Highly Anticipated Top-Down Racer Mantis Burn Racing Gears Up For Launch On 12th October, 2016
VooFoo Studios’ debut title set to launch on PS4, Xbox One and Steam
Birmingham, United Kingdom – 4th October, 2016 – Established UK based indie developer VooFoo Studios is thrilled to today announce that its first self-published game, Mantis Burn Racing®, will launch across PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam® (for Windows PC), on Wednesday 12th October 2016.
“The response to the game at recent Gamescom and EGX expos has been nothing short of phenomenal,” says Marketing & PR Manager at VooFoo Studios, Sean Walsh. “We’ve been blown away by the feedback from everyone who’s played the game. We’re thrilled that, in just a few days’ time, players will be able to get their hands on the final game.”
Shortlisted as a finalist for ‘Racing Game’ in the TIGA Games Industry Awards 2016, Mantis Burn Racing® comes packed with four-player local Split-screen racing and 9 different event types that are all playable in both the 20-hour single-player campaign and in eight-player online competitive races and is the PlayStation 4 Pro’s first native 4K title running at 60fps for crystal-clear high definition racing!
Mantis Burn Racing® Features:
· Compelling Career Mode – Test every aspect of your driving ability in a comprehensive 7-season career structure
· Incredible Vehicles – Choose from a roster of fully customisable vehicles in 3 distinct categories, each with their own unique handling and performance traits
· Stunning Visuals – Race across stunning reversible tracks with incredible photo-realistic visuals
· Intuitive, exciting gameplay – Enter a world of realistic, but fun, vehicle handling with intuitive and exciting gameplay where the driving experience takes centre stage
· RPG-Style Upgrade System – Unlock both visual and performance upgrades for your vehicles using a RPG-style slot system to customise your vehicles’ suspension, gear-box, engine, tyres and boost
· Challenging Game Modes – Master 9 fun game modes – including Knockout, Accumulator, Overtake and Time Trial – that keep the extensive solo career fresh and exciting
· Weekly Challenges – Race your way to the top of the global leader boards in unique challenges each week for the ultimate in bragging rights
· Intense Multiplayer – 4 player local split-screen racing with extensive online modes for up to 8 players allowing players worldwide to race together seamlessly
· Original Soundtrack – Race to an original ambient-electro soundtrack written especially for the game.
· High Definition Racing – Full native 4K support on PlayStation Pro at 60fps for crystal-clear high definition racing to truly immerse players in the race.
About VooFoo Studios Ltd
VooFoo Studios Ltd is an independent UK based video games development studio, founded in 2007 by a small team of experienced industry professionals. Utilising its own proprietary cutting edge technology, VooFoo’s first game, the critically acclaimed Hustle Kings, was released for PlayStation 3 in 2009, reaching the top of the PSN charts and earning VooFoo nominations for two highly coveted Develop Awards. Building on this early success VooFoo have gone on to develop Hustle Kings on PlayStation Vita, Backgammon Blitz and the acclaimed ‘Pure’ series of games – Pure Chess, Pure Pool and Pure Hold’em – all of which have further established our reputation for developing visually stunning, commercially successful games. VooFoo’s first self-published game, Mantis Burn Racing®, will release on Steam®, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 12th October, 2016.
The North American TEKKEN 7King of the Iron Fist TournamentFinals are Upon Us!
Months of hard-hitting competition and heart-pounding tournament play will finally culminate in the North American TEKKEN 7 King of the Iron Fist Tournament Finals; taking place on November 9, 2016 at Ruby Skye, located in San Francisco, California.
There, the top 20 TEKKEN 7 players from around the country will be flown-in to compete for cash, pride, and most importantly… bragging rights! The top three finishers from the North American finals will be flown to Tokyo, Japan and will compete in the TEKKEN 7 King of the Iron Fist Tournament World Finals taking place on December 10, 2016.
