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Arisha coming to NA Vindictus next week
Last summer we told you about Arisha, the latest Vindictus mercenary and a playable character that Nexon has labeled the Sorceress of Blades. She's coming to the game's North American servers next week, according to a Nexon PR blurb. "Though Arisha's main weapon is her sword, she performs Intelligence-based attacks," the firm explains. "When she fights, she dances across the battlefield in a whirl, insulting her foes with cocky taunts before delivering the killing blow." Arisha uses a mana system that allows for "super-fast" sword slashes and teleports and separates her from all other Vindictus mercs. [Source: Nexon press release]
One Shots: Female fashion show
Every once in a while I issue a screenshot challenge that lights a fire under the community here, and my call to show off female armor that wasn't chainmail bikinis did exactly that. So today we're going to have a fashion show, starting with Ralph the Wonder Llama! "If battleframes were cars, I think recon battleframes would be the hot little sports coupes of the Firefall universe," Mr. Llama writes. "Here my ARES pilot shows off the sleek, bold lines of the Raptor battleframe as she gazes down upon Sunken Harbor. It gets good gas mileage too: sporty, fun to drive, and economical!"
Asker Online beta review says Korean game 'missing something'
Curious about the new Korean action-MMO Asker Online? One tester says that you really shouldn't be. Steparu spent time in the first closed beta and reports that the game is treading over familiar territory. He noted that while he's disappointed with Asker's choice of gender-locked classes (with only three classes in total so far), he found the boss fights challenging and enjoyable and the graphics pleasing to behold. "After spending a couple of days testing the game, Asker Online felt like it was missing something," Steparu writes. "I couldn't really get into the game as much as I thought I would have. Mainly because it didn't have anything new to present. The breakable environment and combat is a lot similar to Vindictus. The size of the maps are extremely small which reminded me of Dragon Nest or Continent of the Ninth. Asker just didn't have much of a flare or impact on me."
One Shots: Because who wouldn't want a 12-story-tall killing machine?
What does this sight make you think of? Voltron? Pacific Rim? A convenient excuse to wet yourself in front of your fellow soldiers? Thank goodness it's not fully online and operational, or else we'd be facing down a mechanical killing machine that would take a million-person raid to bring down. "I call this one 'You're Gonna Need a Bigger Bot'," reader Bunglerm00se submitted. "Yes, that is a several-stories-high killer robot, and no, this one doesn't have that cute boy from Sons of Anarchy calling the shots in its brainpan. I was already pre-disposed to liking WildStar, but this is one of the visuals that sealed the deal." Wait... am I the only one who piddled in my bloomers? C'mon, guys, I thought we were in this together!
Vindictus previews upcoming hero Arisha
Bad news first: if you're a stateside player of Vindictus, you don't know when you're going to be able to start playing with Arisha, as she's not releasing in Korea until August 7th. You can, however, take a look at her trailer just past the break to get a sense for the character and how she fights, so that's something, at least. In play, Arisha looks to be a fast-moving character using a single blade and magic to teleport, freeze time, and otherwise tear through her opponents. Also, by the looks of it, she's got a pet dog. Take a gander at the trailer if you're interested in seeing more about the character, although you will have to wait for a while yet to play her yourself.
Vindictus highlights its new character with fashion silhouettes
When you think about it, catwalk struts are seriously underused as a means of introducing new content to an MMO. Vindictus is taking the genre in a bold new direction with its latest reveal. The Korean reveal page for the new character makes it clear that Arisha is bringing a whole new style to the game. That style is... well... style, perhaps? Seriously, the trailer doesn't reveal anything but a silhouette. Datamining has revealed that she's a hybrid melee/magical character, although that could go a lot of different routes. Still, you can get a very shadowy peek at her in the trailer past the break. Based on that, she'll attack primarily with six-inch heels and fishnet stockings because hot pants, heels, and plunging necklines are crazy useful in combat.
Vindictus shows off its TV spot
If you're already a fan of Vindictus, you're not really the target audience for the game's TV spot. Not that you should avoid watching it all the same, though. Who doesn't enjoy the prospect of seeing a game on the small screen? And you can watch it right now! As mentioned, there's not a whole lot to be said if you are a fan of the game, although you can certainly determine how well you think the ad represents the game as a whole. If you're not a player or a fan, though, you can still check out the trailer just past the break to find out what the game's all about. (Hint: hacking at people with swords.)
