Monthly Archives: May 2011

Marvel Super Hero Squad: Hero Up Preview!

Marvel Super Hero Squad: Hero Up Preview!

by: Kei Beneza (dividelife), OnRPG Journalist

 

After the cancellation of the much anticipated Marvel Universe Online (thanks to a couple of licensing problems from Microsoft, it was remade into Champions Online), Marvel Enthusiasts were forced to be contented with offline games such as Marvel Ultimate Alliance and other less impressive X-men movie-based video games. Luckily, Marvel Comics hasn’t given up on the MMO take yet. Entering the MMO scene is Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, an MMO web browser game that takes players into the world of Marvel Comics. In this game, players take control of existing Marvel characters such as Cyclops, Ms. Marvel and Captain America.

 

In comparison to DC Universe Online, I would say that this game is definitely for kids, with cutesy characters that look like plump deformed versions of their actual counterparts, and an almost ‘cartoonish’ world that barely signifies the actual seriousness of the Marvel Universe. I mean, it’s not every day the ‘Master of Magnetism’ hits his own head with a frying pan after exercising his magnetic powers.

 

HERO UP!

Upon registering, players are opted to name their squad, which is rather limited, considering the fact that you will be clicking ‘Generate Squad Name’ until you get your desired results. I suppose it was meant to censor inappropriate names, since the game is supposed to be for children.

 

Marvel Super Hero Squad Preview

 

In the beta, players start out with four iconic characters from the Marvel Universe: Cyclops, Falcon, Ms Marvel, and The Thing. These characters play somewhat different from one another in terms of range and melee capabilities. Upon leveling up, players can also gain access to other skills and emote actions for a more immersive gaming experience. Note that players are not limited to one character and may change characters at almost any time in-game.

 

Thumbs Up Soldier! We Are Here To Save The World

Compared to other MMO games, you don’t really have to research fights, and it doesn’t take a PVE champion to take down bosses like The Green Goblin and Magneto. In order to access missions, players must either click the mission icon on their toolbar or enter the portal to the mission menu. Once there, they can tackle the instanced mission of the day, which can either be done alone or as a group.

 

Marvel Super Hero Squad Preview

 

Group missions play the same way, but the enemies are a lot harder, so you will have to make sure you group up before embarking on these tasks. You can also pick a mission to play, but you will have to buy them individually via the in game store in order to access non-daily missions. Worry not though, because you will be able to play them all without paying if you keep doing daily missions.

 

The game sports a 3D beat’em up play style, similar to the likes of Final Fight and Fighting Force. Here, players can use and throw objects at enemies. They also have their own individual ‘Hero Up’ skills that sort of act as their ultimate move. These moves vary from damaging abilities, ranged beams, and charming enemies.

 

Spin That Wheel!

Unlike other MMOs, players don’t earn currency by grinding on enemies alone. Aside from mission rewards, players are also given tickets, which are used to spin a sort of ‘Wheel of Fortune’, allowing them to gain furniture (will be discussed later), silver, and even GOLD if you’re a S.H.I.E.L.D member. You can also take your time killing renegade robots around the city to earn extra tickets during your run.

 

Marvel Super Hero Squad Preview

 

Join S.H.I.E.L.D Now!

First of all, if you’re interested in playing famous characters like Spiderman and Wolverine, then you’re definitely better off paying for the S.H.I.E.L.D membership (around 7 USD per month). It’s not really required to enjoy the game, but definitely a must if you are picky about your characters. Non-members can still purchase characters like Iron Man, War Machine, Black Widow, and almost every playable mission; however, what’s the use of playing a Marvel game without characters like Thor, Storm and Hulk, right?

 

The fee is actually quite reasonable, since you will be able to earn GOLD points, instead of silver, allowing you to purchase furniture, characters, and cards without spending hours in-game.

 

Super Hero Sims

Being a Hero isn’t an easy task, so what better way to relieve stress than going home to a beautiful HQ? Yes, in this game, players can buy furniture and other household items like lamps and chairs to further define their squad’s headquarters. Note that this feature is purely for aesthetic purposes only. I personally would rather save up for a character than a new chair, but it IS pretty cute seeing Ms Marvel bounce on that large couch.

