigns. Alliances can be forged as well, linking players together in economic and militaristic support. The free-to-play title is currently available on Google Play.
Heroes of the Storm hits yet another naming conflict
The game currently known as Heroes of the Storm has been through more names than most high school garage bands, having cycled through titles like Blizzard Dota, Blizzard All-Stars, and for a brief period of time, Blizzard Entertainment Presents A Bunch Of Guys Hitting Each Other. (It was an early idea.) Now the game seems to be hitting another snag with its title because of a Finnish tabletop game with the same title. Except in Finnish, obviously. According to WoW Insider, the author of the tabletop game, Mike Pohjola, has made comments implying that Blizzard might want to change the name again to avoid naming conflicts in his home country. How relevant the two games are to one another and how concerned Blizzard actually will be over such a conflict remains to be seen; the application for a trademark came from Blizzard first, but the tabletop game was published before the trademark application. Nothing might come of this, but if the game is renamed again to Blizzard's Steve and Ed Fun-time Game Hour, you'll know why.
City of Titans team discusses following and evolving from City of Heroes
There's a hole in the heart of every City of Heroes fan, a hole that City of Titans intends to fill. With the game's Kickstarter quickly moving toward half a million dollars of funding (for an unknown team of volunteer developers), a lot of attention is being focused on the project. Project lead Chris Hare sat down to discuss some of the team's goals in a recent interview, both in terms of mirroring and building upon the foundation laid by Paragon Studios. Hare explains that while the team at Missing Worlds Media wants to recapture the spirit of City of Heroes, there's also a desire to do things that the original game could or would not do. The active combat of Champions Online is cited as an inspiration, as are the public quests of Warhammer Online. At the same time, promising too much and underdelivering is a trap no one wants to fall in. Take a glance at the full interview for more details about how the game promises to evolve while keeping true to its roots.
City of Titans reaches its Kickstarter goal after five days
After launching its Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign on October 2nd, City of Titans has met and exceeded its $320,000 funding goal. The self-proclaimed spiritual successor to City of Heroes still has 27 days left in its campaign as over 2,200 backers chipped in to see the project become a reality. Community Manager Lauren was thrilled at the news: "Well, that'll brighten up a Monday! As a special thank you to everyone for your support, your patience, and everything you've done for us, we've decided to unleash the beard! Everyone who backs us in the Kickstarter will be given a very, very special costume piece: The one, the only Nate 'Doctor Tyche's' beard, complete with animated eyes. Wear it with pride in Titan City. Thank you, guys. Watch this space for stretch goals and heartfelt thank yous from our developers. You are all amazing. Never let anyone tell you differently." Future stretch goals for the title include an Android port of the avatar builder at $350K, an iOS port of the avatar builder at $400K, and a MacOS version of the game for launch at $450K. [Thanks to Zjeven for the tip!]
Aura Kingdom offers its first installment of story
Let's face it, every MMO's lore is fundamentally an explanation for why there's something to kill and what you hope to accomplish by killing it. But even in the games that only need the thinnest veneer of a plot anyway, there's still some lore, and someone's going to be happy to learn about it. Aura Kingdom is aiming at having a bit more than an excuse plot, evidenced by the fact that a large piece of lore has just been placed up on the main site prior to the game's beta test commencing. The crux of the game's history hinges around the Cube of Gaia, an immensely powerful artifact that was discovered roughly 1,000 years prior to the game's present. This first bit of lore covers the first empire to control the Cube, with a normadic warchief rising to worldwide domination through careful use of the Cube's power. Take a look at the lore, and if it appeals, go ahead and sign up for beta while you're there.
The Phoenix Project dubs itself City of Titans and launches on Kickstarter
So how have you been doing since the closure of City of Heroes? If you haven't been doing so good, City of Titans is certainly meant to be your sort of game. If you've been fine... well, maybe you'll still want to check it out. One of the fan-made spiritual successors to City of Heroes, this game was previously known as The Phoenix Project but now has both a finished title and a Kickstarter project available. The game is taking aim at a modest $320,000 goal (and is already $60,000 toward it as of this writing), with the funding paying for servers and necessary production software. Developers are promising that the game is meant to focus on character attitude rather than skills or classes; players choose how a hero wishes to do something and abilities changed based upon that. Whether you're an old friend of the movement or just like the idea of a different sort of superhero game, consider throwing a few dollars toward the campaign. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Closed beta begins for Heva Clonia Online
Why should only a select few classes get to play around with pets? That's a question posed by Heva Clonia Online, a new free-to-play title entering closed beta testing today. Heva Clonia Online allows players to clone monsters encountered throughout the game, use them as pets, and even pit them directly against other pets in arena battles. This is somewhat reminiscent of a title from Nintendo, but it is completely legally distinct. If pets aren't so much your thing, the game also features a variety of minigames and two-person dungeons to break up the usual format of MMO gameplay. OGPlanet is also giving away a free gamepad to 10 lucky players who manage to reach level 10 between now and the time the beta ends on September 30th. If you'd like a chance to get in and start pocketing monsters, you can sign up for the beta test on the official site. [Source: OGPlanet press release]
Vin Diesel describes upcoming Chronicles of Riddick game as being an MMO
If you can't get enough of media wherein Vin Diesel is a man who can see in the dark... well, he's got a movie out in theaters now. You should probably go and see that. But maybe you don't care about the films, preferring the games that sit alongside the series that have been the subject of critical praise. According to Diesel, another one is coming and it's going to be an MMO. Exactly what Diesel means by that is up for interpretation; what he cites is simply a top-level concept, which could mean anything from an online component to a fully featured shared space. He describes it as focusing on the mercenary trade in the fictional universe and allowing players a chance to interact with a larger scope of the game world. Apparently he's been talking up this aspect of the game since July, but somehow the rest of us were still in the dark.
Ran Online races toward European closed beta
In June we learned that after an eight year run in Asia, the modern-era game Ran Online would be expanding to Europe. Now, Games-Masters.com announces that the closed beta testing for this European version will start Q3 2013. Ran Online includes PvP and PvE content, with dungeons, quests, and various PvP modes for club (guild) and school (faction) battles. The game itself will be in English at launch, but the website, payment systems, and support will be handled in several languages. Those interested in participating in the closed beta can sign up on the official site. If you missed the European trailer before, we've included it after the break. [Source: Games-Masters.com press release]
Massively's Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn launch impressions
I failed to save Final Fantasy XIV. Back in November, the launch version of the game had its final event. I was there, fighting against the forces that would ultimately bring Dalamud crashing down upon Eorzea, but all those efforts were for nothing. And I knew it. All veteran players knew that this was a losing fight, that Eorzea could not be saved. The moon fell, destruction rained down upon the land... and the launch version of the game was no more. Now, nine months later, the MMO is relaunching to an unenviable task. Final Fantasy XIV doesn't just have to be a good game; it has be such a good game that its original launch is no longer under discussion. It has to turn itself from a punchline into a praiseworthy title. The end result, much like the launch version, is a game that's not going to be for everyone, but it's going to be just right for a lot of people who might never have expected it.
