Monthly Archives: April 2014

CasinoRPG Launch Review – Casino Tycoon Meets Habbo Hotel?

By Jordan Hall (ApocaRUFF)

 

 

Introduction

CasinoRPG is a rather unique MMO that seeks to combine the aspects of RPGs, City Building games, and gambling. On top of having a lot of casino games to play, you can customize your character, your own condo, build your own casino, and interact with other players. There are a lot of activities to take part in, and not all of them are focused on the gambling-side of the game. But, if you do want to play some of the casino games, feel safe in knowing that you aren’t required to spend any real money to take part at all. CasinoRPG has all the makings for a fantastic Casino experience – free gambling, loads of customization, and a sense of progression.

 

 

Customization

As I mentioned in the introduction, there is a decent amount of customization available to you in CasinoRPG. Or rather, there is a decent amount for the type of game that it is. The game is 2D, so you won’t be getting sliders to change every aspect of your characters body, but you do get more than a few options to choose from. You can customize the hairstyle, clothes, and skin color of your character at any time by using a mirror in your condo. I had to admit that the selection is sort of small at the moment, but the game is still early in its life so I have no doubt that more will be added.

 

CasinoRPG Review Character Customization

 

The customization doesn’t stop there, though. As I said, you get a condo and you can customize it a great deal as well. Your condo is split into a grid where you can freely place furniture and decorations, you can also choose which way the items are facing. There is also the ability to customize the flooring – your choices range from a variety of carpets, rug patterns, and tiles. Again, not the best customization I’ve ever seen, but more than decent for the graphics style of the game. I can’t say I was disappointed with the customization in CasinoRPG.

 

 

 

CasinoRPG Review Room Customization

Graphics

The graphics in CasinoRPG are 2D, and the style is somewhere between realistic and cartoony. The avatars and buildings have realistic proportions and lines, but the colors are more bright and happy. The UI design is simplistic and easy on the eyes, so there’s no complaints there. Overall, I have to say I enjoyed the graphics. From the many themed slot machines, to the interesting designs that can be found in the many casinos. It was all more than satisfactory.

 

CasinoRPG Review slots

One of many themed slot machines. As you spin, the two characters shoot at each other.

 

 

Controls

As far as I could tell, you play the game completely with your mouse. There might have been some hot keys that you can use on your keyboard, but I honestly didn’t see any reason to try and find out. Using just your mouse was more than enough. The UI was very responsive, except in a few rare cases. To get around, you will click on a tile on the ground to have your avatar move to it and to interact with something (such as a casino game), you simply walk up to it and left click.

 

 

Community

A large part of the appeal in CasinoRPG is the community. Playing by yourself or against computers can get a bit boring and lonely. That won’t be an issue in this game, however, as there are a variety of local and global chats you can participate in. You can also play against other players and chat with the people at your table. So, if you’re a slots guy, you can chat with the other people in the casino or in the global chat while you spin. Or, if you’re more into poker or blackjack, you can sit back and hang out with the people at your table. And, from what I saw, the community was mostly mature. I even noticed a few people with “GoldFire” under their name, so I assume they were developers hanging out with their players, which is always nice to see.

CasinoRPG Review Community

 

 

 

Gameplay

The feature that’s going to get the most attention in this game is the gambling. Or so I thought. In my opinion, the gambling isn’t even the main attraction for this game. However, gambling is definitely a part of the game (and a big part at that). Honestly, I’m not a fan of gambling. I hate the idea of wasting your money away on chance (an often rigged chance). But the fact that you can easily participate in the gambling in CasinoRPG without investing a dime of your own money made it a lot more enjoyable and I even found myself getting absorbed into a few of the games (mainly Blackjack).

 

CasinoRPG Review Blackjack

 

What’s odd about this game is that there is a level system present. Depending on your level, you might be restricted in how much you can bet, or you might gain access to features that help you win more in slots. The more you play, the more experience you gain and the more you’ll level up. For example, at level 3 you can only bet 50 chips in Blackjack, and to unlock higher bets, you’ll need to continue to level up. I guess this is the first of the features that put the RPG in CasinoRPG.

 

CasinoRPG Review Lines Advantage

 

The other feature that helps the RPG aspect is the quests. At first, the quests are honestly more of a tutorial to help you ease into the game. You can find NPCs with coins over their heads who will give you tasks, such as win one-thousand chips at slots or poker, and then will reward you with more chips and experience points. There’s even a main-story line that helps you start from the bottom as a janitor and move up to owning your very own casino. The story was honestly more interesting than a lot of browser-based RPGs I’ve played.

 

CasinoRPG Review Quests

 

As I mentioned, you start out as a janitor. That’s your job. You can work shifts where you play mini-games, to advance your job experience and gain access to newer and better paying jobs. For example, the step after janitor is bartender. The jobs have interesting mini-games, such as the bubble-cleaning game you do when cleaning a slot machine. Needless to say, you’ll get both experience and chips for completing your shift.

 

CasinoRPG Review Minigame

 

Last I’ll talk about the achievements and cash-features of the game. Achievements are much like they are in other games, ways to show off what you’ve achieved in the game. Whenever you get an achievement in CasinoRPG, you get a pop-up that asks if you want to share it on social media. As for the cash features, the game uses CasinoPoints as its cash-currency for purchasing stuff in the game. The CasinoPoints are used for buying furniture and items for your person, condo, and your casino. There’s even the ability to buy and sell CasinoPoints to other players using chips – so I’ve got to say, the game isn’t buy-to-win in any fashion and it seems like you can enjoy the game with no problem without paying a cent of real money (especially considering the multiple ways to get CasinoPoints just from playing the game).

