I got a nice (but brief) guided tour of Dragon Age Origins, Bioware’s spiritual successor to the Baldur’s Gate saga. Freed from the confines of the D&D license, Dragon Age Origins is able to strike out on its own world and story while still capturing the feel of one of my favorite series of all time.

 

From my brief tour, Dragon Age doesn’t seem to bring too many new offerings to the RPG table, but everything I did see felt wonderfully familiar and soundly crafted. With the PC version, players have the option of playing in a pseudo-action RPG or zooming out for the old-school , pause-and-command style of the old Baldur’s Gate line. Players will assume control of both their hero and a (possibly) merry band of adventurers (including a PC-controlled war dog, complete with his own level-ups and abilities!), and arrows and magic will quickly be flying. The graphics looked solid and the controls fit like glove.  I didn’t get to peek at too much of the story, but from what I saw each character type gets a slightly different story experience, adding to the replayability factor.  I did get to romp around the first few minutes of the game, with my character’s castle being invaded and assassins pouring in every door. The combat was smooth and full of crunchy RPG goodness, and quite a bit bloodier than I remember from Baldur’s Gate. Or perhaps the graphics are just that much better nowadays. Regardless, I had a blast during my time, and quite a line was forming behind me while I was hogging the controls.

 

Dragon Age will be released for both the PC and Xbox 360, followed a few weeks later by the PS3. I was told that the story will be the same for all platforms, but the PC has the added benefit of the mouse-and-keyboard controls that just feel right for this sort of game. The PC and Xbox 360 versions were available at the booth, and both looked  and sounded great. I’m seriously looking forward to the release of this one.

I managed to wrangle some quality guided demo time from the crowded Atari booth at this year’s GenCon, featuring Champions Online. While it’s been a long while since I’ve been tempted by the siren call of the MMORPG, there’s just something about the supers genre that threatens to pull be back in. Supers games, when done correctly, are an absolute blast for me, and it looks like Atari has a strong contender with this title.

One of the most important aspects any good supers game is the setting. Some games don’t have the rich backstory needed to make the game come alive, with generic spandex-sporting characters battling vanilla villains. On the other end of the spectrum lie the Big Names in supers. These setting are a licensing nightmare, filled with so much (often conflicting) cannon and familiar characters that players feel like they’re just along for the ride in a world upon which they cannot have any real impact. Cryptic Studios did the smart thing here, adopting the wonderfully rich tabletop RPG Champions to electronic format. The tabletop Champions setting is designed specifically with the intent of players running the story, only this time the table is much, much bigger.

I spent much of my time with the demo simply ogling the character design process, which is one of the most detailed I’ve seen in an MMO. I could easily lose an hour designing my character’s appearance. Almost everything is customizable, and Champions Online uses a very clever randomizing process that allows players to lock in the aspects they like while rolling the dice again for those they don’t. In this way, players can hone in on things that look cool and not have to remember exactly what they wanted twelve clicks ago. In addition, players can also back up to previous appearance rolls, which becomes extremely handy when quickly clicking through the process.

As for the functional design of the character, players get to choose from more than a dozen of the typical superpowers suites. Blasters, toughs, super sorcerers, most every power type is represented. The only package I didn’t notice was the speedster, but that could be difficult to implement within the setting. Or I was simply too engrossed in all the shiny lights to see it. Regardless, players pick a starting package and head out into the world of Champions.

Gameplay seemed fairly typical, although it was a bit more complex than many of the old MMORPGs I’ve played, especially at these initial levels. Characters gain quests from various sources, beat up baddies, and gather the superhero equivalent of swag. Rather than receiving gold, characters get generic “resources”, representing money, underworld favors, or whatever other form of currency would be appropriate to the given archetype. And instead of magic swords and wands, characters get more subtle upgrades that better fit the superhero setting. As characters defeat the baddies and level up, they can continue to improve their suite of powers, choosing from their current package or mixing and matching power suites. In this way, players can greatly customize their characters to exactly what they envision.

