Gamescom has barely started and already there are numerous interesting news stories to report. The announcement of Age of Empires Online came out of absolutely nowhere and was followed by Microsoft’s statement that they would now return to supporting PC gaming alongside their popular console platform. Torchlight 2 also came rather unexpected, but in very welcome form with its introduction of co-op gameplay and more varied environments.
And that’s but the tip of the iceberg as gamescom has already seen some surprising revelations, interesting new information for highly anticipated games and most importantly: a lot of interesting gameplay footage and game trailers. I’m not actually visiting gamescom, but I’ve tried to scrounge together some of the most interesting announcement and videos below accompanied by a short introduction to each game.
Take a look for some of the highlights of this years’ gamescom – and it has only just begun!
Age of Empires Online
This game truly came out of nowhere after the disbanding of Ensemble Studios, the creators of the Age of Empires franchise. It would seem that Microsoft is far from done with this franchise and has hired Robot Entertainment, most of the former Ensemble Studios, to create this free-to-play persistent online RTS game that integrates into Games for Windows Live.
A trailer has also been released and demonstrates in-game graphics that seem remarkably stylized in a fashion similar to the Settlers franchise. It’s an odd departure from AoE’s traditionally realistic look, but it does look good. And the trailer also shows some of the gameplay elements such as player rankings, co-op engagements, PvP engagements, quests, persistent empire advancement, etc. Take a look below for the gameplay trailer and on the official website for more information and beta registration!
Black Prophecy
Space simulators are making a comeback in online form now that numerous MMO space sims are known to be in development around the world. Black Prophecy is one such game and focuses on fighter-class ships to pilot with a heavy emphasis on combat. But the latest trailer also demonstrates some of the trading and crafting elements in the game and its absolutely gorgeous graphics and space battles.
In terms of gameplay it seems very similar to Freelancer with full mouse control, twitch combat and even familiar interface design. It certainly seems to be made to attract a large crowd beyond just those who truly enjoy space simulators and this is illustrated in nothing more-so than the fact that it’ll be free to play when it releases later this year. Check out the new gamescom trailer below.
Crysis 2
Crytek actually demonstrated some teambased multiplayer gameplay in this upcoming futuristic first person shooter. It appears that multiplayer is similar to that of Crysis in that it features two nanosuited human teams, wide-open environments and a wide variety of weapons and vehicles. There are many differences however, not least of which the fact that Crysis 2 takes place in New York rather than some far-away tropical island.
Two game modes have been revealed, with the one on display in the trailer below being straight-up team deathmatch, or Team Instant Action as Crytek opted to call it. The other game mode, Crash Site, is more original as the teams vie for control over Drop Pods that are regularly launched into the map and score points by guarding these pods. There will also be some form of nanosuit customization with unique enhancing items similar to perks in Modern Warfare 2. Faster reloading, enhanced enemy outlines and even proximity alerts are part of the possibilities.
Take a look at some team instant action gameplay below.
Crysis 2 multiplayer seems very similar to that of the original
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Eidos unveiled the first ever Deus Ex: Human Revolution gameplay footage in a trailer that flips through a lot of interesting gameplay segments. It would seem that the first trailer was also captured in-engine, for the style and graphics are very similar and only marginally less detailed. There is only one aspect of the game’s visuals that seems a bit incongruent with the quality shown in the rest of the game and that is the stillness of character’s faces.
But otherwise it looks like Eidos is actually on track for making a prequel to Deus Ex in more than just name. The gameplay shots shown are widely varied and demonstrate a lot of possible play styles: using cloaking fields and dragging bodies away to avoid detection, an enhanced crossbow with sniper scope for long-range assassination, blade attachments for intense melee combat, hand-to-hand combat, machine guns, etc. Varied gameplay still seems to be the name of the game – as you can see below.
Dragon Age 2
BioWare has announced the actual release date for its upcoming cRPG sequel to be March 11th 2011 in Europe and March 8th in North America. The console versions will ship simultaneously, but given past experiences it would seem likely that the PC version will offer a superior gaming experience once again.
