Actually looks like a very involving RPG with some killer real-time based combat and what appears to be a lot of character customisation. Makes me think that is closer to a single-player WoW type game than some of the other comparisons out there, which can't be a bad thing in my book. Personally, looking forward to this than some of the bigger forthcoming console RPG titles like Skyrim & The Witcher 2.
The creator of Morrowind and Oblivion (plus Todd McFarlane and a baseball player) offer up their alternative to Skyrim, with a familiar yet intriguing new third person role-player.
We try not to use the term clone too often, not because it isnגt a useful description but because itגs often taken to be a negative when it isnגt necessarily an accusation at all. It would be disingenuous for us to pretend that this game wasnגt very similar in tone and design to the Elder Scrolls games, but then that isnגt surprising given that itגs by one of their key creators.
Ken Rolston was the lead designer of both Morrowind and Oblivion, but now works for new studio Big Huge Games. Co-developer 38 Studios though is owned by a baseball player and MMO fan called Curt Schilling, and is further staffed by fantasy writer R. A. Salvatore and comic book artist Todd McFarlane.
To find such an eclectic range of people dedicated to making a game so obviously beholden to others seems very odd a first. But like we said, just because itגs similar to another game doesnגt mean it canגt still be interesting ג or even better.
Despite the third person viewpoint Morrowind and Oblivion are the most obvious influences, but there are others too. The combat in particular is considerably more fun than anything yet seen in Elder Scrolls, possibly including the forthcoming Skyrim. Instead of slightly listless first person combat the game seems much more influenced by third person brawlers such as God Of War, with a pleasing range of meaty attacks and a breezy animation style thatגs even reminiscent of classic coin-ops such as Golden Axe.
There is a slightly disjointed tone to the game though, with the often cartoony monster designs seeming rather out of place next to the earnest but derivative quests and prose. We know thatגs R. A. Salvatoreגs shtick, but a lighter tone in the script ג perhaps something that even veered towards straight parody ג wouldגve made a world of difference. As it is we quickly lost interest in learning about all the peculiarly named lands of Armalur or meeting all the various fantasy stereotypes.
The gist of the plot is neatly tied into the gameplay though, with your main character having been recently brought back from the dead by a new gnomish invention. This allows you to circumvent the גdestinyג ordained for all the other characters in the game world and choose ג and frequently change ג your own as the game progresses.
This is the equivalent of traditional classes, or the job system from Final Fantasy, and allows you to work your way through the skill trees of whatever destinies your fancy, mixing and matching different elements as you choose.
Despite the arcade style combat the actual role-playing stats and systems which underlie it are extremely deep and complex, with thick ability trees sprouting out of the three main categories of melee, finesse and sorcery. There are also no less than three crafting systems, including potions made from collected, and looted, herbs and ingredients.
Equipment can be broken down into its constituent parts and there are magical shards which can be fitted into weapons and armour to improve their stats or add extra abilities. In short every role-playing trick in the book, from both East and West, is thrown at the game and much of it seems to be sticking pretty well.
And overriding all this is the promise of 100s of hours of content, including story-driven quests that can last at least 60 hours on their own. Itגs not necessarily a question of quantity over quality either, even if it might be quantity over innovation.
The gameגs release date of next February was newly announced at Gamescom and it may well be the making of the game. With Skyrim out in November, round about February is just about the time many people will be finishing up with it ג and from what weגve seen Reckoning could provide a very tasty digestif.
Formats: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: 38 Studios/Big Huge Games
Release Date: 10th February 2012
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/games/87270 ... z1VNGEf3oa
Gamescom Trailer
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E3 Trailer
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Gameplay
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Cysed +10
if the rumors of 200 hrs of gameplay is true.
The Archdemon fight was godly.