Filed under: Galleries

Rise and Shiny recap: Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online

by Beau Hindman Sep 5th 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Video, Events, in-game, Reviews, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Humor, Post-Apocalyptic, Rise and Shiny

Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online (longest. name. ever.) is perfect for Rise and Shiny: it is unusual, makes some people uncomfortable, free-to-play, and more "indie" than "AAA." I've played it off and on since its release but never found the time or desire to really push into it. After all, the combat in the game takes patience and knowledge, something that requires, well, patience and knowledge. Over the last week I decided to dive right in, changing my normal procedure of blindly downloading, playing, and socializing. I broke my habit of ignoring the wiki and the information from the playerbase, and I have decided to actually immerse myself into a week-long college course on whatever game it is I am playing at the time.

The effort paid off big. The combat became more enjoyable, and the game made more sense. I met some very nice community members, and even found myself wanting to go through an epic hour-and-a-half dungeon experience. The game is not without its frustrating moments, of course. Starting out can feel like a pretty overwhelming experience. While there is a great beginning tutorial to help players understand the complicated combat system, many areas of the game require information that is so hidden that you must simply look it up in a wiki.

PAX 2010: Counting down to LotRO's relaunch with Turbine

by Justin Olivetti Sep 4th 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Trailers, Video, Lord of the Rings Online, Interviews, Patches, Free-to-play

With the launch of Lord of the Rings Online's biggest patch to date a scant few days away, we touched base with Turbine's Aaron Campbell, Brian Aloisio, and Bob Hess at PAX Prime to see how their nerves are holding up at this point. It is, as Aloisio laughed, akin to launching the game all over again, and LotRO is definitely under close scrutiny because of it.

Many players were surprised to hear that LotRO's free-to-play update was going live much sooner than anticipated, and we asked Campbell whether this was due to a preset schedule or better-than-anticipated beta feedback. He said that they weren't going to release it until it was ready, but by the team's reckoning, the beta process went so smoothly that there was no reason to delay any further.

Compared to the betas for Shadows of Angmar, Mines of Moria and Siege of Mirkwood, the F2P beta -- according to Campbell -- was the most upbeat Turbine's ever had, with far more positive feedback than negative. Hit the jump to hear more and see the latest screenshots and video from PAX.

TERA screens showcase the city of Kaiator

by Jef Reahard Sep 2nd 2010 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, New titles, News items, TERA

Another week, another set of TERA screens to whet our appetites for En Masse Entertainment's forthcoming action MMORPG. The Screenshots of the Week featurette turns sweet sixteen today, and while the shots are devoid of the eternally conversational skimpy armor, they nonetheless bear examining.

This week's subject is the iron city of Kaiator, located in northern Shara and home to the honorable and ferocious Aman. Kaiator, like its builders, is all but impregnable, and a forthcoming lore update on the official TERA website will fill in even more details about the city known as the Unbreakable Iron Jewel.

Check out the screens in our gallery below or on the official site.

Gallery: TERA Screenshots of the Week

Massively Exclusive: World of Tanks closed beta screenshots

by Jef Reahard Sep 1st 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Historical, Real life, Galleries, Screenshots, New titles, News items, World of Tanks

Massively has teamed up with the fine folk over at Wargaming.net to bring you a dose of exclusive screenshot goodness from the ongoing World of Tanks closed beta test. The upcoming massively multiplayer action title puts players in the cockpit of over 150 World War II-era armored vehicles from the United States, Germany, and the Soviet Union, all of them modeled with an eye towards historical accuracy.

The screenshots, released today to coincide with the start of Phase Two of closed beta, feature the bombed-out buildings of Erlenberg as well as the relatively peaceful farmland and homesteads around Pagorki.

Learn more about World of Tanks at the official website, be sure to sign up for the beta, and don't forget to view the new screens in our gallery below.

Gallery: New World of Tanks screenshots

Earthrise reveals complex crafting screenshot

by Jef Reahard Sep 1st 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, New titles, News items, Earthrise

While the information flow from the Earthrise beta is a bit slower than we'd like, the team at Masthead is occasionally letting tidbits slip out into the wilds of the internet. In addition to last month's interview with studio head Atanas Atanasov and lead writer Momchil Dilov, Masthead has posted a beta screenshot showing off the sci-fi MMORPG's robust crafting interface.