A CG trailer for Dragon Age 2 was also unveiled and demonstrates a very intense battle between protagonist Hawke and a giant horned monster wielding a sword and an axe. It also reveals a few interesting flashes of other events that will presumably be experienced during Dragon Age 2′s telling of the story of Hawke. And there’s a segment where Hawke seemingly gains some form of demonic powers, but this may simply be a reference to the source of a mage’s power in the DA universe. Give it a look below.
Diablo 3
After a long silence it seems that Blizzard Entertainment has decided to push Diablo 3 to the forefront again. At this year’s gamescom they revealed a new aspect of Diablo 3 gameplay in the form of NPC artisans. These artisans are NPCs that can craft items for the player when they receive the required items, but they’re also regular merchants and have special abilities depending on the type of artisan. So a blacksmith, for example, not only focuses on weapons and metal armor, but also has the ability to add gem sockets to certain item types.
Artisans are more than your run of the mill NPCs as players need to gain their trust, can hold conversations with them about the latest developments and can actually train artisans to gain even more abilities. Recipes are required to learn to craft items and these are either gained automatically by the artisans when they level up or can be found in the game world. These items have some set properties, but because it’s a Diablo game many statistics for crafted items remain random for further item variety.
Items can also be salvaged for component items to be used in the crafting process. The result is a crafting system that is almost identical to Guild Wars, but with the addition of crafter advancement and recipes from World of WarCraft. The latter influence is quite clear throughout the video as the interface design and placement is highly reminiscent of Blizzard’s popular MMORPG.
Dungeon Siege 3
Dungeon Siege 3 marks a departure from previous Dungeon Siege titles as it’s being developed by Obsidian Entertainment rather than Gas Powered Games. It’s also more of an isometric action-RPG than a top-down hack & slash RPG, but with Obsidian on the job it actually seems likely that the story will be far deeper and more involving than in previous Dungeon Siege titles. Hopefully the gameplay and polish will be up to scratch.
Nothing of real import was announced at gamescom, but some screenshots were made available. These are noteworthy because Dungeon Siege 3 looks absolutely gorgeous with incredibly detailed characters and environments, bright colors and some stunning world design. This is clearly a result of mixing Gas Powered Games’ excellent graphics expertise with Obsidian’s expertise in crafting interesting worlds.
Hopefully the game will prove to be more than just a collection of pretty pictures when it comes out.
Not much is know yet about Dungeon Siege 3, but it certainly looks good
Guild Wars 2
The most promising upcoming MMORPG now finally shows its true colors with live gameplay demonstrations and a playable demo making Guild Wars 2 the prime game at this year’s gamescom. The responses thus far have been overwhelmingly positive and the gameplay footage clearly demonstrates a game that is very much a sequel to Guild Wars, but also very different in many ways.
But most surprising was the out-of-nowhere revelation of the Necromancer class, which is playable in the gamescom demo but hasn’t seen an official reveal yet. This is shortly followed by Guild Wars 2′s heavy usage of stylish cutscenes formed by moving artwork. This even extends to some conversations with NPCs where these characters are seen talking in the foreground framed by supporting artwork in the background. This same ragged art style is presented in the game’s subdued interface elements.
There’s a more extensive write-up of Guild Wars 2 revelations at gamescom to be found here and you should check back next week for another post-gamescom article that digs even deeper into the footage we’ve been shown thus far.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
BioWare had already talked about the inclusion of space ships and even space combat, but their latest trailer clearly demonstrates how this aspect of their upcoming MMORPG is supposed to function. It will not be a space simulator like Freelancer or even a space combat simulator like Starlancer, but an entirely on-rails experience with sole focus on blasting ships and avoiding fire.
The upside is that it actually looks like it might be fairly entertaining and the graphics are excellent with vast asteroid fields, cloud nebulas and massive battles in planetary orbit. It certainly looks to be intense, but given its extremely linear format I deem it highly unlikely that there will be any form of PvP space combat, ever.
Anyhow, take a look below for the full video.
Torchlight 2
The first actual gameplay footage of Torchlight 2′s co-op mode was shown at this year’s gamescom. Several segments are shown with 4 players roaming the same map and fighting some wickedly strong monsters. And gameplay is no longer restricted to underground tunnels as the footage shown is almost entirely outdoors, albeit always under cover of darkness or clouds. The weather effects certainly enhance the atmosphere when its pitch black, raining and lightning flashes illuminate the surroundings. Check out this footage below.
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