Monthly Archives: March 2011

Review: Experience Battlestar Galatica Like You Never Experienced Before

Review: Experience Battlestar Galatica Like You Never Experienced Before

By Vincent Haoson, OnRPG Journalist

 

 

Battlestar Galactica Side MMO

Battlestar Galactica Online is a 3D Browser-based MMO. As the name suggests, the game puts you smack dab in the middle of the Cyclon-human war in control of either a Raider or a viper, depending on your choice of race.

 

The game does away with any preamble regarding the establishment of the game’s context and puts you in the cockpit of either a raider or a viper. The first few steps into the world of Battlestar Galactica Online double as your tutorial. This also serves as the make and break period for the game. I’m saying this because whatever impression you will have in the game once you start playing will practically set your continuous BSG play. The gameplay doesn’t change once you go into BSGO. What changes though is the perspective since you will be going out of your fighter once in a while.

 

 

Battlestar Galactica MMO Shoot

 

BSG is a good example of how far browser games have gone. For those who are new to the idea of a 3D MMO will surely get their heads blow off because BSG just looks spectacular, for a browser game. For those who aren’t new to browser based 3D MMOs, BSGO looks definitely better than the other games of the same type. The game looks soo good that I think BSGO would be better off if it was a client-based game rather than being a browser one.

 

One of the many limitations of the game on the browser platform is that the controls can be very hard to get used to. Most of the ship controls are on the mouse which serves as your fighter’s throttle. The fighters in the game move clunky and awkwardly since you still have to upgrade its parts to make it fly smoother. For a guy who got used to ships/fighters who turns smoothly even if the ship has no upgrades whatsoever, this was pretty taxing. Also it quickly shattered my image of raiders and vipers flying smoothly in space on the TV series.

 

 

Battlestar Galactica MMO Ship

As you keep on playing BSGO, you’d slowly realize that it’s not the BSG you used to watch on the tube. It’s a whole different universe compared to the TV series and this time around, it’s YOUR story in that is being told. Or, at least as much of a story as you can get out of the BSGO.

 

 

Battlestar Galactica MMO Combat

 

I just need to clarify though that BSGO isn’t just a browser game plastered with the title BSG without respecting the material it was lifted from. You’d see familar faces in the series (which are integral characters in the BSG story) that you’d interface with. Examples are interactions with number six and number one for the Cyclons and connecting with Starbuck in the human side. These little tidbits would really excite BSG fans but not those who aren’t familiar with the BSG mythos.

 

 

Cylon Ship

 

All in all, BSGO is a fun browser game to play regardless of any familiarity to the BSG story. As a browser based game it really brings the oomp to the 3D MMO browser game genre. However the less than smooth controls and some persistent bugs has kept me from gushing over it. Still, the game is on its early stages so maybe in due time it’d be better.

Razer and Bioware Announce Dragon Age 2 Mouse!

Razer and Bioware Announce Dragon Age 2 Mouse!

 

Razer, the world’s leading high-end precision gaming brand, and Bioware, the critically acclaimed game developer, unleash their Dragon Age II product line to aid your rise to power in this sequel to 2009’s Game of the Year and one of 2011’s most anticipated games, which launches on March 8, 2011 in North America and March 11, 2011 in Europe on the Xbox 360 computer and videogame system, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, PC and Mac.

Razer’s exclusively designed PC weaponry includes an ergonomically precise Razer DeathAdder mouse, a speed-enhancing Razer Goliathus mouse mat, and a tactile-sensitive Razer BlackWidow Ultimate mechanical keyboard. On the Xbox 360 computer and videogame system, the Razer Onza Tournament Edition with adjustable resistance analog sticks is the perfect weapon to wield on your rise to power. The Dragon Age II messenger bag is the warrior’s perfect loot-carrying solution with ample space for gaming on the go.

 

Razer and Bioware announce a special Dragon Age 2 Mouse!

Every Razer product in the Dragon Age II line is a highly aesthetic collector’s edition befitting of the game – from the Razer DeathAdder embossed with a fearsome red dragon to the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate’s exclusive blood-red LED backlighting. The Razer Goliathus and Messenger Bag both carry a design of Hawke battling Darkspawn while the Razer Onza Tournament Edition has an etching of Hawke striding forth fearlessly.

Also included with all Dragon Age II Razer products (except the Messenger Bag) is a DLC in-game item “The Ring of Whispers” to further strengthen your champion for the coming battles.

“Dragon Age II has mind-blowing, intense and primeval combat requiring the right set of gaming hardware to keep up, and only Razer can provide that,” said Robert “RazerGuy” Krakoff, President Razer USA. “Our Dragon Age II product line is designed to provide ultra-precise weapons like the Razer DeathAdder, BlackWidow, and Onza. All adorned in beautiful Dragon Age II artwork to make your gaming experience even more immersive.”

“We’re proud of the partnership we’ve forged with Razer to create Dragon Age II-specific peripherals,” said David Silverman, director of marketing for BioWare. “Razer has a proven track record for creating high-quality products for hardcore gamers, which makes for a perfect alignment with BioWare and specifically, Dragon Age II.”

Gamers who want to get a small taste of the game can also download the Dragon Age II demo available now on Xbox LIVE, PlayStation Network and PC.

About the Dragon Age II Razer DeathAdder
The Razer DeathAdder gaming mouse has always been the weapon of choice for gamers seeking a combination of comfort and unbridled gaming precision. A 3500 dpi 3.5G infrared sensor, 1000Hz Ultrapolling with 1ms response time, 5 Hyperesponse buttons, and On-the-Fly sensitivity adjustment lets you slay Darkspawn and forge on for victory in the right way – with the right-handed ergonomic form factor of the Dragon Age II Razer DeathAdder.