 

Graphics and Sounds

Overall, the games visuals are pretty solid. Not only does the game look like a client based RPG, the graphics are also superb (complete with fullscreen capabilities), all in the comforts of your web browser with no installation required (except for the content patch). The characters look nice and solid, and their special attacks are always a treat to look at. There’s also a graphic option that allows you to tweak the settings, letting you to play the game on low-end PCs. The sound is rather generic, but still matches the overall cutesy theme of the game.

 

Marvel Super Hero Squad Preview

 

I Can’t Wait

Seriously, although it’s a kid’s game, I really enjoyed it. It’s fun, simple, and easy to learn… a good break after those long punishing raids in other MMOs. Marvel Super Hero Squad is still on open beta, so I’m sure the game will have more to offer soon, such as the card system. Though I’m not sure if it’s an ingame CCG (collectible card game) or just there for the purpose of collecting, I feel that this game will not disappoint, so why not jump in and kill a couple of Skrulls? You might enjoy it!

 

Community Spotlight: Hardcore Isn’t Oldschool Part 2

Community Spotlight: Hardcore Isn’t Oldschool Part 2

by Kei Beneza (dividelife), OnRPG Journalist

 

Welcome back to part 2 of my analysis of the debate between veterans and casuals over the validity of hardcore oldschool games. For those that missed Part 1 in which I built up how this debate came about, check it out here. Now on to a look at how this connects to MMOs.

 

Now For MMOs.

To learn more of the two gaming preferences I spoke of, I did a small research project on the MMO spectrum here in the Philippines. Might I say that I actually saw what I was looking for. According to my research, most of the players in this country dislike modern MMOs. This includes WoW, Warhammer, DC Universe Online, and RIFT. No matter how broad or awesome an MMO is, 90% of the gamers here would rather grind in Ragnarok and RF Online than embark on an epic quest to save Azeroth from certain doom. I myself enjoy modern MMOs and the cutting-edge features they offer compared to the grindfest some oldschool MMOs bring.

 

Hardcore VS Oldschool Games

 

For this section, I interviewed Roan41, an RF Online player who claims that new MMOs are NOOBish and trash (feel free to shoot him). According to him, questing makes the game extremely easy, and that grinding levels your personal skill level far faster than running around on delivery missions. I can’t deny that a lot of people share the same insight regarding MMO gameplay, though it is sad that most people deny themselves of MMO evolution simply because they are fully satisfied with a game from the past. I have nothing against RF Online; in fact, I love it. But if we aren’t open to change when it comes, the good changes are never going to survive and evolve the industry.

 

What Does The New Age Of Gamers Think?

To expand my research, I asked my 13 year old nephew to play a couple of classic games. Note that he is quite good at games like Halo, being able to finish the darn thing at the legendary difficulty. After purchasing a second hand NES console for our little experiment, I quickly asked him to play the first Contra game. I was utterly shocked after seeing him die two times after the first bridge. He ranted a lot, and like any good uncle, I was there to write down everything he said. First off, he said that the graphics were pure trash, and that it was really hard to see the bullets even though the game was being played on a 50″ screen. The lack of lifebars was also a big issue for him (and no, I did not teach him the 30 lives cheat). After wasting all three continues, he said that the game was pretty impossible to finish, and that it was purely ugly aesthetically.

 

Hardcore VS Oldschool Games

 

He did seem pretty surprised after I finished the entire game in front of him (I did not cheat ), and told him that Contra was one of the most iconic games to ever grace the gaming scene. The results were also the same when I let him play Earthworm Jim 2 for the Sega Genesis, although this time, he did not curse the game’s graphics. One thing I remember him saying was that he felt challenged, and that he was willing to play the game for countless hours until he finishes it… which he did. I showed him more oldschool games and he was absolutely enthralled by the other titles like Double Dragon and Adventure Island. Like any modern-day gamer, he said that the game would be a lot better if everything didn’t look like a cheap PS1 game (if only he knew how much older this console was compared to the PS1).