Vindictus EU introduces playable Lynn
Vindictus Europe has a good cause to cheer today, as Nexon introduced a new playable character to the roster. The fresh face is Lynn, the so-called Princess of the Lost Kingdom. She's a lightning-fast fighter who uses a spear to strike out and quick reflexes to dodge attacks. Some of her skills include Swift Assassin, Five-Fingered Death, and Jade Fox. The addition of Lynn coincides with an in-game event that gives out special awards at specific times and the opportunity to win gifts. You can see Lynn in action in a video after the break!
Vindictus running its Golden Time event
It's the perfect time to play Vindictus if you've been on the fence. Not because of some huge update, but because the game is knee-deep in its month-long Golden Time event. During the event, each week brings a new set of boosts and promotions for players, just a little something extra to enjoy. This week is all about making the weary business of adventuring just a bit less weary, starting with a 50% discount to all repair costs. Players can also resurrect for free between 8 p.m. EDT and 10 p.m. EDT every day this week, and special items will be distributed to players who are logged in at 10 p.m. EDT on Saturday and Sunday. What does the next week bring? You'll just have to find out, but it should provide a nice encouragement to anyone playing the game. See? It's the perfect time for play. [Thanks to Soren for the tip!]
Meet Durango, Nexon's dino survival MMO
Pop quiz, hotshot! Which of these things do not go together: dinosaurs, wooly mammoths, hot air balloons, chainsaws, survival gameplay. It's actually a trick question, because in Durango, Nexon's newest MMO, they all do. Nexon recently revealed the survival-based dino-tastic MMO with a teaser site. From the looks of it, players will be put into a mish-mash prehistoric isometric setting and challenged to survive by making tools, constructing traps, fighting dinos, and building up a safe home. The title is being made by the folks who did Vindictus. In an interesting twist, Durango will be heading primarily (from the looks of it) to mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, and Nvidia Shield. You can check out the teaser trailer after the jump.
One Shots: Off the Grid
As a former Anarchy Online player, I was always curious what the Grid looked like for the Fixer class, but I never was so curious that I rolled one up. Fortunately, reader Azzura was able to satisfy my curiosity this week with this awesome-looking structure. "This is one of my favorite screenies I have, inside the Grid," he submitted. "You would click a machine and get digitized in to this area filled with exits to all over the game. Funcom seems to like this method of travel as you can tell by popping into Agartha in The Secret World. We have sights and wonders the likes of which will make your ocular cavities gush forward in unabashed emotion after the break. Frankly, I wouldn't risk it; your eyes might not be able to take the strain.
One Shots: Guard whacked!
According to Massively Law, which is as unshakable as it is awesome, if you send in screenshots from an MMO that was made during the Clinton presidency, then I'm required to feature them as a header for this column. Hence, Ultima Online. This picture comes from reader Azzura, who found out the hard way that not everyone likes a bad guy. "This is my 'red' character, one that I used to player-kill (PK) with, strolling near town," he said. "The NPCs did not like my being around and were calling the guards on me to get me 'guard whacked'." I mourn not for thee, but I shall be entertained by thy photographic memorial. Smite that "continue reading" button, readers, and feast thine eyes upon the glory of our community.
First impressions of Heroes of the Obelisk
Heroes of the Obelisk might look familiar, probably because its developers are the same folks who brought us Luna Online and Legend of Edda. I really enjoy its art style, one that puts us in control of Chibi-style, juvenile characters. The backgrounds are pretty, and there are some nice modern bells and whistles like distance blur and glow effects. As is normally the case with an Anime-based game that comes to us from the East, the game looks like a carbon copy of other titles, at least at first glance. The details make all of the difference, however, and there are a few things in this title that manage to just barely keep it out of "clone" territory. I do take issue with the fact that the developers refer to it as a hack-and-slash title, though. Heroes of the Obelisk is not what you think of when you think of action combat. Games like Vindictus, Neverwinter, and Dungeons and Dragons Online are action-based gaming. Heroes of the Obelisk is standard, class-based, hotbar-mashing combat.