Product Features:
– Ergonomic right-handed design
– 3500dpi Razer Precision 3.5G infrared sensor
– 1000Hz Ultrapolling / 1ms response
– 5 independently programmable Hyperesponse buttons
– On-the-fly sensitivity adjustments
– 60 – 120 inches per second and 15g of acceleration
– Zero-acoustic Razer gaming grade Ultraslick mouse feet
– Gold-plated USB connector
– 7-ft lightweight, braided fiber cable
– Approx. size in mm: 128(L) x 70(W) x 42.5(H)

For more information about the Dragon Age II Razer DeathAdder, please visit www.razerzone.com/deathadder-da2

Champions of the World? – A Look at Champs Free to Play Side

Champions of the World? – A Look at Champs Free to Play Side

By Stephen Boyd, OnRPG Journalist

It was a dark and stormy night when the call came in from LA.

“Hey kid. The suits upstairs have been impressed by your work in Metropolis and Gotham. They want you to look into the goings on down in Millennium City now.”

Last thing I wanted was to be up my neck in caped freaks again, but hey, a job’s a job right?

“OK, Boss.” I said. “What’s the skinny on the situation down there? I heard the last guy you sent down there went native.”

The line went quiet and I could almost hear him shudder. “Yeah, I won’t lie to you. We lost a lot of good guys down there. Maybe you should wear some kind of disguise. Ya know…..try to blend in.”

And now, here I am. Slap bang in the middle of Champions Online. Having never tried the game before, and with covering DC Universe Online for the last month or so, I figured it would be a good idea to try Champs for comparison. And since Cryptic and Atari went Free to Play with it last month, I figured now was as good a time as any.

Champions Online Free for All

Champions Online: Free For All went into beta in November of last year and was released in its current iteration on January 25th of this year.

In his press release in January, CEO of Cryptic Studios, John Needham said
“We are thrilled to be able to launch Champions Online: Free For All. The Champions team has put an incredible amount of effort into making Free For All an amazing free-to-play MMO every gamer can enjoy at no cost.”

Coming so hot on the heels of the release of DCUO, many saw this jump to F2P as a panicked move from Atari and Cryptic. It was time to give it a run and see how it measures up against its competition.

One quick registration later and the F2P client was downloading. The client took around 24 hours to pull down from the official download site. The installation was smooth and a quick patch later it was time to craft a hero.

 

Champions Create

Since I started covering DCUO, I’ve heard a lot about the character creator in Champions Online and how it was much more option filled than its new rival. And this is certainly the case. The volume of creation options is immense; however a lot of the options are disabled in Champs FFA and available as paid content.

You start off by choosing your Archetype.

Champions Archtype

These run the standards of Tank in the form of the Behemoth and Glacier, through Melee and Ranged to Healers, here psychic and sorcerous The Mind and The Grimoire, respectively. There are three locked Archetypes, available as Micro Transaction upgrades.

Your Archetype also sets your Power Choices. I would have liked to see a little more variety in the power mixes myself, the Archetypes (and I do know what that word means, before the flaming begins!) felt a little generic to me. In the ‘Gold Member’ version of the game you can customise your powers.

And then the costume design. There is a staggering amount of looks to try in this game.

 

Champions Online Costume Time

You can randomly select a look or build yourself from the ground up. Each element of your costumes has dozens of variants. Although, each new menu I pulled up showed a lot of Locked creation items that can, you guessed it, be bought or are included in the P2P version.

 

Options Costumes

Even with these locked items, the variety offered in Champions Online: Free For All is amazing. Even the randoms above here all have a great individual look and, once you enter the game world, this becomes even more apparent.

 

The controls are as expected. WASD for movement, mouse for selecting and aiming. Tab to target. It felt familiar to my fingers as soon as I got into the action. And there is s a lot to do in the starting zone of Millennium City. Quests pop constantly, but you never become swamped and readily level up.

 

Champions Online Combat

New gear and Resources, the currency of the game, drop freely from mobs and the combat, although a little repetitive at this early level, is satisfying.

The starting zone was swamped with players and gave a nice populated fell to the city.
The only drawback to this was the fact that it took me ages to finish missions as other players killed *ahem* ‘MY’ mobs. Even with this impediment of other players in my new MMO ?, I struggled on.

The first major instanced battle came when I entered the Champions headquarters in an attempt to defeat the Qularr invasion. Luckily, Defender, leader of the Champions is on hand to dispense advice. If not really assist in the battle at all. One Boss fight later and a little clean up and you are taken to meet the Champions through an Honour Guard of Millennium City’s finest.

 

Champions Online Group Shot

Once this first instance has finished, you are introduced to vendors and the Powerhouse. Here you will train your hero in new skills, techniques or spells. Alongside these are your R&D options. Each role can choose an R&D path to follow and can research items from their inventory to split into components that can then be used to craft new items.

Champions Online: Free For All is a fine game. There are no major flaws to complain of barring a few scenery bugs where I got caught on nothing. The combat is enjoyable and I could see the crafting elements of R&D being a major time sink. The Movement abilities, of which I tried both Flight and Acrobatics, did not feel right. Flight was slow and so very ungraceful. Acrobatics left me stuck on plants and rubble scattered around the zone.

My major gripe with this game, and I can understand entirely why this feature is in game, is the constant feeling that you are missing out on something. Every vendor you visit you will see wares that you cannot buy. Every loading screen carries ads for Golden Membership and Micro Payment items.

Playing this game as a Free to Play or Silver member kinda leaves you feeling like a second class citizen.

If you can get past this, are unwilling or unable to purchase a subscription and can deal with the last generation visuals on display then Champions Online: Free For All should make you feel like a hero. For Free.