Players that were not able to secure their qualification spot for the North American TEKKEN 7 King of the Iron Fist TournamentFinals will be able to participate in a “Last Chance Qualifier” event taking place on November 8, 2016 at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square, located in the heart of San Francisco.
The TEKKEN 7 King of the Iron Fist TournamentFinals will be action-packed with highly competitive bouts, special guests, and the awarding of $20,000 in cash prizes when the day is over.
We hope to see you there!
Summary of event details:
What: North American TEKKEN 7 King of the Iron Fist Tournament Finals and Last Chance Qualifiers
When: TEKKEN 7 King of the Iron Fist Finals take place on November 9, 2016; Last Chance Qualifiers take place on November 8, 2016
Where: TEKKEN 7 King of the Iron Fist Finals will take place at Ruby Skye located at 420 Mason St. in San Francisco; Last Chance Qualifiers will take place at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square located at 333 O’Farrell St. in San Francisco
Who: TEKKEN Series Director, Katsuhiro Harada, will be on-hand to meet fans and media
Ticket Sales Info: VIP and General Admission tickets will go on sale starting October 3, 2016 at 10:00am PDT.
VIP tickets will be offered at $100 and will include premium seating at the TEKKEN 7 King of the Iron Fist Finals and a special VIP gift bag.
General admission tickets for the TEKKEN 7 King of the Iron Fist Finals event will be offered at $5.
The Last Chance Qualifier tournament registration fee is $30 and will include both a T-shirt and admission into the next day’s TEKKEN 7 King of the Iron Fist Finals
While official spectator seating will not be offered; TEKKEN fans are welcome to come checkout the action at the Last Chance Qualifier event.
2K Reveals Mafia III – The World of New Bordeaux – The New Mob
2K and Hangar 13 today released Mafia III – The World of New Bordeaux – The New Mob, the latest in a series of videos detailing a variety of exciting features in Mafia III.
In Mafia III – The World of New Bordeaux – The New Mob, learn how Lincoln Clay found uneasy allies among other victims of Sal Marcano’s tyrannical reign over New Bordeaux. Quickly, Lincoln recruited these allies into a variously-talented corps of underbosses, assembling his own family to exact revenge.
Mafia III will be available October 7, 2016 for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC. Mafia III is rated PEGI 18. For more information on Mafia III, subscribe on YouTube, follow us on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook and visit http://MafiaGame.com.
Join Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon WildlandsLead Game Designed Dominic Butler for an alternative approach to the mission shown at E3. Butler opts to use a stealth approach by parachuting from a helicopter under the cover of night to insert themselves into the area where they will capture a cartel leader for interrogation. Two players provide long distance sniper support while the other two teammates sneak into the camp using a local truck. Using a mix of coordinated attacks and stealth takedowns, the team make it into the enemy camp with little fuss and manage to sabotage out some key points that will give them the upper hand. As the mission progresses, players are given a good look at how weapons, gadgets, and vehicles will handle in the game.
Psyonix Releases Big New Update With FREE Underwater Arena, Premium DLC Battle-Cars, Achievements, and More
SAN DIEGO, CA – October 4, 2016 – Independent video game developer and publisher, Psyonix,has announced that its new AquaDome update will be available for download in Rocket League® later today. Featuring a FREE new underwater arena of the same name, the AquaDome update also includes model redesigns for well-known launch vehicles Hotshot and Road Hog, FREE AquaDome customization items, seven new Achievements and Trophies, and additional in-game refinements and adjustments.
Two new premium DLC Battle-Cars, Proteus and Triton, also will release today for USD $1.99 per car (or regional equivalent), in addition to a new “Champions Series III” Crate, which can be opened with Keys that help fund Psyonix’s esports initiatives.
Winner or nominee of more than 150 “Game of the Year” awards, Rocket League® is one of the most critically-acclaimed sports games of a generation. Boasting a community of more than 21 million players, Rocket League® is a high-powered hybrid of arcade-style soccer and vehicular mayhem that offers easy-to-understand controls and fluid, physics-driven competition. Available digitally on Xbox One, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC, Mac, and SteamOS via Steam, Rocket League® includes more than 100 billion possible customization combinations, a fully-featured offline season mode, multiple game types, casual and competitive online matches, and special “Mutators” that let you change the rules entirely.