As ever, details are sketchy, but a thorough look at the shot reveals what seems to be a fairly complicated crafting system, with information on three separate processes (disassembling, recycling, and manufacturing) and a fourth, engineering, barely viewable at the bottom left of the main window. The screenshot also shows four variants of the item being crafted, in this case a Fasetech Rifle Chassis.

While we don't yet have many details as to how the system works, we can say that the shot whets our appetite for the kind of in-depth crafting system that seems to have deserted the MMO scene in recent years, and we'll be keeping a close eye on the Earthrise beta.

Gallery: Earthrise gallery

Party down with the new City of Heroes Party Pack

by Eliot Lefebvre Aug 31st 2010 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, Galleries, Trailers, City of Heroes, City of Villains, News items, Roleplaying

It's time to get down and party in City of Heroes. No, not just partying up to clear some of the remarkably difficult content available in Praetoria, although that's also a fine idea. The team at Paragon Studios has just announced the Party Pack, a collection of several emotes designed to enhance your game experience. No new costume parts, no new powers -- just a solid collection of fun emotes to break out in any situation.

Sound ridiculous? Maybe a little, but who can deny the enjoyment of breaking out some new dance moves in the middle of a party, or even kicking a soccer ball in Atlas Park? It's not for everyone, but the breadth of emotes available should be sure to impress several players, and it's only $7.99 for the pack. Take a look at the gallery, and there's a trailer past the cut showing the new emotes in action -- a fun addition for any dedicated City of Heroes player.

[Update: This is just for the announcement of the Party Pack,. It will go live on September 14th.]

Gallery: City of Heroes Party Pack emotes

DCUO releases new brawling screens

by Jef Reahard Aug 30th 2010 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, Galleries, Screenshots, New titles, News items, DC Universe Online

November 2nd is fast approaching, and you closet-superheroes are no doubt dusting off your tights, underoos and power armor in preparation for Sony Online Entertainment's DC Universe Online. The comic-inspired MMORPG will take would-be crime-fighters from Metropolis to Gotham City, and whether you've got a PC or a Playstation 3, you'll find a home as well as plenty of competition on Sony's servers. Speaking of competition, CVG has released a set of new screenshots from the game that focus on everyone's favorite MMO pastime: violence!

Whether you're itching to spec out a beefy brawler who pancakes opponents with his fists and feet, or a lithe ranged attacker who fills up on POWs, WHAMs, and KRAKs from a distance, DCUO looks to satiate your hunger for action. Check out our gallery below for a little bit of the old ultra-violence.

Gallery: DCUO Brawling

TERA reveals high elf city of Allemantheia

by Jef Reahard Aug 27th 2010 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Lore, New titles, News items, TERA

Normally at this time every week we bring you some new TERA screenshots, and while we're happy to report that is still the case, we're also excited to point out a meaty new lore entry on the official TERA website. Both content updates center around the city of Allemantheia, otherwise known as The Desert Jewel. The majestic home of the high elves is located in the barren wastes of the Southern Shara desert and features soaring spires, water sculptures, and austere stonework that reflects the logic and sensibilities of its makers.

You can read more about Allemantheia's history, as well as interesting blurbs about The Mysterium, at the official website. Also, don't forget to check out the new screenshots in our gallery below.

Gallery: TERA Screenshots of the Week

Rise and Shiny recap: Alganon

by Beau Hindman Aug 22nd 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Video, Events, in-game, Reviews, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Casual, Alganon, Rise and Shiny

We have all heard of the controversy surrounding Alganon. Essentially, it breaks down into a few basic points: it is a "WoW clone," and it is being run by Derek Smart, a say-it-like-you-mean-it development bad-boy. Many claim he looks for negative attention and enjoys arguing with players. To be blunt, I don't care what people think about Derek Smart. I have said it before: I actually believe that he reacts to negative attention the way other developers wish they could. I don't keep track of his battles, though; I keep track of what he has done in gaming. All I know is that before he was with Alganon, I did not enjoy the game. After he became involved, the game got better.

