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Granado Espada preps Bristia Season 2 update
Granado Espada is preparing to fire up the engines to its second season of the Bristia expansion next week. Bristia Season 2 is scheduled for July 24th and has a new recruitable character, new area, and plenty of additional surprises. Well, they won't remain surprises if you read the rest of this article, so it's your choice. The new recruit is Olivia, a traitor and spy who likes to do her fighting up close and personal. Olivia uses light armor and attacks furiously with fists and daggers. You'll have to finish up the first part of Bristia in order to get her to join your team, however. Bristia Season 2 will also include a new haunted field map called the Scar, retuned stats, new elite weapons, improvements to character buffs, and a continuation of the storyline.
Exclusive: Granado Espada expansion to feature drunken pistoleer recruit
Earlier this month we reported on the impending relaunch of Granado Espada, and today we've got some new screenshots and a bit of info relating to the title's new Bristia expansion. When the content patch drops next month it will feature new missions, quests, items, and zones, including the port city of Kielce which is featured in the gallery below. Also on tap are new recruited characters, which are a large part of what sets Granado Espada (formerly known as Sword 2) apart from other MMOs. The game's multi-character mechanics allow you to control three avatars simultaneously, either by creating them all at the start of the game or hiring new recruits as you play. Bristia will also include a drunken barber recruit known as Barrol who uses dual pistols. Publisher Redbana says that "as his drinking increases, so do his attacks, critical hit chance, and movement speed." %Gallery-176600%
T3Fun brings Granado Espada back online
Granado Espada, formerly known as Sword 2, is up-and-running once again, this time under the care of T3Fun after the publisher picked it up from GamersFirst. Existing characters have been carried over to the new version of the game, so players can pick up right where they left off. To sweeten the deal, T3Fun is providing migrating players with some spiffy in-game items as a reward for their loyalty. On top of all of that, Granado Espada has gained some shiny new features in its transition to T3Fun's stable. The press release boasts of "14 brand-new recruit NPCs," along with new weapons, costumes, armor, maps, and missions. If you'd like to check the game out for yourself, head on over to the official site and give it a spin; it's free, after all. [Source: Redbana press release. And thanks to William for the tip!]
Jukebox Heroes: Christmas music
Merry Christmas and happy holidays from the staff at Jukebox Heroes! When it comes to the season, I have to admit that I'm a bit of a Christmas music junkie. Not nearly as bad as some I know, and I'm totally for a ban of hearing such music in public spaces before Thanksgiving and after New Year's Eve. I just love how it's so cheery and makes me feel warm in my tummy. A couple of months ago when I realized that this column would fall on Christmas day, I entertained the notion of just featuring MMO Christmas music. That seemed a bit silly to me; there's no way that there could be more than a scarce handful of tunes, right? It turns out that there's quite a bit, actually. So whether you're celebrating, taking some time just to game, or bored out of your gourd, why not hit the jump and see how MMOs have contributed to the enormous library of Christmas music?
GamersFirst dropping Sword 2, title picked up by T3Fun
GamersFirst is out of the Sword 2 business, it seems. The publisher announced that it will be dropping its contract to publish and host the title at the end of the year. Fans of the game have no reason to fret that they're about to lose their world, however; HanbitSoft's subsidiary T3Fun will take up the slack come January 1st. Due to the transfer between companies, players will need to expressly consent to allow their game data to be transferred over. The announcement post contains instructions how to do just that. Also, Sword 2 players won't be able to transfer their GamersFirst store currency, so spending it now is highly recommended. There are a lot of details to go over, so if this affects you, be sure to read the whole post very carefully. [Thanks to William for the tip!]
GamersFirst launches Sword 2: Revelations
GamersFirst announced today that it has launched Sword 2: Revelations (formerly known as Granado Espada: Sword of the New World). But this isn't just a simple re-name and re-release; The team is introducing "three brand new expanded skill systems, a new area for questing and exploration, [and] a new unique playing character and pet to both drive the continually evolving story of Sword 2." The new skill systems are all crafting-related, introducing new Alchemy, Cooking, and Wing Crafting systems. Viron Island is the aforementioned new area, complete with new quests and three distinct forests, each with its own distinct challenges. And lastly, the game introduces Raven, a former spy that offers "complex gameplay options and the new pet Capybara which provides players with increased experience gains and item drop rates. For more information, head on over to Sword 2's official site.