To learn more about Rocket League®, please visit www.RocketLeagueGame.com, “Like” it on Facebook, and follow it on Twitter@RocketLeague for all the latest developer updates and news.
ABOUT PSYONIX Based in San Diego, CA,Psyonix is a critically-acclaimed independent video game developer and leading experts in Unreal Engine technology. For more than a decade, the studio has been a driving force behind some of the most successful games in the industry, including Gears of War, Mass Effect 3, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Bulletstorm, Unreal Tournament III, Unreal Tournament 2004, and the award-winning Sports-Action hit, Rocket League®.
KOEI TECMO AMERICA DETAILS CIVIC DEVELOPMENT FEATURES FOR NOBUNAGA’S AMBITION: SPHERE OF INFLUENCE – ASCENSION
Manage a Domain’s Growth from a Modest Village to a Bustling City in This Grand Strategy Epic and Historical Simulator, Headed to PlayStation 4 and Windows PC
Burlingame, Calif. – October 4, 2016 – KOEI TECMO America today revealed the new civic development system available in Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence – Ascension, which provides further strategic options to players in the epic grand strategy title. A selection of new screenshots highlighting this new system are also available today, alongside examples of Castles and Facilities found within the game. Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence – Ascension is set to release on October 25, 2016 for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and digitally on Windows PC via Steam®.
In Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence – Ascension, players can take control of their own domain and, while this begins relatively small, they can ascend to become Lord of the Castle through following their lord’s orders. Rising through the ranks offers the opportunity to use the Civic Development system on a larger scale, allowing a small Village to turn into a bustling City. Many aspects of a domain can be improved through this system, and it is up to the player whether to construct a military city or an agriculture town.
A key part of building a domain successfully is the strategic selection and use of Facilities. There are three different types of facilities available – Production, Dedicated and Military – all of which provide resources and boosts. Production Facilities generate gold, supplies, lumber and iron, Dedicated Facilities raise satisfaction levels within neighboring districts, and Military Facilities increase army size and bolster forces with greater weaponry and equipment. Each facility has limited productivity, however, and through strategic combination, players will notice greatly improved production rates, providing a wealth of resources for their domain.
Land also plays a key role in deciding how to shape an empire. Eventually, players will run out of room to construct additional facilities, so clearing land is an important way to discover new resources and uncover new plots to build on. Players can also alter the terrain to provide greater benefits to their domain. For example, water is hard to access while inland, but irrigating a canal will improve water control, allowing rice paddies to be cultivated.
For more information and to stay up-to-date on the latest news for Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence – Ascension, including detailed descriptions of the historical personalities that shaped Sengoku Era Japan, please visit the official site at www.koeitecmoamerica.com/ascension, Like KOEI TECMO America on Facebook at www.facebook.com/koeitecmous, and become part of the #KTfamily by following KOEI TECMO America on Twitter at @KoeiTecmoUS.
About Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence – Ascension
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence – Ascension is the standalone follow-up to the critically acclaimed historical simulation title based on the Warring States period of Japanese history. Highlighting some of the most epic battles of Sengoku Era Japan, players will experience the events that lead from the fracture of the country to the establishments of clans and the forming of alliances before the inevitable clash that led to the emergence of the first Shogunate. Ascend through the ranks from an Officer to a Daimyō and conquer your ambition!
ABOUT KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP.
KOEI TECMO AMERICA CORP. is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Burlingame, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of KOEI TECMO HOLDINGS CO., LTD., headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. KOEI is best known for its Dynasty Warriors® and Samurai Warriors® franchises. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl®, and Fatal Frame® series.
“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
FIRST-PARTNER POKÉMON EVOLUTIONS, A SPECIAL DEMO VERSION AND MORE ANNOUNCED FOR POKÉMON SUN AND POKÉMON MOON!
