Yearly Archives: 2013

Unlimited Ninja

Unlimited Ninja (previously under a different name) takes you on a whirlwind journey as a custom ninja as you seek to destroy an evil empire and dozens of tough customers along the way. Can you survive in a world where death lurks in every shadow?

Features

Build a Team: As you play through the game, you will gain the option to unlock various characters from the show. You can add these characters to your party as you attempt to find balance and build the ultimate ninja team.

PvP Arena: Test your might against other players as you pit your team against theirs to see whose tactics and luck can outmatch the other.

Choose Your Way: Players can specialize in Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, or Taijutsu to obtain different abilities and differentiate their character. Roles including Vanguard, Assaulter, and Support allow further customization.

Summon Beast: Acquire one of the tailed spirits and summon it in battle to unleash your full might.

Myth of Soma – An Old Game Revived

By Jordan Hall (ApocaRUFF), OnRPG Journalist

 

Introduction

Myth of Soma was originally released in 2001, but came to a close back in 2008 due to a series of unfortunate events and a general disinterest in the title that kept it from being profitable. Currently, in 2013, Myth of Soma has been brought back to the dead with improved features and security thanks to the team at SomaDev. It has many traditional MMORPG elements, such as quests, grinding, ranged, magic and melee combat and more. The game is 2D and is played with an isometric perspective. With its low system requirements, traditional MMORPG elements, and end-game PVP focus, there is a lot of appeal in Myth of Soma, even though it is over a decade old.

 

 

Customization

Character creation is fairly straight forward. You choose either human or demon, pick your name, choose your starting stats (which plays a big role as your stats dictate many factors in the game), and your gender. You also get to choose from a limited selection of hair styles, hair colors, and skin colors. If you’re unsure how to set up your stats, there are a few pre-sets that you can choose from that will distribute your stats for you. There’s not much there, but it’s decent when you consider the original age of the game.

 

CharacterCreation

 

Other customization comes into play while choosing what types of armor, weapons, or abilities (or spells) your character will learn. There are three types of magic in the game that you can learn: blue (human), black (hell/underworld), and white (heaven). As you might imagine, certain stats are important to certain types of characters. A mage-type would want high intelligence, while a melee brute would want high strength. Weapon skills, which raise with use (along with all other skills) are important, too.

 

 

Graphics

Myth of Soma has 2D graphics that are fairly detailed for what they are. The game is played with an isometric view, similar to games like Ultima Online and other older 2D MMORPGs. Compared to what we get in today’s MMOs, you won’t be impressed. However, chances are if you’re thinking of playing Myth of Soma, you’re either the type of person that doesn’t pay much mind to graphics or are not in a position to complain about the graphics (such as owning a low-spec PC). When I take into consideration the age of the game, I’ve got to say I’m pleased with the graphics and liked the realistic (or as realistic as you can get with 2D) art style chosen.

 

Graphics

 

 

Controls

This is one area I have a lot of trouble with when it comes to old games. Back in the day, controls (and user interfaces) generally sucked and were a horrendous experience. Unfortunately, it’s much the same for Myth of Soma, as it has a clunky user interface and movement isn’t as smooth as it could be. It’s primarily played with the mouse, along with the F1-12 keys. To top it off, as far as I could find, there was no way to re-bind keys without using a third-party macro program – which is pretty much needed anyways if you don’t want to have a horrible time.

 

UI

 

 

Community

Most of the community in Myth of Soma seemed pretty decent. Maybe that’s because it’s not the type of game to attract the hordes of mindless grinders and trolls that play the popular games. The downside is that the population is pretty small. But small populations tend to be quite tight-knit, which some people prefer. The community in this game is great if you don’t mind a relatively small number of players.

 

 

Gameplay

Gameplay in Myth of Soma is pretty typical of games from the time when it was originally released. There were PVE elements, with an end-game that focused on PVP. Unfortunately, most of the difficulty that makes the game appealing to more ‘hardcore’ players is a side-effect of the developers design choices, rather than a conscious decision to make the game difficult. That’s the impression I get after playing, anyways. Most of the difficulty comes from the clunky UI and control scheme, honestly.

 

Screenshot

 

Combat is pretty straight forward. You move close to your target and right click to attack. If you want to get into magic, casting is as simple as select a spell (by clicking it on the hotbar) and then right clicking the enemy. Against NPCs, it’s not too difficult and feels mostly like a chore. When you get in PVP it’s a bit more fun because of the human factor. I did find it more engaging than a lot of modern MMOs combat, due to it being less automated. However, I did find it getting boring and tedious after a while.