Vindictus heralds upcoming Episode 3
Episode 3 will be coming to Vindictus next week featuring a new area full of challenging monsters. In it, Vindictus players will be able to progress to the Misty Summit, which is a little bit of a misnomer due to the fact that it's made of four peaks. In any case, the cliff-themed region will keep players on their toes, especially if adventurers find a treasure map that's full of disappearing monsters. The update will happen on November 27th, but you can get an advance look by watching the trailer after the break! [Source: Nexon press release]
Vindictus celebrates two years in Europe with wings
It's not always easy for a game to make it to the second year of operation, but Vindictus has done just that in the European region. To celebrate, EU players are being given wings. Some of them, anyway. The rest are just going to have to purchase them. Here's how it works. When players are logged in at 6:00 p.m. GMT (1:00 p.m. EDT) between today and September 27th, they have a chance to receive the second anniversary gift box which contains a free set of Phoenix Wings. Players not logged in on at that time can purchase the wings directly for 35,000 NX during the limited sales windows: 4:00 p.m to 6:00 p.m. GMT (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EDT), September 28th until October 3rd. Players who are uninterested in chasing wings can also take part in the new Siege Mode PvP matches by speaking to the Battlemaster in Rocheste. So everyone gets something for the second year.
Vindictus' grim Pantheum the Executioner offers toughest challenge yet
With a name like "Pantheum the Executioner," you have to figure that this poor guy didn't have a lot of career prospects after graduating video game high school. Perhaps he did pest control a bit, but these days he's "a creature of unimaginable evil" tearing it up in Vindictus. Pantheum is the latest raid boss to come to Vindictus -- and he is no pushover. Nexon claims that Pantheum is one of the toughest bosses in the game and requires no fewer than eight players to take him down. Players can encounter him in the Shadow of Death raid, but they'll need to be on their toes to survive the boss' three phases. If players beat him three times, they'll earn enough currency to purchase a Grim Reaper box with super-rare contents. You can check out Pantheum in action after the jump!
Hurk released to Mabinogi Heroes test server
Last month we were introduced to Hurk, the newest hero to join Korea's Mabinogi Heroes lineup. And now we can get to know him a little bit better: Steparu.com reports that Hurk has landed on the test server and offers various videos to show the character and his skills off. While there's no word yet on Hurk for the North American version (known as Vindictus), it's a pretty good bet that he'll join the team here, too. Get a glimpse of Hurk's gameplay in the video after the break, and visit Steparu.com for more videos on character customization and testing counter timing.
Vindictus shows off new character Hurk the Berzerker
Nexon has released a teaser trailer for Mabinogi Heroes' newest character, Hurk the Berserker. Mabinogi Heroes is the Korean (and original) version of North America's Vindictus, so this may mean Hurk will be landing on western shores in the not-too-distant future. The short video shows Hurk wielding a giant greatsword against an equally giant boss, and is labeled as the first teaser of hopefully several more. You can check out the full video after the jump.
Vindictus spreads the joy of Season 2 Episode 2
It's update day for Vindictus, as players will have the fun of exploring the Season 2 Episode 2 patch after the download is complete. The update is a hearty helping of content that includes dungeons, battles, and character revamps. Nine new battles are now available in the Twilight Desert, and players might have to cut their way through the addition of Grim Reapers and Guardians to get to them. The update implements a time progression feature, which is important since it determines which of the patch's 14 dungeons are open or closed for business. There's also a new expertise to level up in called Gathering, although it's accessible only in the Season 2 zones. [Source: Nexon press release]
Vindictus EU shows off next episode of Season 2 with video, screenshots
Vindictus fans in Europe don't have long to wait for the second episode of Season 2 as Nexon EU has announced that The Secret of Twilight Desert will launch on May 29th. As one of the largest updates ever to the game, this episode will expand the storyline and add new enemies in new areas as well as a dynamic day/night cycle. Both new terrors and rare beauty come with the nightfall; the Grim Reaper and Guardian Soldiers will threaten adventurers after the sun sets, but the moonlight also reveals the Luminary Plant, a beautiful and powerful plant able to bestow rare gifts upon those capable of harvesting it. And for those seeking treasure buried under the sands, a new underground dungeon (with a traveling entrance) built by the eccentric wild Coffer Chasers offers adventurers a choice of treasure rooms. Choose wisely, though, as all other treasure rooms are locked once one is picked! Get a glimpse of the coming adventures in the video after the break and the 11 new images in the gallery below. [Source: Nexon EU press release]%Gallery-97587%