New Pokémon, gameplay features, a Special Demo Version and Mega Evolution details revealed for upcoming Pokémon games.
London—4 October 2016— The Pokémon Company International showcased a bunch of new information for the latest games in the Pokémon franchise, Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, coming to Europe on 23 November and available exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
The evolved forms of the three first-partner Pokémon, Dartrix, Torracat and Brionne, were unveiled:
Dartrix
Type: Grass-Flying
The Blade Quill Pokémon Dartrix evolves from Rowlet. Dartrix attacks by throwing its knife-edged feathers, and it possesses extremely sharp senses. This Pokémon can detect opponents behind it and can throw feathers to strike them without even seeing them. This Pokémon cares a great deal about its appearance, grooming its feathers in every spare moment it has.
Torracat
Type: Fire
The Fire Cat Pokémon Torracat evolves from Litten. This Pokémon produces flames for its attacks from a bell-like sac attached at the base of its throat. Torracat has a great love for battle and will attack relentlessly. Its mane can sense what is going on around it, even in the dark, and is able to detect the presence of hidden enemies.
Brionne
Type: Water
The Pop Star Pokémon Brionne evolves from Popplio. Brionne can dance in perfect time with others and is always cheery and positive. A very hard worker, Brionne learns dances by imitating other members of its colony and can sometimes even learn dances from humans. As this Pokémon dances, it creates balloons and slaps them into its target, making them explode and deal damage to its opponents.
In Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, communication features are gathered together in the new Festival Plaza. Players will be able to see other people playing near them, or other players that are connected to the internet to battle or trade. By talking to people and listening to their requests in Festival Plaza, players can receive Festival Coins. There are cool stores to spend Festival Coins in, such as dye houses, goody shops (where rare items are sold) and even bouncy castles for Pokémon to train in. As players gather more Festival Coins, their Festival Plaza will rank up, yielding rewards and making more activities available. Players will even gain the ability to host missions, where multiple players can work together to try to achieve certain goals.
Another new feature that was announced was Poké Pelago. In Poké Pelago, Pokémon that are stored in a PC Box can explore a variety of isles, play on athletic equipment and enjoy other fun activities. If players send many Pokémon to Poké Pelago, they can develop more facilities on the isles and also develop new kinds of isles. As these isles are developed and increase in number, they will allow players to obtain items and even raise Pokémon.
Mega Evolution is making a return as well. Pokémon that were able to Mega Evolve in previous Pokémon games will also be able to Mega Evolve in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. The Mega Stones for Pokémon with the capability to Mega Evolve that appear in the Alola region may be received from characters in the game or obtained from special shops.
The Pokémon Global Link will be updated for Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon and will be available from the games’ launch date. The updated Pokémon Global Link site will have new features, including new online competitions, global missions and more. More information and features on the upcoming site can be found here.
The Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon Special Demo Version was also unveiled and will be available to download directly from Nintendo eShop or via the official Nintendo website starting from 18 October. The Special Demo Version introduces players to the Alola region and features Ash-Greninja, the Pokémon that appears alongside the hero Ash in the animated TV series Pokémon the Series: XYZ. Players will be able to transfer their Ash-Greninja from the Special Demo Version to their full version ofPokémon Sun or Pokémon Moon once the game launches on 23 November.
About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.co.uk .
About Nintendo
The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home consoles, Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.4 billion video games and more than 693 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Wii, and Nintendo 3DS family of systems including New Nintendo 3DS™, New Nintendo 3DS XL™, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL™, Nintendo 2DS™, as well as Nintendo DS™, Nintendo DSi™, Nintendo DSi XL™, Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of Europe, based in Germany, was established in 1990 and serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in Europe.
