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We've touched on Secret World before in the past, but in case you've missed some of our coverage, it's not your usual MMORPG.
Taking place in a version of our modern world where conspiracies are all too real and secret rituals steeped in the arcane are as tangible, the Secret World is set to challenge the usual trappings of its genre. It boasts "no levels" in developing your character allowing you to push them in whatever direction you want with a greater emphasis on storytelling not often seen in other titles.
But if the Illuminati's "civil" exterior is too pedestrian for you, there are two other factions to throw the dice with. You call roll with either the crusading Templars, or sow chaos with those of the Dragon.
Each faction also has their own starting area based on real-world locales such as New York where the corporate-minded Illuminati call home. Or take the initiation test to help make your decision.
A batch of nifty screenshots have also been released showing off the Illuminati's digs and a few of the people that secretly hang with them. Check these out right after the jump or visit the main site for a deeper sampling of its secrets.
Continue reading Join the Illuminati.
So what's not to like about EA's free FPS? It's cheap, disposable 32-player fun that's good for a quick bite of action, though it won't replace your copy of Bad Company or Modern Warfare 2.It'll be supported through microtransactions which means that you'll need to pony up real-time cash to buy things like extra soldier slots (you start out with only two freebies) and permanent weapons outside of the generic stock that classes start with. It's also still a Beta which means glitches like the one where I had lost an entire level's worth of experience after being dumped from the game. I hope they fix that.
If you want to live free, that's okay, too - experience for levels and training points for skills are still earned. Vehicles cost nothing, other than having the skill to actually use them - especially in the air - and the maps offer plenty of places to use for cover, snipe, or face to face time with heavy armor. All in all, a fun fix for FPS junkies that doesn't require anything more than a browser and a decent internet connection.
Funcom has released a new trailer that delves into the shadowy stories and conspiracies making up its backdrop.
Everything from the Tower of Babel to the Ark of the Covenant are being used as potential jumping off points for this new MMORPG. In it, players will take part in a secret war for the fate of the world as three factions will vie for supremacy using magic, technology, and mythology. Sounds like it could be a winning combination.
Everything from the Tower of Babel to the Ark of the Covenant are being used as potential jumping off points for this new MMORPG. In it, players will take part in a secret war for the fate of the world as three factions will vie for supremacy using magic, technology, and mythology. Sounds like it could be a winning combination.
By Brittany Vincent
Contributor
Time constraints and an avalanche of games falling from my enormous backlog kept me out of the MMO fold for quite some time, but one title finally struck my fancy enough to bring my inner supervillain out of hiding: DC Universe Online.
I'd avoided MMOs for years, fearing the cost of addiction rearing its ugly head. But it's 2011. It's a new year, a fresh start, and I'm rockin' shiny new spandex while l smear the good guys all over the pavement. It's been about a month into my masquerading as a costumed supervillain, and I'm here to report back.
The verdict? DC Universe Online isn't a game-changer, but it's overall a decent
option to get casual players into test-running an MMO, especially for
gamers like me who have all but abandoned the genre. I can't say it runs
particularly well for a console iteration, like say Final Fantasy XI, a
perennial favorite for me when the mood strikes for grinding, but it
certainly has its moments.
Contributor
Time constraints and an avalanche of games falling from my enormous backlog kept me out of the MMO fold for quite some time, but one title finally struck my fancy enough to bring my inner supervillain out of hiding: DC Universe Online.
I'd avoided MMOs for years, fearing the cost of addiction rearing its ugly head. But it's 2011. It's a new year, a fresh start, and I'm rockin' shiny new spandex while l smear the good guys all over the pavement. It's been about a month into my masquerading as a costumed supervillain, and I'm here to report back.
The verdict? DC Universe Online isn't a game-changer, but it's overall a decent
option to get casual players into test-running an MMO, especially for
gamers like me who have all but abandoned the genre. I can't say it runs
particularly well for a console iteration, like say Final Fantasy XI, a
perennial favorite for me when the mood strikes for grinding, but it
certainly has its moments.
Continue reading The supervillain's life: "DC Universe Online" reviewed.
The success of DC Universe Online may depend on whether the title finds an audience among gamers who have yet to enmesh themselves in the addictive MMO genre.