 

Stay Hardcore or Embrace Change?

Yes, everyone has their own preferences. While some people enjoy beating the hell out of soldiers in games like Dynasty Warriors, others prefer to be the ones getting beaten in games that require utter patience and a lot of trial and error moments. It solely depends on the gamer’s preferences; however, games continue to evolve, and people will have to open their minds and their wallets to test out the new if we are ever going to see progress. Each game, whether classic or modern, has its own charm. While classics may not have graphics that allow you to see the pores on their skin, I would never trade my classic experience with next gen titles. But that’s all it is, nostalgia. I love my memories of how good it felt back in the day but realize how inefficient the controls and game design was by today’s standards.

 

Hardcore VS Oldschool Games

 

There ARE some games that bring the same classic feeling in a nextgen platform such as: Hard Corps: Uprising and Megaman 9-10 (hurray! A saving system), so I guess oldschool elitists still have something to look forward to. I really understand their point of view regarding the difficulty lengthening a certain game’s lifespan, but we must all understand that in the post-Wii world, not all gamers are hardcore anymore. What might lengthen the difficulty for some results in a quick uninstall and rage quit by others. Game marketers are better off catering to one audience or the other, because trying to win both will result in a game that pleases almost no one.

 

Community Spotlight: Hardcore Isn’t Oldschool Part 1

Community Spotlight: Hardcore Isn’t Oldschool Part 1

By: Kei Beneza (dividelife), Onrpg Journalist

 

Where there’s casual gaming, there’s hardcore gaming. This applies not only in the MMO industry, but the entire gaming world as well. After reading a series of review comments from different sites, and listening to countless rants from RPG, Fighting, and Shooter game enthusiasts, I figured that a lot of players are still not ready to move on to the next generation of gaming. Sure, the graphics are intense and the textures are exquisitely solid, but some gamers still think that nothing gets more hardcore than oldschool gaming. Are games really getting easier by the minute? Does it mean that the future holds nothing more than games with a default “easy mode” difficulty?

 

Hardcore VS Oldschool Games

 

Regardless of the game’s genre, I do believe that the difficulty has changed by a long shot. What used to take us countless days of ‘trial and error’ (like those Megaman stages), has now been reduced to save points and infinite continues. Can you even imagine playing Fable 3 or better yet, Megaman 9 without the comforts of saving your progress with only a handful of continues? Oh, how I wish I could focus exclusively on ‘Hardcore’ and ‘Classic’ MMOs, but I believe that this is much MUCH bigger than that.

 

Halo Versus Quake

I myself am a big shooter fan, and you’ll probably see me playing Wolfteam, Warrock, Halo Reach, and Killzone 3 most of the time. To gain more information regarding the classic and modern gamer’s point of view regarding the evolution of gaming, I interviewed a few gamers from both sides of the spectrum to shed some light on their individual perspectives.

 

Finalcut712 is an oldschool gamer who has grown to love shooters since the early Quake days. According to him, the only reason why games were really hard back then was due to the technical disadvantage at the time. He believes that games evolve simply because many features have surfaced throughout time, and that oldschool shooters like Doom and Quake 3 are only hard due to the lack of technology.

 

Hardcore VS Oldschool Games

 

“Simply looking up and down was extremely hard back then in Quake 2 (for the PS1), same goes for Doom. We were forced to use R1 and R2 to look up and down instead of just using the right analog stick. The only reason why we couldn’t aim in a game that was supposed to be a ‘Shooter’ was due to the lack of technology.” -Finalcut712

 

Honestly, I do feel that he has a point. Games do evolve overtime, and regardless of some mediocre review ratings from various sites and magazines, game developers still try their best to revolutionize the limits of ‘oldschool’ gaming. He also stated that as long as people keep running their mouths on how oldschool titles beat modern-day games, these titles will stop evolving.

 

“Do you want to play World of Warcraft and be content with how it is forever? I sure as hell don’t,” Finalcut712 added.