CHAOS CHRONICLE RECEIVES FIRST MAJOR CONTENT UPDATE
Action Roleplaying Game Soars Past One Million Downloads Since August Release
Seoul – Oct. 4, 2016 – Masters of Chaos Chronicles will continue to bring salvation to their houses as NEXON Korea Corporation, a worldwide leader in free-to-play online and mobile games, launches the first major content update, “Guild Wars.” Since its global launch on Aug. 4, 2016, Chaos Chronicle has easily surpassed one million downloads by fans of the side-scrolling, 2D mobile role-playing game (RPG) developed by WING Studio.Chaos Chronicle is available on iOS and Android mobile devices around the world.
The “Guild War” update for builds on the epic battles and immersive storyline of Chaos Chronicle with brand new player versus player (PvP) content. The update also offers players opportunities to boost their character’s hero limit through a ‘Hero Transcendence’ system as well as face tougher enemies and ultimately the Chaos Raid boss. Fans of the game will also discover in the update:
Exciting PvP Seasons: Introduction of seven days of ‘Free Season’ and 23 days of ‘Regular Season’ allows players to watch opposing guild members for new strategies during ‘Free Season’ and then host individual battles for rewards based on ranking once the season ends;
New “Hard Mode” Stages: Adventure Stages give players an increased challenge as well as 20 new floors in Manatech Tower (from 70F to 90F);
Challenge the Chaos Boss: Players can defeat raid bosses and accumulate raid points to call forth the Chaos Boss;
Special Buffs for The Twelve Disciples: The Twelve Disciples will receive special ‘buff’ effects to reinforce their unique skills and stats;
Level up with “Hero Transcendence” system: Players can now exceed the current hero level limit (Lv. 30, +6 enhancement, max stats) for additional upgrades by fusing the same hero.
In celebration of the update, rewards will be given to players that log into the game including 300 Rubies for all players; and 300 Rubies and a 6-Star Contract for players that have not logged in for 15 days.
Chaos Chronicle is available for download now via mobile device from the App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android worldwide in English, French, German and other languages.
About NEXON Co. Ltd.
NEXON Co., Ltd. (“Nexon”) (3659.TO) is a worldwide leader in free-to-play online and mobile games. Founded in Korea in 1994, Nexon developed one of the world’s first graphics-based massively multiplayer online games. Nexon also pioneered the concept of microtransactions and the free-to-play business model, setting a new standard in which play is free, and users have the option to purchase in-game items to enhance their experience. Nexon currently services nearly 150 titles in more than 150 countries. The Company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and its shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
About WING Studio
Wing Studio (CEO Heo Inho) is a mobile games development company founded in December 2013 integrated by developers with wide experience in creating games for different platforms. The relationship with Nexon started in December 2013 after they joined Nexon’s startup program: Nexon & Partners Center, NPC. Afterwards, in August 2014 they signed a global publishing and investment contract with Nexon for Chaos Chronicle and now they are based in the Nexon Collaboration Center, NCC.
Last weekend I found myself the chance to play a preview of Bethesda’sDishonored 2 at EB Expo in Sydney – and it was so much fun I did it twice. Following on 15 years after the end of the first Dishonored, Dishonored 2 is set in the warm and sunny city of Karnaca. Empress Emily has been dethroned and outlawed by an otherworldly usurper, and once again you have to right what is wrong the only way an assassin knows how: choking everyone out and hiding them in dumpsters.
The preview of the game everyone played featured the Clockwork Mansion level, showcased here last week in two High- versus Low-Chaos videos. The play-through starts halfway through, at the mansion’s front door and it is up to the players to navigate its inner workings, free Anton Sokolov, and deal with Kirin Jindosh. First impression was one of familiarity: the same steampunk aesthetic remains, and Corvo’s abilities feel instantly familiar. The city of Karnaca (what can be seen at least) is similar enough to feel a part of the world’s aesthetic, but has a very Mediterranean vibe to it. The level design follows the first game’s excellent example, with multiple pathways, plenty to explore, and hidden rooms, but with a greater use of verticality than was present in Dunwall. The Clockwork Mansion itself shifts around you as you fiddle with its mechanisms, hiding and revealing paths, and it is often necessary to leave the lavishly furnished mansion to hide and run throughout its walls and inner workings. Combat is just as satisfying and kills just as brutal as in the first game, and with Corvo’s abilities largely the same fights are instantly familiar to fans of the first. The new clockwork soldiers throw a curve-ball, with their towering stature, four blade limbs and heightened senses making their avoidance recommended. They’re resilient and aggressive foes, and encountering them during the level was a welcome challenge and change of pace in combat. Tactics and weapons to deal with them exist, making them refreshing rather than frustrating to encounter.