 

Combat

 

Questing wasn’t really existent. What’s there is just basically a filler system to facilitate you killing mobs or entering dungeons. You’ll spend a lot of your time just killing things, like most MMOs. The big goal is entering the weekly village war that lasts two hours. However, that’s my opinion of things and I know others will probably disagree with me a bit.

 

Crafting exists in the game. Armor crafting, weapon crafting, potions, cooking, and accessories. I didn’t get too much into it, but it seemed like a fairly typical crafting system. Collect resources to craft recipes. I got the impression that crafting was a big part of the game, and everyone who wasn’t big on crafting seemed to have someone that they preferred to do their crafting for them. The crafting community seemed quite nice, something you don’t see to much these days.

 

Conclusion: Fair

Myth of Soma is an old game, still alive because of the love and nostalgia of its players. It’s a relic from a time when gaming was something more than a casual experience, when players had to work together to accomplish goals and bonds were formed as a byproduct. With its familiar gameplay, it’ll attract those who want a ‘retro’ MMO experience, but also will appeal to those that want a challenge. If you’re wanting something similar to Ultima Online or Mir, this game was made to provide a similar experience with its own unique twists. In short, if you need a retro game – either because of your computer specs being unable to handle modern games or because you just want something different – Myth of Soma is one that you may want to give a try.

 

 

 

Features: 3/5 – Decent for how old the game is.

Customization: 2.5/5 – Not much, unfortunately.

Graphics: 4/5 – I liked the art.

Controls: 2/5 – Clunky and annoying, but bearable once you get used to it.

Community: 5/5 –Great community of people who like the game.

 

Overall: 3/5 –Play it if you like a retro experience, otherwise it’s a bit lackluster.

PirateQuest

PirateQuest is a browser-based text RPG set in the scurvy-ridden world of the high seas. Wander the wild, sail the seas, plunder the port – you know the (pirate) drill! Round up a crew and pillage a village each day, get a job, gamble in Bones or Cards, and then go plundering at sea. Use the coin you earn to train, buy equipment, and improve your crew. Can you be one of the top pirates on the leaderboards?

Shotgun News 11/1: Extra Life, Age of Wushu, Runescape, and More!

Extra Life 2013 This Weekened

This weekend gamers around the world will sit down at their desks, dining room tables, and anywhere else they play games to take part in the 25 hour long marathon that is Extra Life. In 2012 the marathon raised more than 2 million dollars for Children’s Hospitals around the world. This year the marathon will be bigger and better than ever. Best of luck to OnRPG writers Ardua, Sephorus, Meticulous Meta, and to everyone else taking part this year.

 

Age of Wushu Second Expansion Release Date Announced

The iconic Chinese martial arts MMORPG Age of Wushu will be getting a second expansion on November 13th. In Ultimate Scrolls the entrance to the forbidden grounds has emerged with school specific instances where players can claim the Ultimate Scrolls.

Rappelz Epic VIII Part 3 Coming Soon to Europe and North America

An upcoming update for Rappelz will bring new taming options, daily quests, and four revamped dungeons. And players in the United States will be able to take part in the seventh anniversary events which have been organized just for the occasion.

 

Trials of Ascension Introduces Playable Spider Race

What may be the most unique race in some time has been revealed for Trials of Ascension. The Raknar are an aggressive species of spider. Arachnophobes beware, these creepy crawlers really are spiders, no spider like Humanoids here. Check out the video released yesterday to see one in action.

Old School Runescape Holds Free Access Weekend

Starting today anyone can try out Old School Runescape for this weekend. The free access weekend will allow anyone to try out the Old School Runescape which is usually for members only. And best of all any progress made will be saved so should you decide you like it your account will be there waiting.

World of Tanks Update 8.9: Armored Spearhead is Now Live!

World of Tanks Northwest

 

Wargaming has announced the rollout of World of Tanks’ 8.9 update in North America today.

Update 8.9 introduces seven new German tanks, some rebalancing, plus Personal Rating changes. More importantly, the update also introduces the new Northwest map plus the new Team Battle game mode, a ten-minute match designed for teams of seven players to offer “more concentrated matchmaking.”

Make sure to check the Release Notes page for the full details of this extensive update!

