Time to take down Braniac: exclusive reveal of DC Universe Online’s next big update
That intergalactic jerk Braniac has been bottling the cities in DC Universe Online and stealing Earth’s citizens for too long. His attempted take-over for Earth has been the primary storyline in DC Universe Online for the past year, since the game’s launch in January 2011. A year and a few raids later, we’re finally going to be able to go toe-to-toe with Mr. smarty-pants when the next content pack takes us to Wonder Woman’s native island of Themyscira. We’ve got the exclusive scoop on what players will find there, and where DCUO is headed after its big, bad villain is down for the count.
Hawken will be free to play, out in December, sign up for the closed beta now
“I’m throwing my wallet at the screen but nothing is happening!” is a common reaction to the trailers for stunning indie multiplayer mech-war project, Hawken. According to a blog post on the Hawken site, you won’t need your wallet at all. It’ll be released as a free to play game on December 12 this year.
Champion Roundtable: Ziggs, the Hexplosives Expert
Every two weeks, we give you our verdict on whether or not the latest League of Legends champion is worth buying. Take a seat at the table with Josh, Lucas, and Hollander Cooper as they wax poetic on the joys of blowing people up with magical bombs as a maniacal Yordle. Could Ziggs be the diminutive demolitions expert you’ve been looking for?
Never get lost in DCUO’s Watchtower again with this detailed fan-made map
DC Universe does a lot of things really well, but building easily-navigable hangout spots is not one of them. The Justice League Watchtower and Hall of Doom serve as the primary meeting points for all Hero and Villain characters, respectively. Both house a ton of useful objects—like the Phase Shifter, which allows you to swap between PvE and PvP phases of the server at will—but not all of them are easy to find.
The cryptically-named RedDragon74 over at DCUO Life has done heroes a great service by putting together an all-encompassing map that labels the locations of everything you’ll need in the Watchtower and also provides a full list of bounty locations and a complete breakdown of how to earn the different PvE currencies at endgame. It’s not the prettiest map ever made, but all the info is here.
DCUO offers a creative solution to the age-old “Where’s the healer?” problem
I’ve always liked DC Universe Online’s twist on the classic tank-healer-DPS trinity that defines most MMORPG’s group roles. DCUO gives everyone access to two roles—DPS and then either tank, healer, or control (CC and power-restoration), based on their power selection—and lets them swap between them whenever they want.
It’s a hybrid system that lets players specialize, while limiting the usual problem of there being too few healers or tanks because most people want to be able to level and solo efficiently. As a result, the queue times in DCUO are much shorter than they are in many other MMOs. And with the Role-Optional Alerts SOE’s adding in the game’s next update, which use specialized buffs to make any combination of players an effective group, players should be able to form groups almost instantly.
League of Legends’ AI bots multiply, get smarter, and move to Dominion [Hands-on]
I ran out of my spawn area on League of Legends’ Dominion map and made a move for the nearest capture-point, which an enemy Sona was stealing from us. I was confident I could take the flimsy healer and reclaim our home point, but before I can get in range, a burst of flames erupts around me and burning-man Brand bursts from the bushes. He’s now pacing side-to-side between me and Sona, tossing out flames if I get close, but stubbornly refusing to let me drag him off point, where I could safely kill him.
Now, Brand running interference on a point in Dominion isn’t that unusual—but this Brand is a bot, and he’s ruining my day, courtesy of the improved AI and bot rosters being added to League of Legends in the next few weeks.
Dungeons & Dragons Online leaps into The Forgotten Realms with its first expansion
The Forgotten Realms is as classic a D&D setting as they get: a lost realm related to our own where magic runs rampant, deities are active, and–well, just imagine most any classic RPG game you’ve played and you’ll see hints of The Forgotten Realms’ influence. And Update 13 is finally bringing it to Dungeons & Dragons Online, which is still offering it’s brand of flexible free-to-play options to the masses. I recently sat down with the game’s Executive Producer Fernando Paiz to talk about what the upcoming content will look like in DDO’s first-ever expansion: Menace of the Underdark.
Age of Empires Online trailer details new skirmish mode
Age of Empires Online is getting a skirmish booster pack. These paid-for bolt-ons normally add new races and missions, but this one will introduce a new mode that will let you and your friends fight a team of tailored AI opponents to gain XP and upgrades. The greater the odds you face, the more loot you’ll get.