 

 

Conclusion

I have to admit I was surprised with how much I enjoyed playing CasinoRPG. I generally hate gambling games, but the fact that the game is far from pay-to-win makes it very attractive. It’s easy to hop in and play some casino games to pass the time, or you can just chat with the other players. The customization features are nice, especially since it gives you a goal to work for. Somehow, GoldFire Studios managed to actually make a decent Casino game with RPG aspects, and I applaud them for pulling that off. I would definitely say give CasinoRPG a try if you’re a fan of casino games, or if you’re just looking for a new browser game to play.

 

 

 

Features: 4/5 – A surprising variety of features.

Customization: 3/5 – I like the direction they’re going, but would like more options.

Graphics: 3.5/5 – Decent graphics for a 2D-browser based.

Controls: 4/5 – Only a few minor problems that were probably on my end.

Community: 5/5 – Great community.

 

Overall: 4/5 – I can safely recommend this game to other people.

Combat Arms EU Update Brings New Skyscraper Map and In-Game Items

Crystal Tower Concept

Today, Nexon Europe has the pleasure to announce a brand new map for Combat Arms, the enormously popular online multiplayer shooter, along with a series of new items to mark the occasion.

The city’s business centre holds a number of banking and financial institutions, one of which has been overtaken by an armed group of men. Although their ultimate goal is unknown, from inside the building they will have access to the server and could wreak havoc in the national economy. They have placed the doors under heavy guard, leaving only one entrance to the building’s liberators – the tower walkways that perilously connect the skyscrapers…

This is the Crystal Tower. The new map has been designed for the optimum combat experience; combining hazardous heights, breakable surfaces, multi-level action both inside and out, and perfect positioning for both tense sniper battles and close-range indoor chaos, the new environment brings players all their favourite elements of the frenetic FPS in one location. The walkway can be traversed by a number of routes, such as the roof, the tower bridge and the air vents, each pushing players to use a different combat style and think in a different way.

The new map was voted for by Combat Arms players in a global poll; three maps were on offer, with a space station and desert hole besides the eventual winner. Ultimately, the Crystal Tower gained 43% of the player vote, leading to its creation.

“We’re constantly listening to player feedback,” said Kyle Lee, Product Manager at Nexon Europe. “In offering the community a range of choices, we were able to let them decide where to take the game next and I’m pleased bring them exactly what they have asked for!”

Since Europe is being celebrated in the month of May, new in-game items that are based around this theme are also available as part of the update.

Showing off the beret and headset combo with a backpack that has been tagged with EU insignia, players can wear the flag of Europe with pride as they storm the Glass Building and take down their enemies!

ArcheAge: Third LiveStream Session Today @ 4 PM PST

ArcheAge

Join Producer Victoria “FireCait” Voss and Community Manager Evan “Scapes” Berman on the Trion Worlds Twitch channel for the third installment of our Exploring ArcheAge livestream series. In this episode, Class Crafting, they will take a look at the game’s combat classes and crafting skills (known as proficiencies) to demonstrate how players can mix and match to ultimately create a character all your own. Learn how, in the world of ArcheAge, choosing your own path is not just about where you go or what activities you choose to partake in, but also who your character is and becomes.

Visit http://www.twitch.tv/trionworlds for details.

Springtide Celebration Starts in Eldevin

Springtide Eldevin

The Springtide Celebration has started in the award winning indie MMORPG Eldevin. Players can now join the celebration which will run for 2 weeks until the 1st of May!

When spring comes to the lands of Eldevin the bluppities start hiding their chocolate eggs throught the realms! The Springtime Celebration features new pets, vanity gear and achievements can be earned. Start your hunt for the magical eggs across many of the realms throughout the game! Beware the Golden eggs!

Eldevin has also just broken into the top 60 games on Steam Greenlight, so if you’ve not yet tried it, now is a great time to experience an epic adventure in a fantasy kingdom completely FREE.

ArchLord II: Pre-registration for Closed Beta Now Available

ArchLord 2

Webzen has shared new information about Closed Beta pre-registration for its upcoming dynamic PvP MMO Archlord 2.

Players can now sign up for the Closed Beta Test, simply by using their existing gPotato.eu, gPotato.com or Webzen.com accounts. Additionally, they can register an account using their Facebook profile.

By pre-registering, users will automatically be entered into the Closed Beta lottery and will get a chance to win one of the eagerly awaited keys for the CBT phase that is currently scheduled to begin in June.

The sign up process is extremely simple. Potential participants can pre-register their account on the game’s official website at http://archlord2.com

ArcheBlade Launching on April 24th

ArcheBlade

Codebrush Games, the developer of the multiplayer fighting game ArcheBlade made an announcement this week that the game is officially launching on the 24th of this April on Steam.

Having been on Steam Early Access since March 2013, the game’s official launch will bring the customization system titled “Gear Up” adding over 500 items, as well as moveset changes and a completely revamped training mode. The game is currently offline due to server maintenance, and will be back online on the 24th.

Meanwhile Codebrush Games is holding a random item giveaway event. Visit https://www.facebook.com/Codebrush/posts/781239598575187 for more info.

Hazard Ops

Hazard Ops is a multiplayer online third-person shooter developed by Yingpei Games and published by Infernum. Known as Mercenary Ops 2 in China, Hazard Ops is also the European counterpart for “Zombies Monsters Robots” in North America.

Features:

Intense co-op & competitive modes: For both the casual and hardcore, there’s something for everyone.

Expansive variety of maps & enemies: Tons of variety to break up repetition.

Unpredictable boss fights: Duel against creatures that will require you to switch tactics during every encounter.

Deep customization of guns & gear: Tweak your weapons and equipment with several different parts and stats until your heart’s content.