For example at one point in the day I was amusing myself trying to kill a clockwork by repeatedly blinking behind it and turning to jump and attempt an assassination. With the clockwork choosing to slowly plod after me, it gave me plenty of chances to time my attacks. A bemused staffer at the stall kindly informed me I had explosive bullets with which to deal with the clockwork – and I didn’t have all day. In order to prove him wrong I kept at it – whereupon the clockwork decided to aggressively charge and cut me down. Touche game, touche.
Both of my play-throughs were done in High-Chaos. Not because the kill animations are great, or because it’s satisfying to rend enemies limb-from limb, but because I couldn’t figure out the control scheme on the controller, and it was just easier to stab everyone, so I got very familiar with the combat system. My second play was as Emily, and she’s just as capable as Corvo when it comes to scenes of ultra-violence, or tenderly hugging guards as your sword exits their chest chestburster-style. Her abilities play pretty differently to Corvo’s, with the exception of Far Reach, which is her version of Blink. Where Corvo’s abilities tend to focus on himself, or act to extend him, like Windblast, Possession, or Bend Time, Emily’s focus is more on opponents, directly affecting their minds with Mesmerize or Domino, while Doppelganger allows you to summon a copy of yourself to attack enemies. As either character the Mansion yielded secrets and routes similarly, with their differences being more keenly felt in combat.
The introduction of a voice actor for Corvo was jarring at first, as he’s apparently gotten over the whole silent protagonist shtick in order to narrate his experiences. I can see why the change was made – the voice narration helped make sense of the level early on in the play-through, and gave Corvo more of a personality than the apocalyptic horseman he portrayed in the first game. The change isn’t necessarily a bad one however, and would probably feel more natural with a whole game to play through. Overall the weekend was a positive experience, and the game was immense fun. I did encounter a couple of bugs during my time, which is inevitable in an early version, but they didn’t impact on the game at all.
Dishonored 2 releases worldwide on November 11 this year, on PC, Xbox One and Playstation 4.
World of Warcraft: Legion is the sixth expansion pack for the venerable World of Warcraft MMORPG. The Burning Legion is invading Azeroth once again with the assistance of the warlock Gul’dan. Of course, where there are demons, the elven demon hunters are not far behind. World of Warcraft: Legion introduces some major changes to the game, including a revamp of the PVP system, artifact weapons, and Order Halls.
Story
Warning: Minor spoilers ahead
If it is possible to sum up World of Warcraft: Legion’s story in a single word, I would choose ballsy. Within the first few minutes of the game, several major characters that have played big roles in Warcraft lore throughout the years are killed. Both the Alliance and the Horde have now lost their leaders, leaving the the young Anduin Wrynn and the Banshee Queen Sylvanas Windrunner to lead their respective factions through this crisis.
Of course, no expansion focused on the Burning Legion is complete without the return of the fan favourite demon hunters. Gamers will finally get a chance to play the class as either Night Elves or Blood Elves after Maiev Shadowsong chooses them over the Burning Legion as the lesser of the two evils. Now unleashed upon Azeroth to exterminate the Burning Legion without mercy, the demon hunters are quickly resurrecting their organization without Illidan Stormrage at the helm and rebuilding tenuous ties with the Horde and Alliance.
Blizzard is continuing to demonstrate that their writers are some of the best in the industry. World of Warcraft: Legion is probably one of the strongest expansions lore wise. The pacing is excellent and the story is interesting. Even with the grim events World of Warcraft: Legion is built around, Blizzard still manages to work in their trademark sense of humour into the game.