Concerning the "WoW-clone" issue: If I had a gold piece for every time I've heard that, I could afford that incredible level 50 mount! (*snort*) If I took a moment to break down all games that have similarities to WoW, this article would be much, much longer than it needs to be. WoW was successful, and the industry takes cues from success. WoW took its own cues from other games before that. Still, does Alganon take more from WoW than, say, Lord of the Rings Online?

Read on, and let's discuss it.

See TERA's scenic Ascension Valley

by Jef Reahard Aug 19th 2010 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, New titles, News items, TERA

Welcome to the fourteenth installment of TERA's Screenshots of the Week featurette. Today, En Masse Entertainment takes us south of the previously visited city of Castanica to Ascension Valley, a lush locale situated near Ostgarath and a place where you can meet interesting and stimulating mobs of an ancient culture... and kill them.

Alternatively, you can explore Azrael's Labyrinth, an ancient dungeon that holds multiple levels and multiple secrets, each of them poised to destroy (or at least severely maim) the heartiest of adventurers.

View the new shots in our comprehensive Screenshot of the Week gallery below or at the official TERA website.

Gallery: TERA Screenshots of the Week

Massively's hands-on with End of Nations' PvE and PvP

by Brianna Royce Aug 18th 2010 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Historical, Galleries, Screenshots, Trailers, Video, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, PvP, PvE, Opinion, War, Hands-on, MMORTS

You know that scene in Contact in which Jodie Foster is looking out at the cosmos, telling the folks at mission control that they should have sent a poet? All the while I was playing End of Nations at Trion World's Gamer's Day event, I kept thinking, "Massively should have sent a StarCraft guru!" I initially felt very much out of my element. MMOs and RPGs are my shtick; I only rarely dive into turn-based strategy games. And RTS games? Forget it. They don't agree with me. If it doesn't have a pause button, I probably don't have time for it. I'm too easily distractible, too impatient, and too exhausted after a work-day of multi-tasking to spend my playtime multi-tasking even more. There's just no time for cooking meals, browsing lolcats, and chatting with the spouse when you're neck-deep in an RTS. RTS games are serious business; they require my undivided attention and concentration, and I don't like doing things halfway.

And yet maybe that makes me just the right person to try out an MMORTS hybrid like Trion's EoN. Most people who give it a spin when it hits the market will probably have a lot in common with me -- they'll be loyalists to one side or the other, not to both. Maybe an RTS novice is just the sort of person who can test out the game, present it to MMO gamers, and explain just what the heck this game thinks it's doing playing around in our end of the pool.

Or maybe I'll end up sobbing amidst the charred remains of my tank minions. You'll never know if you don't hit the break!

Gallery: End of Nations Gamer's Day

Massively's hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara's dynamic content

by Brianna Royce Aug 18th 2010 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Trailers, Video, Classes, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Hands-on, Massively Hands-on, RIFT: Planes of Telara

Just a few weeks ago, I was invited to attend Trion Worlds' Gamer's Day in San Francisco to get some hands-on time with a couple of the company's upcoming titles, including Rift: Planes of Telara. If Rift seems to have come out of nowhere, that might be due both to the acquisition of EverQuest II veteran Scott Hartsman to head the project as executive producer, and to a clever name change meant to reflect the team's shift in development focus.

In fact, that shift in development focus is precisely what I was at Trion's studio to test -- I got to check out the Rifts themselves in all their glory, in the context of the greater dynamic content system that the developers are so excited about. Massively's writers have been able to play and report on character creation and the starting areas of Rift several times over the last year or so, including earlier this summer at E3. But until today's embargo lift (coinciding with the reveal at Gamescom), no one had quite seen the fabled planar invasions and takeovers in action.

Now we have.

First Impressions: World of Tanks

by Patrick Mackey Aug 17th 2010 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Historical, Galleries, Game mechanics, New titles, PvP, War, Free-to-play, Hands-on, MMOFPS, First Impressions, World of Tanks

World of Tanks is one of those games in which you have to wonder how large the target audience is. An MMO revolving around tank combat seems like it would only appeal to hardcore WWII enthusiasts or military hardware geeks. Aesthetically, the tank theme might not appeal to everyone. However, WoT is remarkably easy to get into and enjoy, even if you have no idea what PzKpfw stands for.