Choose My Adventure: Should have played it by now edition
I admit it: I stick with my games for a long time. When I step into an MMO, I make it home for a while, and it takes a lot of effort for me to move along. That's part of the reason the games I'm actively playing are generally on the older side -- I've already got a history there. Unfortunately, it also means that there are a lot of games, new and old, that I just haven't had the time to play just yet. So to kick off my tenure on Choose My Adventure, I'm going to kick that straight to the curb with a poll I'd like to call the Should Have Played It By Now Edition. But which game I'll spend the next several weeks playing isn't up to me; that task lies in your hands, folks. So what's it going to be? Should I stop being the only person in the world who hasn't played RIFT? Will I dive into the free-to-play domain of Runes of Magic? Should I break my usual conventions and take a shot at Global Agenda or get some solid aggression out of my system with Warhammer Online? All of these are games I've only had a little playtime with at best, and in most cases, I haven't even touched them. So click on past the break and let me know what I'll be playing, and I'll see you back here in a week to find out more about my next destination. (But make sure to vote by 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 19th!)
The Perfect Ten: Sequelitis
As a long-time movie buff, I've always been fascinated by sequels. I know, they have a terrible reputation and everyone gets this face like he's digesting a porcupine when discussing them, but there's something fun about them as well. I think we always want a good story to continue, to see what happens next, and to answer the question, "What would the first film be like if it were put in the hands of a complete boob?" It would be an entertaining trainwreck, that's what. Even though the MMORPG genre is in its toddler stage, it's seen a number of sequels, prequels and spin-offs, just the same as other types of entertainment. Video game sequels for hit titles are safer financial investments than striking out into new territory, so it makes sense that MMO studios would follow this pattern as well. Right now there are loads of MMO sequels and spin-offs in the works -- including EverQuest Next, PlanetSide Next, Guild Wars 2, Mabinogi 2, MapleStory 2, Phantasy Star Online 2, Dust 514, and even a possible Ultima Online sequel -- so it's safe to say that the trend won't be dying down anytime soon. However, today I want to look at 10 sequels that already made it to release and briefly examine how they stacked up to their predecessors. Oh yes, there will be blood after the jump -- and I will drink your milkshake!
The Renaissance comes to Sword 2
Sword 2 is a game that's still unique in many ways, from the game's overall aesthetics to the multi-character control system which serves as one of its hallmarks. But the game hasn't stood still despite that, with the latest expansion launching just recently. Dubbed Renaissance, the newest free addition offers players a take on the nigh-ubiquitous achievement system, letting players track and record their more memorable deeds for others to see. It also features expansions to PvP and a number of new UPCs. The new region of Castilla has also been added to the game, giving characters a chance to explore the Castilla Mines Raid and Castilla Temple among other regions. Along with the content updates, the game is rolling out a new and improved UI to give easier access to important information and controls. Sword 2 isn't everyone's cup of tea, but the newest update certainly might inspire a few people to take a look at its unusual setting and gameplay.
GamersFirst promoting anonymity in response to Blizzard's Real ID system
Unless you have sealed yourself away from the internet for the past few days, the odds are good that you've heard about Blizzard's decision to make the Real ID service mandatory for forum usage. The result was the sort of enormous fiasco that makes the phrase "PR nightmare" sound far too gentle. And if that wasn't enough injury, GamersFirst is adding a bit of well-deserved insult with its newest promotion -- which re-affirms how important the option of staying anonymous really is while offering a new home for those packing up and leaving Casa de Azeroth. Executive director Tracy Spaight pulled no punches in a statement on the matter -- "It is an unwarranted intrusion to player privacy to force [players] to disclose their real world identity." The team behind Sword 2, War Rock, and Knight Online (among others) is offering special bonus items until August 9th to players who register in War Rock or Sword 2 with the promotional code StayAnonymous. It's the first public response regarding this debacle we've seen from the industry, but odds are good that it won't be the last. And who doesn't like to get free things just for remaining anonymous?
Sword 2 officially launches
We've been hearing a fair bit out of GamersFirst about Sword 2, existing in an odd conceptual space as both a major update to the existing Sword of the New World and a new game in its own right. For existing players, it functions something like an expansion, and for new players it's being billed as a whole new package. But you don't have to take our word for it, as the beta testing is finished and the game has officially launched now. Several of the key features have remained largely unchanged, such as players controlling three separate characters at once. Other elements have been completely overhauled, many of which we've heard about from GamersFirst themselves. Perhaps most importantly, the game is still free to play, and if you can handle the download over the weekend it could be a pleasant diversion for the holiday. The full list of patch notes for the release can be read here, and feel free to take a look at our recent galleries for the game below. %Gallery-92550% %Gallery-87809%
Massively Exclusive: More details on Sword 2
Earlier this week we learned that Sword of the New World 2 is under development. The team at GamersFirst provided us with exclusive screenshots and a bit of development information. Those who tried Sword of the New World were very curious. Sword 2 looks good, and pretty screenshots are nice, but what is the game going to be like? As promised, we have a wealth of new information from GamersFirst, all about Sword 2. Follow along after the jump for a look at some of the new features -- you'll be seeing some old familiar favorites and some exciting new additions as well.
