NCsoft reveals Beluslan in a video tour

by Lesley Smith Jun 25th 2009 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Aion, Previews, News items

There might be another week until the next stage of the Aion beta but NCsoft are ramping up the excitement surrounding their next big MMO. Today they released a video showcasing yet another part of the rich world of Atreia. Profiling the Asmodian zone of Beluslan, the short video offers an eagle's eye view of what we can expect when the game goes on sale in September.

Join us after the jump for NCsoft's take on the zone as well as the video itself.

While we've already glimpsed several zones during the first and second Closed Beta Tests, there are still many left to discover and NCsoft are keen to tease Beluslan's harshness, especially when compared to the zones we've already visited like Poeta, Verteron, Altgard and Ishalgen. In a press release, they mention Anair Harbor where the sea has frozen solid and go on to describe the bitter nature of this icy local:

"Even by the standards of Asmodae, already a harsh and inhospitable land, Beluslan is particularly icy and forbidding. What life there is clings to existence on the rocky slopes and foothills of Chaos Pass, or is twisted into strange and disturbing forms on the Black Plains and in Giant's Valley.

"Kurngalfsberg, once a thriving city, fell under the disapproving gaze of Ereshkigal, one of the Dragon Lords in the world of Aion, and in a fit of ire he encased it in ice. Now it lies deserted by human and Daeva alike; only the beasts of the tundra can live there amidst the bone-chilling winds and the drifts of snow. Kistenian and his fellow Flame Daevas hope to breathe life back into it with the help of the ancient tree people, the Elim."

Aion: The Tower of Eternity is released on September 22nd in the US and in Europe a few days later on the 25th. Don't forget the beta tests are running during specific weekends from here till August and Team Massively will be bringing all kinds of news from Atreia. For now, check out the video below.

Tags: aion, aion-beta, aion-the-tower-of-eternity, aion-tower-of-eternity, Beluslan, ncsoft, ncsoft-west

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

MikeM said on 5:09PM 6-25-2009

OooOoO Pretty. Can't wait for the 2nd to get here.

wolfsterne said on 5:15PM 6-25-2009

very very cool, it is a shame however that so many people have canceled their pre-order when the found out about forced PVP through Rifts...Any time you force anything on players they go elsewhere.

Celestian said on 6:38PM 6-25-2009

I was under the impression that players could PVE all the way to 50 if they wanted to.

Now if it doesn't it won't stop me from playing but I'm curious to know where you see they can't pve to 50.

Verit said on 4:54PM 6-26-2009

I actually canceled my pre-order because the game was unspectacular.

Its most unique feature (being able to fly about) is horrible (wait until you "get" to grind aether), the quests are ALL kill x amount of stuff, get rare drop and the controls are clumsy.

The loot system sucks - whoever deals the most damage gets the loot despite who arrived first (which sounds fair until you realize that healing and tanking classes deal less damage than dps classes).

JayFiveAlive said on 5:49PM 6-25-2009

Hopefully those that enjoy PvP will be the ones that stay with the game... thats half the game anyway :)

wolfsterne said on 6:37PM 6-25-2009

They will stay until Victims stop showing up...that is the nature of most PVP games..that is why they fail. The only caveat to that is EvE.

Myria said on 1:22AM 6-26-2009

Not sure Eve is such an exception. There's a reason a large percentage of the population sticks to high-sec, and there's a reason the favorite topic of the forum warriors is trying to get all L4 missions moved to low-sec.

Gatecampers need feeding too, ya' know, and those juicy CNRs with their PvE builds are so very, very nummy -- not to mention conveniently easy targets, and god knows such individuals aren't exactly looking for a challenge.

I'm waiting for a PvP-based MMO to start doing the sensible thing and hire professional victims. You know it's coming, I can even see the advert -- "Wanted : Professional Gamer Victim, must have experience being ganked, tea bagged, and/or podded.".

Jack said on 7:27PM 6-25-2009

Good grapics do not make good games! And forced PVP sorry no thanks!
This is not and will never be my Warcraft replacement! And I think with games like immortal coming out this will be a hard sale for a pvp game as well, Like most pvp players hate quests and they just want mindless combat.

wolfsterne said on 8:01PM 6-25-2009

I played the Chinese version, basically what happens is a Rift opens up in PVE lands and the other faction can come through to gank you The Chinese players were really good at not forming Gank squads but westerners will use it to grief...NCsoft West has already said they will not change this..so forced PVP despite what Brian Knox said.