At this juncture, I would hesitate to call World of Tanks a true MMO. Wargaming.net is focusing on the gameplay elements for the closed beta, so Westerners have yet to experience the clan war political system that will be in the final release of the game.

I'll be honest, though -- I don't really mind. The game is that fun to play all on its own.

Gallery: First Impressions: World of Tanks

Massively takes its turn with Atlantica Online's new patch

by Beau Hindman Aug 16th 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Historical, Galleries, Screenshots, Expansions, Game mechanics, Patches, Previews, Free-to-play, Hands-on, Atlantica Online

As we waited on the conference call for the Atlantica Online developers to start our virtual press tour, a fellow journalist and I chatted about the possibilities of virtual tabletops. I told him about my desire for a real virtual tabletop game, one that would allow players to take turns setting up scenery, adding armies and destroying each other. Little did I know that I was about to see something that would make me feel the same satisfaction as a tabletop does, despite their being different in a few ways.

Atlantica Online's new patch will allow players to participate in the new Tactical Battle System -- essentially a turn-based strategy game of moving pairs of soldiers across a map, avoiding and setting traps, and defeating mighty enemies. During most of the interview, I found myself asking questions that were already covered, since I was just having too much fun playing the game to hear our hosts speak. Frankly, I wasn't embarrassed. After all, isn't becoming immersed in strategy the point of a game like Atlantica Online?

Read on and I'll tell you the details of what I found, including the scoop on the eagerly awaited housing system.

The Anvil of Crom: Journey through the Grasslands

by Jef Reahard Aug 15th 2010 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Age of Conan, Opinion, The Anvil of Crom

The assassin moved forward, slowly, the soles of his padded boots gliding soundlessly over the dense packing of leaves and mulch that formed the forest floor. His eyes darted this way and that, scarred hands never far from the ivory-inlaid hilts of the blades hanging loosely at his waist. Quickening his pace, he ducked and dodged around the endless stalks of greenish bamboo that reached for the canopy high above.

Thin sunbeams bathed portions of the glade in an otherworldly light. They also cast parts of the dense bamboo thicket into semi-darkness, and it was from one of these dim pockets that the bear emerged. A towering, snarling monstrosity, it leered at the assassin, then charged. Stalks of bamboo snapped and splintered in its path as the assassin whirled and fled. The ground shook as the beast gained; he felt its breath on his neck as he emerged from the forest into blinding sunlight. A rock wall loomed ahead of him and he leaped for it, his feet finding purchase on the tiny ledges as he scrambled up the sheer side of the cliff. Panting, he finally reached the summit and turned to watch the stalks of bamboo swaying far below him like a sea of grass that parted as the beast rumbled back into the undergrowth.

Sneak past the cut for more.

Gallery: Age of Conan - Khitai Northern Grasslands

Massively Features

Events Calendar

Name	Date
Clone Wars Adventures Launch	Sep 15, 2010
Final Fantasy XIV Launch	Sep 30, 2010
GDC Online	Oct 5-8, 2010
NY ComicCon	Oct 8-10, 2010
LEGO Universe Launch	Oct 26, 2010
DCUO Launch	Nov 2, 2010

Massively Staff

Name	Title
Shawn Schuster	Editor-in-Chief
Seraphina Brennan	Senior Editor
Brianna Royce	West Coast Editor
Brendan Drain	Contributing Editor
Eliot Lefebvre	Contributing Editor
Jef Reahard	Contributing Editor
Justin Olivetti	Contributing Editor
Krystalle Voecks	Contributing Editor
Rubi Bayer	Contributing Editor
Tateru Nino	Contributing Editor
Beau Hindman	Columnist
Edward Marshall	Columnist
Greg Waller	Columnist
Jeremy Stratton	Columnist
Larry Everett	Columnist
MJ Guthrie	Columnist
Patrick Mackey	Columnist
Ryan Greene	Columnist
Lisa Poisso	Columnist