Hellgate: London

E3 2007 Preview

It is a game that has been in development for quite a while. Originally planned out as a massively multiplayer online venture, Hellgate: London has seen a change of focus and when this title finally releases, it will bear some resemblance to the good old hack ‘n slash games like Diablo 2. Of course, there is a reason for that and it stems from the fact that members of the dev team were part of that title’s development.

There are 30-40 hours of gameplay in Hellgate and the environments are known as metasets. There are eight-to-nine metasets with 15-20 variations on each. There is a rarity which may affect the level of a metaset or send the player to a new section that houses rare elements. The world is anything but static, and there are six different character classes – two factions per class.

Features of the game include:

• Combining the depth and customizability of Role-Playing Games with the immersive experience of a first-person perspective, gameplay is fast-paced without requiring lightning-fast FPS reflexes, making it accessible to a broad audience of RPG fans.

• Fight against the demons of the underworld as one of several unique character classes. Like the Templar, each class has a unique visual and game play style based on their particular history and heritage. Randomly generated and modifiable items ensure that heroes are distinct and individualized.

• Battle against a wide variety of demonic enemies, each with their own unique attributes, abilities, and vulnerabilities in a post-apocalyptic London.

• With dynamically- generated levels, massive quantities of randomly created items, chance events and story- driven quests, no two gaming experiences are ever the same.

• While Hellgate: London stands on its own as a single-player game, it also provides a compelling cooperative multiplayer experience through a dedicated online gaming destination. By creating unique and individualized game play “instances” within a vast online community, gamers get all the best parts of traditional massive multiplayer games without the common downsides.

A representative for the game said Hellgate “still has RPG standards (in terms of leveling) with an FPS bent.”

The game can be played in both third- and first-person perspectives, and will have guild support and housing. Players can also subscribe to the game and get content updates.

The game certainly looks good and has solid animation, special effects and environments. Hellgate may have been in development for a while, but the game is shaping up to be a dynamic and entertaining hack ‘n slash romp.

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