Besides using the DC Comics universe as a setting, the new title is designed to attract new players by offering a slam-bang combat system and gameplay that's relatively quicker than existing MMO titles.
"What felt superheroic was picking up cars and throwing them at people," game director Chris Cao said. "I wanted to make MMOs more fun for more people."
DC Universe Online is scheduled to be released Tuesday, Jan. 11. Sony Online Entertainment is releasing the game for PS3 and PC.
The game allows players to design their own superheroes or supervillains and play under the tutelage of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman or those characters' nemeses, Lex Luthor, Joker and Circe. The storyline casts Superman foe Braniac as lead antagonists, and other DC Universe characters are billed as featured players.
Sony's game is not the only effort to set a well-known fictional universe as the scene of a new MMO. Bioware's "Star Wars: The Old Republic" is set for a springtime release, and Cao laughed a little when asked if he was excited to see his team's game on the market first.
Millions of gamers enjoy massively-multiplayer online games, but any quick scan of the Internet can reveal commentary from many other game fans who stay away from the genre. Titles like Blizzard's "World of Warcraft" or NCsoft's "Aion" can attract players with sprawling virtual worlds, but can repel others simply by the prospect of grinding through long hours of gameplay.
Thus in Cao's words, DC Universe Online comes across as a game designed for the MMO newcomer, if not the MMO skeptic. The game has the character creation and raiding features that are common to MMOs, but also player-versus-player challenges that pit skill against skill. In other words, the idea is for playersto be able to to compete against each other even if they haven't spent every waking hour grinding through level after level.
The game's combat system is designed to be more similar to titles like "Bayonetta" or the "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance" series than other RPG's, CAO said.
Grinding is also reduced compared to other MMOs, he said. Players can reach the game's highest level in 40-50 hours.
"If you want to play another game or another couple games, you will be able to," he said.
DC Universe Online is set to retail for $59.99 on PS3 or $49.99 on PC. Monthly subscriptions are set to cost $14.99 after 30 days. PS3 and PC players will play in separate "universes."
The game is rated T for Teen.
Besides using the DC Comics universe as a setting, the new title is designed to attract new players by offering a slam-bang combat system and gameplay that's relatively quicker than existing MMO titles.
"What felt superheroic was picking up cars and throwing them at people," game director Chris Cao said. "I wanted to make MMOs more fun for more people."
DC Universe Online is scheduled to be released Tuesday, Jan. 11. Sony Online Entertainment is releasing the game for PS3 and PC.
The game allows players to design their own superheroes or supervillains and play under the tutelage of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman or those characters' nemeses, Lex Luthor, Joker and Circe. The storyline casts Superman foe Braniac as lead antagonists, and other DC Universe characters are billed as featured players.
Sony's game is not the only effort to set a well-known fictional universe as the scene of a new MMO. Bioware's "Star Wars: The Old Republic" is set for a springtime release, and Cao laughed a little when asked if he was excited to see his team's game on the market first.Millions of gamers enjoy massively-multiplayer online games, but any quick scan of the Internet can reveal commentary from many other game fans who stay away from the genre. Titles like Blizzard's "World of Warcraft" or NCsoft's "Aion" can attract players with sprawling virtual worlds, but can repel others simply by the prospect of grinding through long hours of gameplay.
Thus in Cao's words, DC Universe Online comes across as a game designed for the MMO newcomer, if not the MMO skeptic. The game has the character creation and raiding features that are common to MMOs, but also player-versus-player challenges that pit skill against skill. In other words, the idea is for playersto be able to to compete against each other even if they haven't spent every waking hour grinding through level after level.
The game's combat system is designed to be more similar to titles like "Bayonetta" or the "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance" series than other RPG's, CAO said.
Grinding is also reduced compared to other MMOs, he said. Players can reach the game's highest level in 40-50 hours.
"If you want to play another game or another couple games, you will be able to," he said.
DC Universe Online is set to retail for $59.99 on PS3 or $49.99 on PC. Monthly subscriptions are set to cost $14.99 after 30 days. PS3 and PC players will play in separate "universes."
The game is rated T for Teen.
