Massively explains Warhammer Online to the dedicated WoW player

TurpsterVision - Weapon of Choice

Filed under: Video, Lord of the Rings Online, Expansions, Reviews, Opinion, Hands-on, Humor, TurpsterVision

Don't wear the ring! (The Magical Bling Bling)
TurpsterVision is back with vengeance now with four episodes every month focusing on one MMO at a time. This month, along with the rest of the Massively team, we are venturing deep into Middle Earth and exploring the depths of the Mines of Moria.

Hey folks, it's good to be back; MMOs just wouldn't be the same without TurpsterVision! Today we are taking a look at Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria's new Legendary Weapons. I've often wanted to have a sword glow blue and warn me when danger is near. To be honest I'd settle for an iPhone app that would do the same thing. But fortunately for me I don't have to settle for anything less than the real deal, albeit a virtual-real deal.

Moria not only granted us two new classes, which I'll be exploring one at a time over the next two weeks, but it also granted players the ability to gain Legendary weapons of old which they can level up alongside their character. But enough reading about it, this is TurpsterVision! Watch on after the break...

Continue reading TurpsterVision - Weapon of Choice


Eurogamer gets their hands on Issue 13 of City of Heroes

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Patches, Reviews, Hands-on


Eurogamer recently went in-depth with the City of Heroes huge Issue 13 update, checking out the new day jobs, leveling pact, and dual-spec options. However, not everything was rainbows and sunshine with the large new update, in the opinion of Eurogamer.

With servers in Europe that are suffering from lack-of-player-itis, Eurogamer points out that there's nothing in this new update that can really attract players back to the game. Even if players do come back for the new day jobs and content, they're not being rewarded for playing the game. Leveling pacts and day jobs reward the player for not playing the game, which doesn't do much for low server populations.

Continue reading Eurogamer gets their hands on Issue 13 of City of Heroes


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The Chronicles of Spellborn scores 8/10 in an early review

Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, New titles, Reviews, The Chronicles of Spellborn

Although a great deal of the world is still playing the beta version of The Chronicles of Spellborn, continental Europe has had access to the retail copy since the 27th of November. Since Eurogamer has had a couple of weeks to put the game through its paces, they've posted a review. Now, we're sure you know the various problems with MMO reviews in general -- the two biggest being that most (good) MMOs are updated frequently post-launch, and that there's usually too much content to get through to provide accurate insight to all levels and areas of a game -- but it's worth nothing that this one comes with a rather healthy eight-out-of-ten score at the end.

The art style and environments get an approving nod in the review, and so do the action-based combat mechanics. The "Skill Deck", which is the replacement for the traditional action bar you might be used to from a huge number of other MMOs, is both praised and knocked for its complexity. The primary criticisms that the review levels against TCoS are that it can be a bit generic at times, and that it lacks the glossy polish that you see in big-budget titles. Obviously these complaints were not significant enough to stop the reviewer from enjoying the game, and we look forward to seeing how it shapes up by the time it's released to the rest of the world in January.

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Understanding Aurora Feint: The Arena

Filed under: Screenshots, Interviews, Launches, MMO industry, New titles, Reviews, Mobile, Hands-on, Casual, Massively Interviews

The future of MMOs?

I am no stranger to the iPhone and the addictive game that dominates said iPhone, Aurora Feint. When we had an email come along letting us know that a follow up was being released, I put my iPhone down and picked up a normal phone (it had buttons on it - it freaked me out!) and spoke with Danielle, Peter and Jason, the people behind the smash hit iPhone app Aurora Feint: The Arena, follow up to Aurora Feint: The Beginning, and asked a few questions about this platform defining MMO experience.

They hadn't slept in 36 hours but some how still managed to get through 30 minuets talking with me about their game and still remain incredibly passionate and excited about it's release. Their first title got twenty-four hundred reviews, four and a half stars on the Apple App Store and one million downloads. Their latest title has a lot to live up to.

Aurora Feint: The Arena is the iPhone/iPod Touch's first 'Asynchronous' Massively Multi-Player RPG. It's a bit of a mouthful, so lets break it down (Ed. Drop that beat T!). Being 'Asynchronous means that when dueling another player in Aurora Feint: The Arena they aren't playing you directly. Instead you compete through taking a trip down on to the summoning circle and rustling up yourself a Ghost.



Check out the gallery above for some in-game action from the hit smash and join me below the break where you can read a little more on my thoughts of this new venture for MMOs.

Continue reading Understanding Aurora Feint: The Arena


Ask Massively: So? How is it?

