Monthly Archives: May 2015

SMITE Ratatoskr Reveal Dazzles Audience

Hirez Studios livestream reveal of the next Norse SMITE god, Ratatoskr, has just come to a close, and already cries of OP are only outspammed by Oh My God! Ratatoskr brings the most diverse, wild, and unpredictable kit to the MOBA as of yet!

SMITE Protect Your Nuts Ratatoskr

Ratatoskr, the sly messenger of the fabled Yggdrasil tree, brings his squirrel persona to the Battleground of the Gods with a brand new feature, a customized item. Akin to League of Legends’ Viktor, Ratatoskr can choose one of two secondary stages for a Yggdrasil acorn, and one of four final tiers, customizing effects and bonuses of his skills in various ways, while changing the color stripe on his back to warn enemies.

SMITE Ratatoskr Acorn Item

Beyond this, Ratatoskr is as fast as they come, with a kit focused on dashing through multiple enemies, flying from ethereal tree branches of Yggdrasil as the latest “Take to the Skies” style ulti in the game, and unleashing misdirection damage attacks that are just as rewarding to land as your enemies will find rewarding to dodge.

 

To catch Ratatoskr’s full kit, check the official reveal mini-site!

Skyforge Reveals Anomalies

Skyforge Reveals Anomalies
Developers Obsidian Entertainment and Allods Team have unveiled Anomalies, the latest high-end content to challenge players in the upcoming sci-fi MMORPG, Skyforge. Anomalies are large areas that have long been a hotbed of activity for vicious creatures from past Invasions of alien armies. These dangerous zones are home to Ether Resonators, which are sources of incredible power and attract the hostile armies that inhabit Anomalies.
 
Ether Resonators can help players develop their abilities quickly and provide Epic rewards, but must be fueled by defeated enemies. High-level characters must gather in a party of five gods, teleport to an Anomaly and complete quests to defeat difficult groups of monsters protecting the Resonator. Players can collect rewards from the Resonator after completing just one quest, but the more quests completed in a row before collecting a prize from the Resonator, the greater the prize will be.
 
For more info on the risks and rewards of Anomalies check out the new blog post by the development team.

NGames Announces the Classes for Abyss Dark Arisen

NGames Announces the Classes for Abyss Dark Arisen

NGames announced last week the Epic RPG Abyss Dark Arisen will be added to their game lineup soon. Today they would like to give players a look into the classes that will be available at launch. Players can choose between the classes of Mage, Warrior, or a Priest.
 
Mage
The mage is the master of the magic world, possessing magic that deal powerful damage from afar. Being blessed by the goddess, they master the power of the elements. A skilled mage is certainly a nightmare for any class.
 
Main Skills:

  • Meteor: Powerful AoE skill. Mage summons numerous meteors that fall from the sky, causing tremendous damage to nearby enemy units.
  • Review: It is a pretty powerful AoE skill that can cause massive damage to a group of enemies.
  • Poisonous Bog: Mage summons poison from the ancient jungle and creates a barrier.
  • Review: With excellent damage over time and slowing effect, mages can kite and restrict their enemy’s movement.

 
Warrior
The warrior is a strength-based class who attack with physical strength. They would rather spend years training their body than learning specious fighting techniques. To extend the limit of their power, they keep at the hardest training every day, and never stop. Their movements are simple, but violent. Depending solely on explosive force, they can launch incredibly powerful attacks.
 
Main Skills:

  • Savage Rush: Warrior charges and rushes toward the target, dealing damage to the target and pushing the target away.
  • Review: A nice melee skill with high damage.
  • Gale Dance: Launches 3 attacks within the CD, causing tremendous amounts of AoE damage.
  • Review: An eye-popping triple attack, with which you can be a fearsome fighter on the battlefield.

 
Priest
The priest is the only class that can quickly heal his allies. On the battlefield, a priest plays multiple roles. He can be a selfless healer who keeps his allies alive or revives friendly dead units. He also provides fantastic buffs for their allies. In the meantime, priests also possess great combat abilities.
 