There are also some pretty cool things in store at higher levels. For instance, after a while of adventuring, players will be asked to develop their character’s own nemesis, and then watch as this nemesis becomes a regular part of the character’s world. Super groups are also available for those who like to team up to fight evil. I also (unofficially?) heard about other cool things that are possibly in the works, and while I won’t mention them here, I will say that Champions Online is going to head in some fun and interesting directions. Swing by Champions Online’s site and check out what’s in store.

I’ve spent the better part of this past weekend running Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II through its paces, and so far I’m liking what I’ve seen. For the most part, I’ve been focusing on the single-player aspect of the game, which is much more RPG-like than I was expecting. It’s a pleasant surprise, and Relic seems to be doing things right, since I’m having a blast working my way through it. I’m much more of a single-player kind of guy when it comes to RTS games, so it’s refreshing when developers put more than just an afterthought toward this half of their games.

In the campaign, players control a small group of Space Marine hero units, supported by their accompanying squads. There are no bases to build or defend, no techs to research, and no resources to gather. It’s pretty much just an RPG with RTS trappings. Heroes gain experience and undergo a basic level-up stat and ability boost, allowing players to tailor their squads in various ways. Equipment drops, both random and scripted, allow for further hero development and some replayability in the campaign. A semi-branching storyline also makes for some interesting choices.

Gameplay is smooth and solid. Controlling the small number of units was quite simple, even later in the campaign when each hero sports several different powers and abilities. Pathfinding seems solid thus far, although without a base to worry about I hardly ever stopped babysitting my units. The game looks great, and captures Warhammer 40,000’s gritty feel extremely well. Overall I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen. I’ll finish the campaign soon and give the skirmishes a whirl, and hopefully have a full review shortly.

This last weekend I got a chance to spend a little time with the Bioshock add-on rooms for the PS3.  This PSN download consists of three extra scenarios, completely unrelated to any plot points in the main game, but each of them have quite a bit of fun and challenge, and were a pleasant way to spend a few hours. 

The first scenario, A Shocking Turn of Events, is a puzzle-based event.  A Little Sister is trapped atop a Ferris wheel somewhere in a Rapture amusement park, and it’s up to the players to rescue her.   To start things off, players have no weapons or plasmids (and are, in fact, trapped in a room without any).  Through some (often unconventional) means, players must solve puzzles to power the Ferris wheel enough times to free the little tyke.  With the bonus presence of a few of Rapture’s denizens, and some severely limited offensive capabilities, this presents a fun little challenge.

The next scenario, The I in Team, is also primarily a puzzler.  Here players must defeat a Big Daddy to rescue a little sister.  The problem?  No weapons or offensive plasmids are available throughout the entire puzzle.  This one was probably my favorite of the three outings, allowing me to out-think rather than out-gun that behemoth. 

The final room, Worlds of Hurt, is simply a meat grinder.  A gauntlet of eight rooms is in place, full of many of Rapture’s meanest, and the players have to fight their way through.  Players start out with nothing, but soon can outfit themselves with whatever arsenal of weapons and plasmids they choose.  Ammo and hypos are limited, of course, so this is in no way a walk in the park.  And the best part?  There’s no Vita-Chamber for resurrection.  Simply brutal.

The add-on pack is probably best for those that have completed the game, or are at least well-versed in all the ins and outs of Bioshock.  None of the challenges are terribly lengthy, but players can re-try to get better times (or on higher difficulties in the Worlds of Hurt), and there are some special collectables for those completists out there. All in all, the add-on is a fun way to burn an afternoon revisiting the joys of Rapture.  The more Bioshock we get, the better, in my mind.

Being a bit of a recovering CCG-aholic, I couldn’t resist wandering by Konami’s booth to check out their latest collectable “Role-Playing Card Game”, Blue Dragon.  Based on the Xbox 360 title and subsequent animated series of the same name, this tabletop game is (like many of the games I checked out this year) targeted toward the younger set, hoping to peel away some of that disposable allowance income. 