 

Another person who gave me his take on the topic is Rai, who states that difficulty is what makes a game good. Rai is an avid fighting game enthusiast who plays a wide variety of versus games from MMOs to Arcade games. According to him, the reason why he is unappreciative of most of the games today is the small learning curve. He believes that games should always have a certain depth that will separate the ones who are giving a gratuitous amount of time practicing and the casual players. For him, the game’s difficulty normally determines its replayability, provided that it’s not monstrously difficult like Battletoads.

 

Aside from fighting games, Rai also enjoys RPGs and other gaming genres, especially MMOs. He did say that new games are good for their expansive system and amount of content, but simply breezing through the entire game without dying once is a big letdown for him. He does serve a good point, especially after pointing out the raiding difficulty in WoW. If people could simply kill the next boss without having to study the fight and proper team coordination then everyone would probably be swimming in epic loot after a year. He believes games that are extremely easy to play often lose their shine after a couple of months.

 

Is It Just Difficulty?

The next person who graced me with his insights was G who claims to be a mixture of the modern-day and classic gamer. Now G’s point of view is somewhat different from Finalcut’s regarding the battle between classic and modern gaming. G loves RPGs (especially the Japanese ones). Despite being into games like Persona, Final Fantasy 5 and other classics, he still enjoys new RPGs like Dragon Age and Mass Effect to the full extent. Also, his take on this war does not revolve on the games’ difficulty and expansive system alone.

 

Hardcore VS Oldschool Games

 

According to him, characters from classic games are a lot livelier and that the themes are a lot more whimsical than in modern games. Unlike Finalcut’s view regarding the continuous evolution of games, G states that oldschool games have a distinct charm, and that no modern technology can surpass it in its own spectrum. Oldschool games have their own appeal that is lost with modern technology. Just like modern games have capabilities that oldschool games could never acquire.

 

Thanks for reading everyone! I will be back tomorrow for the conclusion of this discussion, with a look at the MMO sphere, the next generation of gamers, and how what we do now might impact what they play in the future! Dividelife signing out!

Lucent Heart Confirms May 12th BFF Beta

Lucent Heart Confirms May 12th BFF Beta

 

Gamania Digital Entertainment announced today that the wait is almost over, the final closed beta for Lucent Heart is confirmed for May 12th. After introducing the community to the land of Acadia during recent sneak peek beta events, Gamania is ready to enter the next phase of testing, inviting players to put Lucent Heart through its paces during the highly anticipated two week Badass Friends Forever (BFF) closed beta.

 

Lucent Heart BFF Beta

The team has been hard at work refining the game, incorporating feedback from previous testers, as well as implementing more features. The BFF event will be Lucent Heart’s largest and final closed beta, and will utilize the updated 4.07 client. Both old and new players will experience a streamlined version of the game with many improvements.

Aiming to bring people together by focusing on social interaction, Lucent Heart leverages a rich matchmaking system that pairs up couples for quests and adventures in the fight against evil that’s invading Acadia. With magical Zodiac based abilities at their disposal, along with help from trustworthy pets, friends, and lovers, players will take on hordes of enemies and bosses as they fight their way through thousands of quests, dungeons, and 20 unique zones.

 

 

Lucent Heart BFF Beta

Horoscope System: Each player’s Zodiac sign (determined by their birthday) affects their stats and skills. Not only will they get buffs as a daily horoscope, they gain powerful Zodiac abilities and armor that are specific to their Zodiac sign – affording players a personalized experience while they level up and explore Acadia. Check out the Zodiac powers in action here.

Matchmaking System: “Cupid” will pair up players based on specific matchmaking characteristics. Lucent Heart is a highly social experience and the matchmaking feature is meant to take players beyond the standard grouping systems with which they’re accustomed. Couples are encouraged to go on lighthearted “dates” after being paired, and as they level up and quest together they gain access to specific couple-only buffs, items, and areas which further enhance the gameplay. Couples can even culminate their relationship through in-game marriage. Check out our trailer for the Matchmaking System.

