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Lime Odyssey to be published by Aeria Games
For those fans of all things citrus, Lime Odyssey will set you on a quest for pieces of LIME: key items used for the restoration of a ravaged realm. Don't worry, there's always the ever-present search for guts and glory with classes like Knight or Magician. You can also pursue wealth and fame as a Chef, Tailor, or other non-combat professions. Not only that, but the game will feature a farming system and other rich social tools. Roleplayers will be happy to know that there is also promise of rich roleplaying "features" combined with robust gameplay. We're not sure how exactly these features will be implemented, but it sounds inviting. You can sign up for the closed beta on the game's teaser site -- just make sure to make an Aeria Games account first. The closed beta is scheduled to start in late Q2 of 2011. %Gallery-107553%
Final Fantasy XIV assets released for the city-state of Ul'dah
The release date for Final Fantasy XIV is just under a week away, but Square-Enix still has plenty to show off for the game and a huge amount of material left unseen. The company has just released a large batch of screenshots of the city-state of Ul'dah, centered in an arid desert as one of the three starting locations for new characters. Very distinct from both of the other starting cities, Ul'dah evokes much of the middle eastern imagery found in Al Zahbi from Final Fantasy XI. A city known for lavish displays, gambling, and gladiatorial contests, Ul'dah also has no shortage of fine architecture or detailed cityscapes. The full set of screenshots can be found in our gallery just below, which also contains several shots of what appear to be automatons of Final Fantasy XI fame, as well as few pictures of the beastmen known as Amalj'aa. If you're interested in Final Fantasy XIV, it's well worth a browse through the city's scenic locales. %Gallery-102067%
SDCC 2010: Massively interview with Vindictus producer Chris Gyselinck
Among the insanity that is the exhibitor floor of the San Diego Comic-Con was the demo booth of the upcoming, free-to-play action MMORPG from Nexon, Vindictus. Though sandwiched on one side by the Warner Bros' booth (where the stars of True Blood were generating enormous crowds) and on the other by G4's two-story monstrosity (which was blaring live broadcasts from the second floor of the booth), you still couldn't miss the Vindictus staff members wearing their signature red gnoll chief spirit hood. After our hands-on with the game at E3 in June, we were eager to speak to Chris Gyselinck, Assistant Producer for Vindictus about the highly anticipated game. Yes, he was wearing the gnoll spirit hood. No, he wouldn't let me try it. But he did give me the scoop on the game, including upcoming beta plans. Check it out after the jump.
Vindictus shows off the dual-wielding mayhem of Lann
Vindictus has no small number of people looking in its direction with longing, on account of its detailed graphics and action-oriented approach. Potential players might get a chance at previewing the game at San Diego Comic-Con, but everyone will get the chance to take a look at the newest preview video featuring Lann, the dual-blade warrior of the game. Even within the context of the game, Lann is a high-speed character, spinning about and dispensing death with both of his weapons. Starting in light armor, Lann will eventually get access to heavy armor as well as the potential to wield paired spears instead of swords. He specializes in mobility, able to easily sidestep several blows and move quickly to engage an enemy. Even if he doesn't get out of the way, he also possesses skills to counterattack after a knockdown and hit multiple enemies at once. Take a look past the break for the short video, and keep your eyes peeled for more reveals about Vindictus as we approach the promised release late in the year.
More information on Final Fantasy XIV's retainers
With the announcement of Final Fantasy XIV's release date and some details on the pricing structure, one of the concepts we've been introduced to is that of the retainers. Any veteran of Final Fantasy XI is all too familiar with the "mule" characters that would dot cities; they were all but required for serious players, used for additional storage, and parked as a never-closing bazaar whilst the player wasn't active. Rather than forcing players to pay for a second character, Square-Enix is apparently letting the practice be fully realized by the game in the form of your retainer. A new translated article helps explain a little more about what a retainer's role will be. Adventurers will be allowed to choose one retainer for free, with the selection process running similar to Final Fantasy XI's adventuring fellow. Your retainer can be called at various points through use of a special item, and allows you to set up a storefront that will run while you're offline. A retainer will also provide extra storage, serving as combination mobile bank and assistant. Take a look at the full article for more details, as well as more shots of the beta client for Final Fantasy XIV in action.
City of Heroes announces Going Rogue release date and hands-on at SDCC
While dates have been thrown left and right for the upcoming expansion, City of Heroes players will be happy to know that the much-awaited expansion, Going Rogue, will officially release on August 17th, 2010. That leaves a little under two months until all of the promised features, including two more powersets, a new starting experience, the ability to switch sides, and the start of the new Incarnate system. Although it's a bit later than the previously-rumored date of July, players can still look forward to the fact that it's not so very far in the future. Can't wait that long? If you're going to the inimitable San Diego Comic Con this year, you're in luck, as the City of Heroes team will be granting lucky players a hands-on experience for the expansion. Not only that, but they'll be hosting a panel and the equally inimitable David Nakayama will be sketching select heroes and villains. Keep your eyes peeled for more news regarding Going Rogue as we approach release, and take a look at the official itinerary for the Paragon Studios team at SDCC.
Rayman 4 confirmed for next-gen
Fans of the limbless 3D platforming pioneer known as Rayman will be pleased to learn Ubisoft has officially announced that the little French quasi-amputee is being developed for next-gen consoles under the watchful eye of original creator Michel Ancel. This explains the title's appearance on an unsourced list of supposed Ubisoft titles we posted last month (Naruto was on the same list). Sadly, the live-action version starring Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman remains an Uwe Boll fantasy.