I sat down to a quick half-game to get a feel for how everything plays out, and I had a fun time (while losing rather badly).  Players must tailor their decks around a “Shadow”, the central attacking unit in the game.  This creature begins the game in play, and as the game winds on the Shadow can level up, replacing itself with more powerful versions found in the deck.  In addition to Shadow cards, players also can round out their armies with up to three “partners”, companion units that can aid in attack or defense.   Players attack each other with their units, trying to break through the defenses and whittle down the hit points.  These attacks and defenses can be aided with various special cards called Command and Skill cards, which tack on bonuses or special abilities.

The cards are also the resources of the game, and running out means losing the game.  When cards are used, they don’t usually go into a discard pile, as with most CCGs.  Instead, they fall into an Experience pool, each card having a given Experience point value.  These Experience points are required both as prerequisites for certain cards and Shadow leveling, and as payment for bringing in certain cards and abilities.  Many times it’s beneficial to simply discard a powerful card in order to gain the experience from it, rather than keep it in the hand where it doesn’t necessarily do any good. 

The game played fairly quickly, with a half-game (starting with lower hit-point levels) took only 10 minutes or so.  I played with a pre-constructed deck, but there was a decent mix of cards and some combo ideas leaped out at me even with a simple first play.  All in all, Blue Dragon looks to be a serious contender in the crowded card game market.  Look for a full release later this fall.

There are a few more details up at www.konami.com/bluedragonrpcg

While strolling by the Atari booth on my first hour of the convention, my attention was immediately drawn to what turns out to be my biggest surprise of Gen Con—King’s Bounty: The Legend.  I had no idea this was even in the works, I’m ashamed to say, but now that I’m aware I’m as excited as can be.  Being a huge fan of the original and its spin-off series, Heroes of Might and Magic, I could barely contain myself when I saw that brightly-colored fantasy game staring me in the face.  I quickly set myself up for a quick run-down of the game.

Turns out that King’s Bounty: The Legend has already been available in European markets for some time, and it’s been gathering award after award with its addictive game play.  Those familiar with the original or the HoMM series will instantly recognize the game style, although King’s Bounty is much more an RPG than a strategy.

Players take control of one of three Hero types, and set across the map in real-time action, acquiring quests and goodies as they go.  Heroes also gather forces for their armies, much as in the HoMM series, building up stacks of various forces and critters.  When confronted with an enemy, game play drops into a turn-based tactical mode, very similar to the predecessor games.  Here stacks of units battle it out, moving about the hex map and jockeying for that perfect attack position.  There is a nice assortment of units to choose from, many with some fairly nifty abilities.  To round things out, the Hero units can influence battle with spells and powers, either fueled by Magic or a force called Rage.  Heroes gain experience and levels as they quest about the land, and in typical RPG fashion they gain special abilities as they grow.  Given about 30 levels to attain, players can tailor their Heroes with some impressive abilities as fits their play style.

Graphically, King’s Bounty: The Legend looks great.  From the brightly-colored setting, to the detailed units and spell effects, to the background detail, there’s a constant treat for the eyes.  I didn’t get a lot of time hands-on, but the interface seemed smooth and easily navigable.   I can’t wait to get my grubby little hands on this one, which is currently slated for English-language release sometime this fall. 

Head over to www.kings-bounty.com for a few more tidbits of information.

Gen Con was full of both collectable card games and electronic offerings, and a few games that bridged that gap.  Chaotic is one of the latest titles to make the leap between tabletop and online play, this time targeted at the 6-to-14-year-old audience.  

