Blacklight: Retribution first impressions

I'm a sucker for ambiance, especially when it's tied into game mechanics, and BLR really hits that sweet spot for me. The two big mechanics, the augmented reality visors and big, clunky mechs, add just enough spice to the standard game modes to not make the game feel generic (a problem I had with the previous BL game). My only gripe so far is how the menus are constantly reminding you of ways to spend real money in-game. Compared to TF2, it strikes me as the devs and/or publisher not having much respect for the players beyond a revenue stream. Anyway, for the price it's definitely worth checking out. I bought the starter pack when it was on sale, and I'm not regretting it.

Steam F2P: Round One

Steam is now distributing a handful of microtransaction-based free-to-play games, and the first one I'm trying is Forsaken World. With some more playtime I'll write a review, but so far in the first hour or so I haven't found any deal-breakers. The graphics remind me of WoW but not as angular, so it runs quite well on my aging gaming rig. Overall it feels a tad generic, but there's still plenty of opportunities for unique gameplay to emerge.

Vindictus: First Impressions

After seeing ads for it on The Escapist and watching the trailer, the promise of physics-based combat in Vindictus was too tempting to pass on. That, and it's free-to-play (F2P). What do I think after two missions?

Good: 

It's BEAUTIFUL. My gaming rig isn't the newest, so anything that looks good even on low graphical settings and 1024x768 is keen. There are just little things that stand out as well, such as being able to change your character's expression on the creation screen. The Source engine looks like it wasn't squandered when you see your character smoothly shift from a coy smirk to a full-on toothy grin, and it doesn't look cheesy.

Movement. Movement feels quite fluid like in a platformer, rather than the slightly plodding pace of other MMOs. On the scaffolding of a bell tower I was able to smoothly maneuver around gnolls and kick them off to their doom.

The Prologue. I know it's just fluff, but the introductory cutscene and prologue really set the tone well, and are a cut above what I'd expect from a F2P game. The addition of movie-style opening credits was a surprise, but gave it a slightly more professional feel.

The Combat. OMGBBQ! I can trick enemies into attacking each other!!!! It's not like in Doom, where you'd get them angry at each other, either. Once a boss gets ready to attack among a group of minions, you can maneuver so that the minions are in front of the boss. Once an animation starts, the attack can't be stopped, so the boss ends up pummeling whatever is in front of it. Also, finishing a combo with a kick sent a gnoll flying back into a comrade standing right behind it, hurting them both. This type of spatial presence is something that I've been waiting for; compared to fighting games or FPSs where (in-game) inches could win or lose a match, it always seemed odd how MMOs seemed to slack off regarding melee combat. I've never cared much for fireball-spamming as a mage, so an emphasis on hand-to-hand combat and positioning during combat feels fresh and more fun.

The Ships. Like in Guild Wars, areas outside of the town are instanced. You go to the port to 'book passage' to the area, and the interface for setting up a 'ship' works well. Immediately you're presented with a list of groups that are being set up, and the parameters for those sessions. If you create a new session, you can set how many slots are available for others (or just go alone), if it's invite-only, and additional challenges for bonus points, such as beating it with one or two players. The functionality of the whole system may not be too revolutionary, but the presentation is where it shines.

Bad:

Characters. Currently there are only three characters to choose from, with "coming soon" listed for another in the background. No biggie, but as the community grows, it might hurt immersion if eventually you look like 33% of everyone else around you.

In-Game Browser. Certain features, like the guild browser, appear to use an in-game browser. It may just be my system or internet connection, but I haven't seen the browser windows that pop up work yet.

I'll definitely be playing this more, to see if it holds up after the initial shine wears off. Sadly, Parabellum never had enough shine to start out with.

Parabellum: First Impressions

Good:

The linked 'campaign' of branching maps is a neat feature, and I'd love to see other games have something like it. There's plenty of customization options for both your character and weapons. At least for the beta, you start off with a ton of credits to spend.

Bad:

All of those credits you're given aren't worth squat at first. Everything is locked until a certain level, including basic costume components. You start off with a little SMG, and cannot buy any new weapons until you've earned a level or two. Since the more experienced players have access to better weapons, it's a case of the rich getting richer while you grind until you can start buying ANYthing else. Maybe the graphics settings just need to be tweaked, but the game can't decide what texturing to display. After UT3 and the GoW series I'm used to seeing the UT Engine show the basic shapes, and then display the nicer textures. In this game, however, the nicer textures will just revert back randomly. Heck, some objects in the levels I played didn't even have textures at all.

I'll keep playing it to get a good feel for a more formal review, but so far I'm not too impressed.