It's a non issue for me as I want PVP but a crap load and I mean a crap load of people who pre-ordered through EBgames/Gamestop have canceled, and we have to honor it because the dev said no forced PVP and that isn't reality.

holyangel09 said on 9:41PM 6-25-2009

btw as i listed 1.1 and 1.2 has changed how rifts work the Chinese AION is only on 1.0

holyangel09 said on 9:40PM 6-25-2009

Erm ya do yall even know anything about this game frm what I can Tell yall fanboys of WoW so but this isnt a PvE game so not NcSoft fault or anyones BUT yall for not reading up what the game is about. AION is a PvPvE game not PvE like WoW, ya it has a type of PvP system but a sucky one.
Also sorry to say but there no FORCED PvP to start off with read up on the new patch notes also. Rifts come and go and only allow so many to go through them befor they close. If yall would actly read up on the game then maybe yall know more then what the reviews leave out, in either patch note 1.1 or 1.2 when another race uses a rift and goes into the other races realm a anouncement pops up warning people also that person/group that came through the rift gets a debuff placed on them to.

So like befor this game isnt like WoW where its only about PvE its a PvPvE game how about trying the fansite Aion Source that site has active NcWest staff on it and recent news thats gets translated from the Korean AION

wolfsterne said on 11:18PM 6-25-2009

????
Can anyone who speaks Trailer park translate this for me?

Oh and I currently play Lineage II and Perfect world chief not WoW

Jack said on 1:47AM 6-26-2009

Uh where do you take that WoW is all about pve there are full pvp servers and there will be soon XP in battlegrounds as well! There is great end game gear you can earn by pvp and pve! Its a choose of the player.... However here there is Gank squads and grieving! All the trailers of the game make it look like a pve game... There is also no end game other them pvp and the tiny zones problem is the same.

Ken said on 2:09PM 7-14-2009

Have you tried breaking up your paragraphs into separate sentences? I tried to read your reply but the run-ons were so bad I couldn't make any sense of what you were trying to say.

Good luck.

MLecl0001 said on 11:43PM 6-27-2009

Actually what I heard the rifts only allow a certain number of people through and are also level restricted. I cant guarantee that is 100% accurate, but from what I have read this is the way its set up. They basically dont want higher levels going through lower level rifts and greifing lower level players.

Also if I understand it, if you manage to get a team together and kill the other players that come through the rift its not like they can respawn in your areas and continue to come back and grief you. So if a rift forms and the other side comes through, get a group together and kill them.

I like the idea of the rifts, adds a unique element to PvP. You are probably usually going to be safe, but you never are 100% certain. Also unfortunately from what I read the rifts arent really random, but spawn in certain spots randomly so once you know the spots its pretty easy to find one if you want. I would love it if the rifts were really random, not only in location but also in time. The abyss is if you really want guaranteed action.

Ceradene said on 4:39AM 6-26-2009

All the Aion hate today!

It's kind of funny to judge a game by its 1.0 version when 1.3 is already on the way fixing many of the the issues and more have been fixed in 1.1 and 1.2.

It's not a game for everyone sure, to each his own. But saying there is real PvP on WoW PvP servers made me laugh. Don't get me wrong, I like WoW and still play it, but aside from arena there is no PvP in that game left. World PvP? Haha. Ok, perhaps if you being ganked in STV is what you call PvP. :)

Hub said on 6:11AM 6-26-2009

Jeezus, I'm one of lifes true 'care bare' players, I've had more healers, supports and so on over the years than I care to think, and I've sat there red faced and spitting blood in frustration because I've been ganked when I've tried to take on other players. I've even done the speeches over open chat about how the game is terrible and everyone deserves to die (in real life) and how I'm quitting the game - as though anyone cares, BUT I like to think that I can keep a little perspective in the long run. I do this by keeping this thought in mind:

"I suck at PVP, it's not these games fault. It's mostly because I am a solo player by nature so when I come up against 'gank squads' what's really happening is that I'm being farmed by better organisation. Most PVP games are team games, so if I don't want to group I shouldn't be playing, or I should expect to lose a lot. When I'm bothered to find a decent group I win now and again"

The trick is not to see those three letters and get all upset over nothing. If a game though is advertising itself as PVP optional then and it isn't, then you got trouble, but there does seem to be this weird thing were people see player versus player and mr perspective leaves the building.

Any game that tries to sell it's PVP as a strong point picks up an unreal amount of hate, even before it's had a chance to be good or bad. It's sad not to see them given a fair chance.