Filed under: Expansions, Reviews, Opinion, Hands-on, Ask Massively


Have you ever had one of those creative moments where you have absolutely no idea how to proceed? Whether you call it "writer's block", "stage fright", or even "performance anxiety", such a moment can be utterly paralyzing. At Ask Massively, for this week anyway, we don't have that problem. The following email is loosely paraphrased from an amalgamation of sources. For a small bribe, I will refrain from using words like "amalgamation" in the future.

Dear Massively,

I think you need to spend more time talking about World of Warcraft. In fact, I'm going to toss you a question that I'm fairly confident that nobody else has thought about asking this week.

What do you think of Wrath of the Lich King, so far?

-- Any one of about a gazillion emails in the Inbox

Continue reading Ask Massively: So? How is it?


Massively's exclusive tour of Hi-Rez Studios and Global Agenda

Filed under: Sci-fi, Screenshots, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, PvP, Reviews, Opinion, Hands-on, Spy, Global Agenda


Last week, we did a story on the growing game development scene in Georgia, and how government tax incentives have worked to get more digital entertainment companies into the state. Georgia's legislators understand that gaming is an important part of a global economic future, and they're getting their foot in the door early. As part of this story, we visited Hi-Rez Studios, located near the state's capital and largest city of Atlanta. Not only did we tour the studio and talk about their reasons for setting up shop in Atlanta, but we also got some hands-on time with their upcoming "spy-fi" MMO, Global Agenda.

This article will cover the company's prominent involvement with the Atlanta area's gaming scene, a bit of a background into the studio itself and most importantly, a look into their new MMO. Follow along by clicking the navigation link below, and don't forget to check out the Global Agenda gallery for the latest screenshots from the game and photos of the studio.


TurpsterVision: WAR, What is it good for?

Filed under: Video, Reviews, Warhammer Online, Vendetta Online, Hands-on, Humor, TurpsterVision

Turpster shows off his WAR skills
I wont bore you all with words and phrases strung together to create some form of coherence, instead I will jump right back in! I am extremely proud to invite you once more to join in with the fun right here at Massively that is TurpsterVision! "Oi Git face! Wot'z dis? Da same game twice? Dis is an outrage! WAAGHH"

It is true folks, we are having a look at Warhammer Online once again here at TurpsterVision, but this time we are looking at the game as a whole and trying to answer that age old question of; is it actually fun to play?

Well if I told you here that would ruin all the fun, 'ow about you join me afta da break an' we'll see wot I make of a life at WAR...sorry, been playing Greenskins just a little bit too much recently.
Warhammer Online Coverage Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out our Warhammer guides: Massively's Character Creation Guide and our WoW Player's Guide to Warhammer. Plus, don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

Continue reading TurpsterVision: WAR, What is it good for?


G4's X-Play reviews Warhammer Online

Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, Reviews, Warhammer Online


As we now enter the second full week of Warhammer Online's live service, reviews of the Mythic Entertainment title are continuing to be released. One analysis in particular you might want to check out is X-Play's review of the game. They liked it quite a bit, citing Public Quests as a major improvement to the MMO formula and lauding Mythic's efforts to "make PvP feel as friendly as PvE."

Voiced by Adam Sessler, the piece also gives a lot of credit to the Tome of Knowledge. Though the game's main thrust (RvR combat) only gets a small amount of coverage, that's regarded enthusiastically too. The show's only complaints surround technical hiccups the launched title still struggles with. Despite that, Warhammer still ends up with a 5 ... out of 5. Read on below the cut for the full review.

Warhammer Online Coverage Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

Continue reading G4's X-Play reviews Warhammer Online


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TurpsterVision : Warhammer proves you don't need a hoe to grow

Filed under: Video, Guides, Crafting, Reviews, Warhammer Online, War, Hands-on, Humor, TurpsterVision

Turpster shows that he is far more than just a Chauvinist!
I wont bore you all with words and phrases strung together to create some form of coherence, instead I will jump right back in! I am extremely proud to invite you once more to join in with the fun right here at Massively that is TurpsterVision!

As you are undoubtedly aware, Warhammer Online hit the shelves last week; and with it brought a whole new level of awesome to the MMO playing field. Right here on the site we have spoken of the joys of Public Quests, Realm Vs. Realm and a whole host of other goodies.

I have chosen to just focus on a couple of elements that caught my eye this week and I guess we'll have a more in-depth look at the game in the near future. But for now, grab your Spade or Garden Fork and join me in what could quite possibly be the most bloody battle yet...Cultivating!