 

Lucent Heart BFF Beta

As a special treat for cosplay fans, Vanessa (the official Lucent Heart Star) will be filming a video series at E3 dressed up as the goddess herself, ‘Theia’. ‘Goddess Theia’ will be taking community requests for the videos. You’ll be able to watch her in action at Gamania’s youtube page during E3 as she tours the booths at the request of the players.

Though keys are scarce, OnRPG saved an extra 1,000 keys just for this announcement. Without a key you aren’t guaranteed access to the beta so make sure to grab one here.

 

RIFT Prepares Next Patch: The Spoils of War

RIFT Patch 1.2 – The Spoils of War

 

Trion Worlds, known for making a big deal of everything, has no intention of slowing down now that RIFT is in full release. Starting now, players will begin to find strange dragon egg shells and coins raining into the capitol cities in the Spoils of War prelude event. These mysterious objects are the focus of four new daily quests that reward the Ascended with coveted items.

 

RIFT Patch 1.2 Spoils of War

 

Then beginning next Tuesday, May 10, RIFT will unlock patch 1.2: The Spoils of War, containing many new and useful features! You can now enter slivers and steal triumph from the dragons’ jaws in alternate time streams. These 10-man outdoor instances will play a major roll in determining the real world make-up of Telara.

 

Of course, the invaders are limitless, and the Ascended, while mighty and many, must rally together to strike telling blows. The new Looking for Group system will help you quickly recruit Ascended for any dungeon, quest, or rift.

 

RIFT is also releasing a nifty feature this patch that I personally adore. You will now no longer be forced to accept the looks of gear just because it has the best stats. You can assign a different looking piece of equipment the stats of your best gear to ensure your look is customized the way you like it!

 

And with RIFT 1.2, you can share your adventures on Facebook. A series of simple in-game commands lets you post your accomplishments to your Facebook page. True geeks rejoice, your deeds of greatness will not go unknown.

 

Cardmon Hero: The Not Quite Yu-Gi-Oh MMORPG

CardMon Hero: The Not Quite Yu-Gi-Oh MMORPG

By: Vincent Haoson (Hao), OnRPG Journalist

 

The idea of Trading Card Games isn’t new to the gaming scene. Magic and Pokemon Trading Card Game players are still quite prevalent within the ranks of MMORPG players. So it is natural to expect that the concept of card systems would emerge in the MMO-scene.

 

Cardmon Hero, is T3Fun’s version of the TCG-MMO combination. Let’s see how it fares on both fronts.

 

Look and Feel

 

Cardmon Hero Review

 

CardMon Hero pretty much looks like your typical anime-inspired F2P MMORPG. It uses bright colors, with the inclusion of kiddie-version sprites and monsters. The game in fact reminds me of games such as FlyFF or Rose Online. The game environment is pretty light and partnered with an upbeat and catchy but repetitive tune.

The game’s light-hearted nature can be entertaining, especially for those who are looking for a less serious themed MMO. CardMon Hero pushes the right buttons in terms of casual entertainment while distinguishing itself with cartoony card “partners” known as “mercenaries”.

Gameplay

CardMon Hero’s base gameplay is similar to a lot of MMORPGs out right now. The game has no innovation whatsoever in this regard save for the robust TCG System in place (which I will have to elaborate later on).

 

Cardmon Hero Review

 

The game currently has Player vs Player, Player vs Environment and Realm vs Realm systems. The character classes follow the usual set of jobs: melee, ranged and magic. Each job class branches off to the various weapons the game has. There is also a stat system in place which is reminiscent of Diablo where your character’s stats determine the weapons you can use.

 

Cardmon Hero Review

 

CardMon Hero doesn’t have a restrictive job class system unlike games such as Ragnarok Online. So long as you meet the equipment’s requirements, your mage can wield a sword, or your swordsman can wield a wand.

 

Cardmon Hero Review

 

CardMon Hero’s pacing is pretty linear, with your first few steps dictated by one NPC quest after another. For those who have no inkling of what an MMORPG is (which would mean you probably lived under a rock) this would be fine and all. However, for people who already immersed themselves into one MMORPG after another, CardMon Hero’s new players approach is something to be desired. In my experience, the only thing that made me bother with the newbie quests is the free items they offered as rewards made the early game far less troublesome.