Main Skills:

  • Ghost Hammer: Smashes the ground with a hammer and shoots energy waves in all directions.
  • Review: The long-ranged damage and damage diffusivity make the priest a formidable damage dealer in group fighting.
  • Laser: Shoots a concentrated light beam upon the target, causing massive damage.
  • Review: It’s a skill with a long attack range and outstanding damage. In melee fighting, it may require a more sophisticated operating skill.

Cabal 2 Closed Beta Preview Impressions

By Andy Skelton (Outfoxed)

 

The original Cabal held a special place in a lot of people’s hearts, it seems.  So it’s little surprise so many people are anxiously awaiting the release of Cabal 2, devouring any piece of information they can grab.  Well, ye fans who wait with bated breath, I had an opportunity to test the game in its closed beta state, but is it everything you’re hoping for?

 

Use the Force; Or Don’t, Whatever

Fans of games with a lot of different character classes are going to be disappointed with Cabal 2’s six.  Luckily, these six classes are all quite unique.  Warriors are your burly, plate wearing, two-handed weapon wielding, Hulk-smash delivering melee experts.  Force Shielders are the tanks, keeping monsters focused in their direction.  Force Archers deliver powerful, ranged attacks with their bows, keeping opponents at bay.  Force Bladers are also melee specialists, but their focus is on massive combos, high damage, and utility.  Wizards bring elemental destruction to their opponents, allowing you to unleash massive dungeon shattered damage if your team can keep you unscathed by the fray.  Finally, priests act as a healer for the group, healing and shielding them from harm.

Cabal 2 Force Archer Creation

Luckily, none of the classes are gender gated like the original Cabal.  Not only that, but character customization is quite extensive, letting you create quite a unique character amidst being the same class as countless other players.  My character, of course, had blue hair, because blue hair is the color of true heroes everywhere.

cabal2 Beta Customization

cabal2 Beta Customization 2

 

Even the Flora Has Fangs

Early on, Cabal 2 is very similar to, well, most every MMORPG on the market.  Quests drive the majority of your early gameplay.  However, questing is actually organic in the game, tied heavily to the storyline rather than simply tasks to do.  Most of them are multi-part affairs which task you to perform several different actions in succession before you can obtain your rewards.  Which is another nice thing about Cabal 2: almost every quest terminus offers equipment upgrades for your character (I believe I found one or two total that did not, thus far).

cabal 2 Beta Questing

These quests also take you everywhere across the zones.  Explorers might lament this choice, but there are still a few things to be found for the keen amongst them.  Rare creatures, much more dangerous and powerful than the normal rabble you come across, tend to be hidden off the beaten path. As you’d expect from a game with any level of polish, these creatures offer both achievements for their downfall, as well as loot for the taking.  Who says exploration has no tangible benefit in MMOs anymore?

cabal 2 Beta Epic Monster

 

Flashy, Fierce, and Fabulous

Cabal 2 is an action MMORPG at its core.  While not quite on the level of the action combat icons like TERA and Guild Wars 2, every action you take requires a key-press.  There are no auto-attacks here, folks.  Oh, and clickers?  Prepare to learn how to use your keyboard quickly, because you cannot click on abilities on your action bars to use them.

cabal 2 Beta Skill Bar

Thankfully, while classes have a lot of abilities, most of them form attack chains for players to use.  These chains represent the majority of what your combat experience will be, unfortunately, which may leave some players thinking there’s little to the system.  There are also plenty of buffs and support abilities to be had for every class, though, and utilizing them properly will set great players apart.

cabal 2 Beta Skill Chain

 

You Wants Hats?  We Got Hats!

With only six classes to choose from, individual customization might feel a bit flat.  Thankfully, Cabal 2 offers a costume system to individualize your character.  Do you mix and match to create that perfect outfit, or perhaps you like the looks of a lower level set versus your current one?  Fear not!  The wardrobe system uses drag and drop style outfitting, making it quite easy to adapt to.

cabal 2 Fashion Customization

In addition to simple cosmetic looks, the game features several types of power cores that can be inserted into gear (if the gear has sockets to allow for it).  These cores come in a variety of types, from health, to accuracy, to critical hit chance, giving you a wide range of options on how to further augment your character.