Continue reading TurpsterVision : Warhammer proves you don't need a hoe to grow


Meta-review: Warhammer Online

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Launches, Reviews, Warhammer Online

We've been talking pretty much constantly about Warhammer Online for a few months now, and launch is less than a week away. At this point, there's only one question left: Should you buy it? Beta-based viewpoints have begun to trickle in across the internet, to the point where we can put together a meta-review that will hold together. Overall, the response seems to be a cautious 'thumbs up'. There are still serious concerns expressed by some commentators (pathing issues, dependence on fickle player populations), but overall the outlook seems to be good for Mythic's opus.
  • Eurogamer (8/10): "Until it's been out in the wild a while, this extremely well-made and highly enjoyable MMO remains unproven. And it remains - until our first re-review, at least - one step short of true greatness."
  • Kill Ten Rats (Buy): "If you would like a sequel to World of Warcraft with a team-PvP focus, buy Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. If you are waiting for something new and original, keep waiting."
  • Tobold (Buy): "Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is a good game, albeit not perfect, and it will have some problems living up to the excessive marketing hype from Mythic. It is certainly worth buying and trying out for a month or two."
  • Common Sense Gamer (B+): "Overall, I'd give WARs game experience a B+. I've come to enjoy the RvR and accept that the PvE game experience is the same as everything else out there. That fact is also counterbalanced by the PQs...which are just fun."

Warhammer Online Coverage Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!

First Impressions: Maple Story

Filed under: Fantasy, MapleStory, Reviews, Opinion, Free-to-play, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions


Welcome to our First Impressions of the king of all 2D MMOs, Maple Story! If you haven't played it, consider this a dip of the toe into its cuter-than-thou madness. We're not divulging secrets here, this is not a guide of any sort; this is just a record of the way we found the game during our first hour or so of play. Caveat emptor!

First of all, please notice the banner ad at the top of this post. That should tell you everything you need to know about MS in a nutshell: Cute superdeformed anime-esque graphics, goofy-themed gameplay, and an engaging sense of humor about itself. Cyborg turkeys, yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Don't forget, clicking on the following pictures leads to their hi-res versions. Read on, O brave audience!

Continue reading First Impressions: Maple Story


Zero Punctuation reviews Age of Conan

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Age of Conan, Reviews, Opinion, Humor

Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw is the naughty charismatic pontificating stallion behind Zero Punctuation, the hilarious weekly videogame review web program. It's not often Croshaw will review an MMORPG, so it is apropos to share the latest Zero Punctuation with the new roast target being Age of Conan. The review itself contains naughty words making it: NSFW.

Reviewing MMORPGs isn't an easy endeavor. The MMORPG is a beast, various systems, game mechanics, and time sinks to wade through to get from beginning to the end. To give an honest and fair shake it takes hundreds hours of investment for the reviewer to familiarize and formulate a real knowledgeable opinion. MMORPGs aren't fair in that regard, and reviews aren't very sticky since most MMOs are undergoing constant development. But come on, it's Zero Punctuation!

Continue reading Zero Punctuation reviews Age of Conan


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First Impressions: SAGA

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Game mechanics, Reviews, Opinion, Hands-on, Saga, MMORTS, First Impressions


SAGA (not to be confused with Saga, who gave us the immortal "On the Loose") is an MMORTS -- massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game. While there are few enough of these on the market -- making its very existence worthy of approbation -- we thought it would be worth taking a closer look, to offer up an opinion of our first couple of hours into gameplay. Thus, this First Impressions post.

Remember: this is not a guide, nor was this in any way influenced by the development studio. This is an entirely subjective look at SAGA, from an average gamer's point of view. And now, on with the show! Game. Thing. Whatever. Onward!

Continue reading First Impressions: SAGA


Dungeon Runners gets some G4TV love

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Dungeon Runners, Reviews, Free-to-play


You remember Adam Sessler right? You know that guy who stands next to Morgan Webb during X-Play? Yeah, there is someone else there, we promise. Anyway, in a recent episode of G4TV's The Download, Sessler reviews NCsoft's Dungeon Runners for the masses.

His review doesn't reveal anything new about the game, but it's always nice to see when the larger gaming media covers the games we love so dearly. Plus, in this video, we get to see more of the little Bling Gnome doing his duty, so to speak. What we really find interesting though is the fact that many of the comments seem to revolve around the fact that people haven't heard of this game before. A little publicity never hurt, right?

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