TCG System Shines!

With the game’s bread and butter relying heavily on its TCG system I am happy to say that CardMon Hero has a very robust one. The TCG system in CardMon Hero makes you feel like you are living in a world where your cards are real. At times I felt like I had been transported to the shadow realm of a Yu-Gi-Oh cartoon with the way some of these missions play out. However unlike in Yu-Gi-Oh where they were limited in the dark tournament ground, CardMon Hero offers a free roaming world filled with other monsters and players for you to beat down.

 

Cardmon Hero Review

 

The “mercenaries” you summon through the cards are not to be confused with pets you would see in a typical online game. Your mercs are limited by a timer that automatically recalls the monster to its card once time has expired. This is used as a type of balancing mechanism to keep overpowered cards under control.

You can go all out and summon a variety of monsters at the same time as long as you have available slots. This adds to the mix and match card summon combination since not all monsters are the offensive type. It gives you a spectrum of choices in your summons since you have to balance between support, offensive and defensive mercs whenever you summon them.

 

The game also allows you to customize your mercs in the sense that you can level them up to make them sturdier or deal out more damage. You can also combine your monster cards to eventually create a stronger monster much like in Shin Megami Tensei Online.

 

Cardmon Hero Review

 

You also have a card book which records the cards you have already collected and that contains more information on the cards you have acquired. The card book system in fact adds to the “gotta catch ‘em all” feel that’s part of the TCG experience.

Joker

In tandem with the TCG system in CardMon Hero, there’s a Joker system in place in the game. The Joker system gives players the opportunity to summon high level mercenaries. There’s a meter on the left side of the screen that fills up whenever you summon or use a skill. Upon reaching a certain amount you can successfully summon a high level merc. There are three levels to fill in the meter and filling up each meter would mean a stronger merc. I found this added a bit of strategy to the player versus player sphere of the game, making duels feel like a game of “chicken” to see who would crack and summon their Joker first.

 

Conclusion

CardMon Hero is a good game that maximizes the TGC-MMO system to its full. However the game itself carries no innovative feature or anything fresh as an MMO. This is not a huge problem for most players since the TCG aspect is the one reason why people would play the game.

 

Cardmon Hero Review

 

While it is commendable that CardMon Hero knows what it is as an MMO, in the long run it lacks enough variety for extended gaming. If you have a one track mind then that’d be good, but if you need variety in your MMOs, you have been warned.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the mix and match aspect of the game’s summoning system where you can in fact have a ton of mercs out at once. The sight of a team of summoners each unleashing an army of mercs at once is truly impressive.

 

The variety of the mercs you can use is another enjoyable aspect of the game since you can summon robots/mechas in tandem with elementals. These mercs really blow away the pet systems present in the majority of MMOs these days.

 

In the end the game is not for everybody. While it is esy to pick up and enjoy, the tedium might push those with short attention spans away. Only the true fans of TCGs or detailed pet systems need apply for this one. But if you fall into that category, I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised.

Kingdom Heroes Xiaoshou Expansion Arrives

Kingdom Heroes Xiaoshou Expansion Arrives

 

Get ready to battle it out in the new Xiaoshou Expansion in Kingdom Heroes. The Xiaoshou expansion will build on the enormous Kingdom Heroes map, providing two new areas for players to explore. Kingdom Heroes offers a unique, story based progression system, requiring players to work with their faction to defeat historic Chinese figures such as Zhao Yun and Lu Bu in order to access the new areas.

 

Kingdom Heroes Expansion

 

Kingdom Heroes new features include:

 

Increased Level Cap – This expansion is host to a level cap increase, which provides players dozens of new and exciting skills, talents and abilities.

 

New Gear – An extensive assortment of weapons including glaives, spears, swords and staves, have been introduced along with brand new armor sets and mounts.

 

New Boat and Siege Weapon – Players must work together to make a valiant stand against Lu Bu and Dong Zhuo’s Army to unlock an undiscovered boat and turret mounted missile launcher.