 

cabal 2 Beta Impressions

Final Thoughts

I want to like Cabal 2; I really want to like Cabal 2.  There are, however, some things that aren’t quite right with the game currently — things that are, thankfully, being worked on.  Game optimization isn’t 100% at the moment, meaning expect odd framerate issues from time to time. The cut scenes in the game are very cinematic, epic experiences that throw you into the world, but the feeling gets thrown back to 1997 with no voice acting and a general inability to know who’s speaking in the crowd.  While I didn’t participate in it, I understand the majority opinion in beta is that PvP is woefully imbalanced at the moment.

That being said, and all negatives aside, the game is still fun.  Each class in a group is quite useful (as far as PvE is concerned), and it pays to balance your groups.  The world itself is vibrant, yet easy to immerse yourself in.  There’s simply a plethora of things to do, from crafting, to dungeons, to PvP, and more.  It’s going to take some polish to truly make this game a gem, but it’s definitely getting the attention it needs.

cabal 2 Closing Thoughts

 

Triple Shot of Updates Bolsters Block N Load

Triple Shot of Updates Bolsters Block N Load

Block N Load made its gaming debut on the 30th April and, at launch, promised a swift follow-up of content for those enjoying its knockabout combination of bullets and building. Now, a fortnight later, the first elements are ready for release.

 

Light years away from home our new hero, Astarella, touches down on planet Block. Equipped with the latest sci-fi weaponry, and able to buff her and her team’s movement speed and jump distance, our intergalactic heroine is a force to be reckoned with. Pull on your rocket boots and try out the full range of her equipment and abilities.
 
Meanwhile, Ranked Mode is also now open to everyone who has reached player level 20 or above! The pre-season is live now , so queue up and complete your 10 placement matches to receive your initial division allocation. Once you’re placed, take on the world and prove you’ve got what it takes to attain the prestigious platinum tier.

 

Last, but by no means least, the demo of Block N Load is now live on Steam. There are no time restrictions, allowing new players to freely access friendly and custom matches. Battling as either Tony, Cogwheel, or Nigel gamers can experience all the intense excitement of matches where everything you construct, destroy or shoot has a devastating impact on the entire game.
 
David Solari, Vice President of the game, said, “It’s fantastic to get Block N Load out into the world, and to get new content into the hands of fans so swiftly after launch. We intend to keep up the momentum and release lots more cool features and content within a targeted fortnightly schedule.”
 

So, what the block are you waiting for? All three of these new elements are available for you to get to grips with in-game, right now.

Creativerse Recaps Latest Updates R15-16

Creativerse Recaps Latest Updates R15-16

Playful has been hard at work keeping Creativerse updates rolling out. In the past month, the game has seen two major update builds: R15 and R16. Since last month, Creativerse has a redesigned movement system that improves collision detections and issues, especially with stairs and ladders.
 
A recent newsletter breaks down the changes further:
 
The world of Creativerse just got a little bit more mysterious and treacherous. You’ll notice it down in the lava and corruption layers, or up in the snowy mountains. You may also see some funky temperature-related effects transforming ice, lava and other materials depending on where they are. It adds a layer of strategy and danger to adventuring out and about. But the world is also more beautiful now too. Watch what happens to patches of dirt over time…
More stuff!
 
– Canyon block set. Perfect for civilizing the canyons with a vacation home, complete with a Dustevil observation deck.
– Fans! Use these jet fueled blowers at your own risk (pro tip: don’t use them for drying hands).
– Ice slopes. Teleporters are so 2014. These days the cool kids are slipping and sliding to home base at neck breaking speeds.
– Fancy new main menu. Customize your world with a description and thumbnail shot. Express yourself!
– Creature improvements. Trog will now haunt your dreams even more…
– Many new sound effects. Ear candy.

Starfall Tactics

Starfall Tactics is a multiplayer online RTS game developed by Snowforged Entertainment. Explore the galaxy and conquer it through a series of spaceship battles and revamped RTS combat.

Features:

Tactical Combat: Use a variety of spaceships from cruisers to mini-fighters, then use strategic and tactical planning to outsmart your enemies.

In-depth Customization: Every part of your spaceships can be customized, from the hull to the engines. Players can easily customize and outfit ships, adapting their tactics for a variety of situations.

Galaxy Conquest: Explore a persistent part of the galaxy where you’re free to explore, fight off pirates, do trading, meet up with other players and more.