Gameplay
I get questions from friends who do not play World of Warcraft once in a while about why World of Warcraft 2 has yet to be released. My answer is always simple: compare vanilla World of Warcraft to the latest expansion over a decade on and you will see two completely different games. The popularity of the Nostralrius private server before it was shut down is evidence how much has changed in twelve years. Blizzard has kept their MMORPG going all these years by implementing incremental changes to the system, whether they brand new ideas or ones inspired by the multitude of so called “WoW killers” that have been released over the years.
World of Warcraft: Legion is no different. Behind the marquee additions of artifact weapons and demon hunters are a slew of changes both big and small. One of the biggest is the changes to the garrison system. Many players criticized that World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor’s encouraged players to sit in their garrisons. Blizzard’s phase instances of low population areas helped breath a little life into quieter areas, but it also came at the cost of breaking up the communities on the server, which many RP servers are still quite bitter about. For Legion, Order Halls are replacing the garrison. The halls retain the NPC questing system of the garrison but are no longer a solo instance. Instead, they are a meeting place for all members of that class. The NPC questing system makes its return, albeit in a slightly different format. The NPC quests are tied into each player’s quest line for their artifact weapon and the NPCs recruited are either nameless troops or named champions who play a more active role in a player’s Legion experience. Additionally, the Order Halls are where players can spend their points to add new skills to their weapons, and research perks for their Order Halls. Blizzard has also released a mobile app to help players manage their Order Halls on the go. The new Order Halls are a massive improvement over the garrison. The biggest and most important change is that there are no economic related activities happening in the Order Halls. Forcing players to go back to town to use the auction house or find a crafter to make their goods is a big stride in rebuilding some of the community that was lost in Warlords of Draenor. Add in the constant flow of people running around the Order Halls and the game is already feeling a lot more like an MMORPG again.
One of the more interesting changes to the game is the complete shake up of the PVP system. The goal is to separate the PVP and PVE elements of the game as much as possible, allowing Blizzard to balance one aspect with as little impact on the other as possible. Blizzard has removed PVP items completely from the game, hoping to make PVP less gear focused. They estimate that differences in gear acquired in PVE should only account for roughtly a 7% power difference. A separate honor talent tree has been implemented that allows players to add new talents as they proceed through the honor ranks. In true modern video game fashion, once a player hits level 50, they can prestige to gain new cosmetic benefits and progress through the honor ranks again. Of course, the biggest change to PVP is actually quite simple, the dreaded human racial ability Every Man For Himself has been nerfed significantly. It is a huge step in rebuilding a balanced PVP system for the game.
Now I want to make it clear, I have not participated in PVP much since World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade for a variety of reasons, both personal and game related. The PVP balance issues that has dragged on for the last several years has not encouraged my return either, which culminated in me completely avoiding PVP in Warlords of Draenor all together as a Horde player. At this point, I think I am happy with any serious change to the system that starts with nerfing Every Man for Himself. Hopefully the new changes bring a little more long-term balance that has plagued PVP is better than the previous system.
PVE has also seen some changes. Blizzard has completely removed levelled zones from the game. Instead, players are free to pick and choose the places they want to quest in and in the order they wish to do it. As players level up, both the questing area and the dungeons will automatically adjust its difficulty to reflect the player’s levels. I like the new system as it helps players experience the lore at their own pace while still keeping the difficulty level at an appropriate level.
The artifact weapon system is probably one of the more radical changes to the item system World of Warcraft has seen yet. Instead of having players chase after weapon drops in instances and crafting, every class specialization in the game has its own artifact weapon. As players complete quests, run dungeons/raids, explore the world, and so forth, players gain artifact points and artifact relics to spend on new artifact skills. Artifact skills are a mix of stat boosts, passive skills, and active abilities suited for the specialization. I am quite pleased with the new system, as it brings back a little bit of the old talent system without completely overwhelming the new, simplified talent system introduced in Mists of Panderia. Additionally, it means that every player gets a chance to participate in a legendary weapon quest, instead of waiting and hoping for Blizzard to choose their class as the lucky recipient of that expansion’s legendary weapon. As a person who has played the often ignored feral/guardian druid for several expansions now, I am thrilled to finally partake.