The skirmish mode will also unlock all of Age of Empires Online’s units for you to play with, even if you’re at level one. It should be a good way to road test powerful units that you wouldn’t otherwise see for hours. It’s an interesting add-on to the intriguing free to play online RTS. If you’d like to try it, you can download the client from the Age of Empires Online site and start playing now.
Age of Wushu announced: a free to play martial arts MMO with no levels or classes
Age of Wushu is an intriguing free to play MMO from China. You play as a martial arts expert, but there aren’t any levels or character classes. You learn your skills from one of eight schools of combat, and will be able to raid other schools to gain bonus knowledge and unlock more abilities. You’ll be able to train your character outside of the game as well, using 30 “offline activities.”
Expect lots of customisation, too. Apparently there will be more than 5,000 equipment upgrades, 17 progressions and aerial combat. The fighting style draws heavily from Wuxia genre, so there will be plenty of superhuman acrobatics and, as shown in the trailer above, water-running. It’ll be released in the UK as well, under the name Age of Wulin. An “international test” is supposed to be starting soon. Keep an eye on the official Age of Wushu site for news of the beta.
Dragon Nest in-game goodies giveaway [US only]
You put in your time with the family. You ate the cookies, you sat by the fire, you pretended that you could hear whatever grandma was mumbling just fine. But now it’s you time. With skill-shot combat and an adorable anime-esque visual style, Nexon’s action-MMO Dragon Nest is the perfect way to enjoy the rest of your holiday break. Battles aren’t just passive skill rotations—you’ll need to dodge attacks and string together combos if you want a chance at surviving. Yeah, cake-induced blood sugar spikes might set your reflexes back a bit, but you can give yourself an edge with a free digital bundle of Dragon Nest loot from Nexon itself.
Aion to go free to play in Europe in February
Ultra-pretty flighty MMO Aion is set to drop the monthly subscription fees and go free to play in February next year. The free to play version will be rolled out in the UK, France and Germany first before spreading across the whole of Europe. “In the last few months the lands in Atreia have become more and more deserted,” NCSoft write on the new Aion free to play site, “we want to reinvigorate the world of Aion and attract new adventurers to the towns.” There’s no mention of a free to play version for the US yet.
Aion’s been updated many, many times since its release. New dungeons, new endgame quests, new missions and pets that will collect your loot for you are a few additions. The seriousness of the stoic angel warriors that made up Aion’s character base on launch have thawed considerably over the years with the addition of new outfits, afros and a ton of new gear.
Champion Roundtable: Volibear, the Thunder’s Roar
With a new champion released every two weeks in League of Legends, it can be hard to figure out where your money (RP) and time (IP) are best spent. That’s why we’ve devised the Champion Roundtable, where we examine the latest champion’s mechanics and talk about what we liked or what left us unsatisfied. Join Lucas and Gavin as they discuss their best moments with Volibear, the armored polar bear champion, and whether or not they think you should pick him up.
At A Distance: a free co-op game from the creator of VVVVVV
At A Distance is a co-op puzzle game from Terry Cavanagh, creator of wonderful indie platformer VVVVVV. It’s designed to be played by two people on separate, nearby PCs. Each player must wander through a fuzzy environment, messing with everything they come across. Actions in one world will affect the other, and it’s up to the players to figure out exactly how through experimentation and shouting. Once the relationship between worlds has been discovered, you and your partner must work together to solve the grand puzzle.
Shacknews reports that the game is now free for everyone. You can download it now from the At A Distance site, where you’ll also find instructions on how to get it working. Good luck! Let us know how you get on.
Blacklight: Retribution beta key giveaway with PC Gamer weapon tag (US ONLY)
We don’t know about you, but we’re getting a little tired of constantly having to “stay frosty” and yell “frag out.” If you’ve had your fun with the MW3s and BF3s, why not try something even more moderner and without a $60 entry fee? Thanks to Zombie Studios and Perfect World Entertainment, an answer has arrived…
Exclusive first hands-on with the debilitating dwarven mage of Wrath of Heroes
Being a heal-bot support class can be, in a word, underwhelming. What’s the fun of healing your allies, when they’re the ones who get all the kills and the glory? Personally, if I’m playing support, I want to contribute to the damage-dealing–not just passive make sure my teammates stay healthy (then somehow getting blamed if they die). Enter Gromki: the unassuming dwarf whose one rule is to make sure that your allies attacks hit way harder than they would without you. He’s one of two new heroes added to Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes (alongside Aessa, who we previewed yesterday), and we got the chance to take him for a spin with some exclusive hands-on. Check out the full analysis of Gromki’s skillset, with BioWare’s tips and gameplay footage to boot.