Cabal Online 2013 Review

By Remko Molenaar (Proxzor)

Cabal Online Review 2013

There are few older games in the MMO genre that survived the mass grave of shutdowns that hit in 2012 and 2013. Cabal Online is one of the fortunate few to carry on and even successfully launch on Steam. I remember back when it first launched in 2006 in Europe. There was huge hype surrounding the launch since so many titles had neglected our region. But for those that missed out on the excitement let me tell you a bit about it. Cabal Online is a free-to-play 3D MMORPG that manages to carry a solid community with standard classic MMORPG elements and controls. I went back to this game to check it out for old times’ sake and sniff around for that nostalgic feeling.

In Cabal Online the player is able to choose between many different characters that each branch out in their own type of gameplay and weapons. Currently there are six available classes to choose from: the warrior, blader, wizard, force archer, force shielder and force blader. I went with the Force Archer that specializes itself with magic infused bow craft to ensure each shot is a killing blow.

Cabal Online Review 2013 3

Well that’s one way to play them anyway. See your character can be customized while leveling to your personal preference. Each time you level up you are free to up various skills and stats to how you would like to build your character. You also get the option to do this automatically, but if you want to specialize yourself into one thing, like doing damage, being tougher in battle or a less stereotypical build, then you are free to do so; you have the full control over your character. I see Cabal Online as not just a classic MMORPG but one that set the ground rules for the base character customization players should have access to. Back when I started playing, the generation of MMORPGs wasn’t that far, and Cabal was seen of one of these special games that had a lot of content and features to offer to the player. Unfortunately other features in the game haven’t aged as well and lack many of the staples of the new generation of MMORPGs.

Each area of Cabal Online is split in zones, when you first start out in the game you will be shown how to teleport to these different zones. Back in the day when powerful PCs were out of the price range of the general public, there weren’t many games with open worlds. The ones that did were few and far between due to the massive budget required to optimize such a feat. Thankfully Cabal Online justifies the loading time between zones by putting in effort to visually differentiate them, with well-planned layouts. While questing is pretty basic, at least the scenery and mobs will change the experience up a bit. Dungeons also litter the region for an extra challenge whether you’re playing alone or have some friends near the same level as you.

Cabal Online Review 2013 2

To be blunt though the PvE content is just filler so don’t come expecting a strong experience from this element alone. The player customization and focus on contests of strength between players is where Cabal Online shines. There are tons of PvP features that could entertain you for hours. You can turn on the Player Kill system and start having fun by attacking people at random, or you can actually join PvP game modes like team versus team and other mission battles with an ELO matchmaking system. Focusing on these features is the quickest way a developer can get to my heart. Without them older MMORPGs just feel like bland and pointless grinds so I’m glad Cabal understands the importance of well thought out PvP features.

But all the content and features in the world can’t fully polish Cabal’s weaknesses. The game is clearly an aged title and has clunky controls common from the era. The way your character movement animations work don’t help either as it seems stiff and unresponsive at times. Plenty of invisible walls are present to further hinder your enjoyment. The game also felt like pretty much the same experience I had back in 2007. The updates are primarily related around additional end-game grind content and the core gameplay is practically untouched minus the new classes. While the community itself is still active, it feels to have lost some of its enthusiasm over the years. Most of the regions I visited seemed to have a few players acting like bots, and few players hanging around in the towns to chat with.

Cabal Online Review 2013 4

Conclusion: Fair

Cabal Online has a history, in both a good way and in a bad. If you have played the game back in 2006, then there will not be many significant differences. Unfortunately that is a bad thing, but it also gives me the nostalgic feeling, since many titles from that era have ruined their content with cash grabs and other poorly planned updates that destroyed the core balance. Cabal Online offers a lot of content for people that prefer to raid dungeons, or for people who just seek to test their skill against other players. As I have said, I find the game to be standard, perhaps generic in a way, because it has nothing too special to offer. It’s kind of the white bread standard of what an MMORPG is. Hopefully they manage to carry their focus into the rumored sequel soon and get this title the proper updates it needs to compete in the modern market.

Alteil Horizons Pushes Past 50% of Goal, Announces Stretch Goals

AlteilHorizonsUpdate2

Alteil Horizons more reasonable goal is proving valuable as Apocoplay has already begun pushing Stretch Goals out to their community in anticipation of well exceeding it. Today a news post discusses the first of these, namely an auction house for trading cards between players and Coliseum Rules – a game mode forcing players to bend their playstyle in new ways to achieve victory. Coliseum Rules is an exciting addition as it now only will force players to think on their feet and rebuild their deck to meet specific challenges, but offers an excellent beta testing environment to discover new and popular ways to play Alteil Horizons that may be added as permanent fixtures once proven.

Check out the full details and be sure to back them to keep up with the latest news as it happens.