As a card game, Chaotic is pretty solid.  It’s not terribly deep, but there seems to be plenty of room for creative deck building.  Those familiar with CCGs in general will have no problem dropping right in, since Chaotic features the usual menagerie of monsters and magic (or “mugic”, in this case).  Players set up their creatures to batter their opponents, trying to break through the enemy armies with tactics and various special cards.  Creatures have elemental alliances and a simple set of stats.  One thing that sets Chaotic apart from most games I’ve seen is the fact that few creatures, even of the same name, have the exact same stats.  So even if I and my opponent have the exact same deck build, card for card we may have enough differences to keep things interesting.  

Where Chaotic leaps to the electronic front is through a code on the bottom of each card.  This card can be entered into the online portion of the game to generate an exact virtual copy of the card for use against online foes.  So players can have mirror copies of both cardboard and virtual decks, allowing them to play with friends next door or opponents across the globe.  The online portion is a straightforward virtual game table, with the requisite chat rooms, ranking system, and match-finding areas.  The interface looked clean, and it was quite simple to call out a challenge and dive into a quick match.  They’re still working on spiffing up portions of the game, as they had just implemented some new graphics and sound effects to heighten the game a bit.  All in all, it looks like a neat little CCG. 

In addition, Chaotic also sports a weekend animated TV show to entertain and educate the kiddies about the new cards and some possible strategies.  I haven’t had a chance to check out the show itself, so I don’t know if there’s any quality there or if it’s just a half-hour infomercial in disguise.  Regardless, Chaotic looks to be an interesting CCG for the younger set, who probably already know much more about this title than I ever will.  

For more details, head over to www.chaoticgame.com

Continuing my wanderings through the great halls of Gen Con, I found my way to the Entropia Universe booth.  Here’s an MMO that takes a rather unique stance on a subject that most multiplayer games frown upon: farming virtual stuff for real money.  In fact, Entropia Universe embraces this “pay for playing” mechanic enough that players can (theoretically, at least) never spend a single real-world cent to while away countless hours in the game world, and they may even come out ahead in real-world dollars.  I have to admit, it sounds intriguing.

So how do they do it?  First, there’s no fee at all for playing.  Players can download the client and jump right in, joining forces with others to colonize the fictional frontier planet.  Second, the idea of “free” is a bit of a misnomer.  Sure, players don’t absolutely have to spend real-world money (which is converted to in-game currency at a 1 to 10 exchange), but if they want the coolest toys, they’ll most likely want to make some sort of investment.  Now, that investment can be real-world cash, or lots and lots of game time.  Entropia Universe is a game about farming stuff—either hunting the local fauna for valuable prizes, mining for minerals, or just running odd jobs for other players for a bit of in-game cash. 

Part of what seems intriguing about Entropia Universe is the thought of these economies springing up in game.  I saw instances where players would team up to gather resources—PC miners would hire PC bodyguards to fend off the local wildlife while they gathered valuable goodies from the ground.  One of the guys at the demo decided he wanted to be in in-game barber, so he kitted himself out with the virtual tools necessary to coif his customers.  After a while, he became bored with this, and he sold his barber’s tools for a tidy little real-world sum.

Entropia Universe has an active in-game clearing house, where players can sell their virtual goods for virtual or real-world cash.  There is also a very active auction/market in place, where players can expect to get much better deals for all their labors.  In addition, should players finally wish to leave the game, they can actually sell off their personal character skill increases (something called “chipping out”, I believe).  I don’t really understand all the particulars needed to maintain liquid real-world assets or all the legal hoops that need to be jumped in order to carry these transactions out, but Entropia Universe has been going for a little while now and there seems to be a fairly solid player base, and subsequently an interesting study on economics.

As for the game itself, it looked and played much like a run-of-the-mill MMO.  There was talk that the game would soon be receiving a face lift and adopting the Crysis II engine, so players will have a bit more to ogle as they go about their virtual-world jobs.

Honestly, this all smacks of a bit too much work for my play time, but I know there are folks out there that are thrilled to enter these virtual economies and set themselves up as merchant princes, mercenary hunters, or daring prospectors.  And you really can’t beat the price. 

Check out www.entropiauniverse.com for more details. 