The new demon hunter class is a leather wearing agility melee specialist. Like the death knight, players start in a specialized area that introduces players to the class’ lore and abilities, before depositing players at the beginning of the expansion. Players need to have a level 70 character on a server before they are allowed to roll a demon hunter. In a break from tradition, demon hunters only have two specializations, the vengeance tank spec and the havoc DPS spec; however, each spec has their own set of skills. Demon hunters use pain and soul fragments as their resources. Both are generated using specific abilities, though soul fragments are generated by random chance. Both are used to fuel various demon hunter abilities. As a highly mobile class, demon hunters are able to double jump and use glide to slow their fall. The havoc specialization plays a lot of like a fury warrior mixed with a rogue, while the vengeance tank feels more like a cross between a death knight and the dodge-heavy druid tanks of previous expansions. The class is very fun to play and stays true to the lore. While I think the double jump and glide ability is a little too handy compared to other classes, I hope that Blizzard considers giving other classes more mobility options versus nerfing the day lights out of the demon hunter.
The smaller changes are just as important in World of Warcraft: Legion. Blizzard has been taking cues from the vibrant UI modding community over the years, updating the default UI with functions that mimic or outright replace popular mods. This expansion pack is no different. As a tank, my favourite of these changes is a small subtle arrow in the targeting circle that shows which direction the selected target is facing. Additionally, the upgrades to the transmogrification system brings the game more in line with the flexible system used in Diablo 3. When players pick up an item, the look is saved and can be used later for a small fee. The crafting system has also been stripped down a bit, cutting down the number of recipes in the game in favour of rewarding crafters with more efficient recipes over time. Inscription has seen the biggest change in result of this decision, with major glyphs being completely dropped from the game in favour of raid specific consumables.
So in the end, all of the additions and adjustments to the World of Warcraft formula that Legion has introduced has resulted in a leaner, meaner game. It is easier than ever to hop into World of Warcraft, whether you do it for the first time or are returning after missing several expansions. While Blizzard is continuing to move World of Warcraft’s gameplay further away from vanilla WoW, it is continuing to modernize the game and keep it relevant in an ever changing environment.
Visuals
Much like the gameplay, World of Warcraft has seen graphical engine updates over the years. It still runs as well as ever on old computers, though the minimum system requirements have been given a gentle bump up this time around. While some minor tweaks here and there have been implemented, it is all so subtle that I can barely tell the difference between Legion and Warlords of Draenor. The biggest and most noticeable change is the maximum draw distance has been tripled, giving players with the latest video cards a good long look into the distance.
Art style wise, Legion is looking great. The Burning Legion’s demonic lime green style is used liberally within the game, easily marking characters as good and evil while representing the demon hunter’s precarious life in between the lines. There are plenty of new models in the game that compliment Blizzard’s already large library well.
Audio
World of Warcraft: Legion continues the tradition of a strong audio experience. The sound effects are excellent. While there are a few smaller characters where voice actors miss the mark, the voice acting is top notch for the most part. The soundtrack is a fantastic mix of epic fantasy tracks with more subtle songs to keep things balanced.
Overall
World of Warcraft: Legion is a well balanced mix of gutsy and subtle changes and additions. Blizzard’s writers are moving back towards the more traditional topics in World of Warcraft lore, yet has gleefully killed off plenty of major characters. PVP has seen a complete overhaul, yet PVE has been tuned to be a more consistent experience. The long awaited demon hunter is an excellent mix of the familiar, yet adds some new concepts such as high mobility and completely separate skill sets. When all the updates and additions are combined, World of Warcraft: Legion is likely one of Blizzard’s best expansion packs in a long time.
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