I managed to check out several titles geared for the younger crowd this year, starting with Freaky Creatures, an action-figure/video game hybrid targeting an audience of 6-14 years of age.

Back in my day, we had to imagine our toys into battle, supplying sound effects and cool visuals with nothing but our minds. Freaky Creatures is looking to change that, allowing kids to take their action figures online, kit them out with some individual powers and features, and then duke it out with opponents across the globe.

What kids will get initially is a pack of two action figure monsters, which are by themselves some pretty cool toys. However, also included in the starter pack is a flash drive containing the electronic game portion of the product. With this, kids get an online avatar of their action figure. Once they’ve uploaded themselves, players can customize their monsters with a nice selection of weapons, special attacks, and powers. They can also set up each monster’s lair, which really doesn’t have much in-game function, but it allows the kids some nice ways to individualize the monsters.

The meat of Freaky Creatures, of course, is the battle. Players can take their customized monsters and challenge other players’ monsters in a one-on-one battle. There’s not really a lot of depth to the fight, it’s just matter of choosing a target body part with which to attack, while the opponent does the same. A sort of “rock-paper-scissors” mechanic is in play, so one player’s head attack might beat the opponent’s tail swipe, but might be crushed by that left hook. After each player chooses an attack, the monsters enter a round of combat complete with some nifty visuals, and damage is dealt. After a monster’s health is depleted, it goes to sleep (no death here), and a winner is declared.

As monsters do battle, they gain experience with which they open up new abilities and weapons to further customize themselves. Again, there’s not a terribly deep system in place, but I could see myself having some fun with it back in the halcyon days of my youth.

Because Freaky Creatures specifically targets the younger crowd, there will be careful monitoring of all chat-rooms, battles, and other online activities to keep things safe for the monsterific mayhem.

Freaky Creatures should be rolling out in a month or so, with a 2-monster starter pack launching the system. Following this are some single-monster boosters, adding more monsters (and greater variety) to the mix. It could be cool fun for the young ones, but we’ll have to see if the simplistic fighting mechanic and online world can draw interest away from the much deeper online alternatives.

My first stop during this year’s Gen Con was The Continuum, a recently-released strategy  title that is heavily influenced by some of the more popular tabletop miniatures wargames.  Since it’s a wholly-electronic game, though, The Continuum is able to get much, much deeper than most tabletop skirmishers, something die-hard number crunchers are bound to eat up.

As a bonus, The Continuum is completely web-based.  This means there’s no lengthy download or continuous stream of patches.  Just log in, grab a starter pack and perhaps a few boosters, and begin building an army.  The Continuum is a collectable game, meaning players buy randomized boosters of units to increase their forces, although some of the top players on the leaderboards have managed some respectable achievements without purchasing a single booster.  Still, without a monthly fee, buying a few unit packs here and there can still be cheaper than most MMOs.

The game itself feels much like a tabletop wargame, which is a good thing.  Players choose a point total to determine the relative size of the forces they’re fielding, organize their units into squads and armies, and find a challenger.  There seemed to be quite a goodly amount of opponents to choose from, from all over the world, which is an impressive feat given the game has only recently launched.  An incredibly detailed matchmaking system is in place to insure players know exactly who they’re up against.

As armies battle, the units gain experience, allowing them to level up and upgrade their abilities for future fights.  Common units, while limited in their upgrade selection, still have an impressive amount of customizability.  Rare units, in comparison, have oodles of choices, allowing players to have incredibly individualized armies at their disposal.  In fact, there are tons of numbers and abilities to manage in The Continuum, and each and every one of them are right upfront for display.  Hard-core gamers will rejoice, but the casual gamer might be a little put off. 

There also seemed to be a very strong fan base at this point in the game’s early life, which the developers are embracing.  Although still early, if this level of fan and developer cooperation continues, The Continuum will be a great fit for dedicated strategy gamers, provided they enjoy the collectable-style game. 

 

Check out www.thecontinuum.com for more details.