Hellgate London

[TevashSzat]

So the game is coming out on the 31st. Anyone really excited about it? I just played the demo and it just brought back memories of the good old Diablo I/II days...

Demo Download Here (http://files.filefront.com/Hellgate+London+Demo/;8828967;/fileinfo.html)

[Zenicetus]

Well, I'm interested, but also gun-shy after the DRM issues with Bioshock and M2TW/Kingdoms. I read somewhere that there might be some "phone home with your system info for marketing reasons" issues with Hellgate, but that wouldn't bother me as much as invasive, non-removable DRM (like Kingdoms), or that plus limited activations like Bioshock.

So what's the scoop.... anyone know? These days I will not jump on a new PC game without knowing how the copy protection works. I'm fine with CP that isn't too invasive, but that seems to be where all the publishers want to go, lately.

[pevergreen]

These are the guys that made D2 so Im going to get my work friend to buy and play it, then tell me how good it is, then buy it and play it.

After playing Dungeons and Dragons Online :beam:

[Whacker]

My friend got in on the beta. He said it was basically a linear FPS where you're trapped in a subway, and there's a little bit, keyword little, of Diablo2-esque skill system management involved.

He had it uninstalled after about an hour of play. Since I trust his opinion and I refuse to pay subscription fees to get a full game, this is filed in the "Disappointing" category.

/shrug

[TevashSzat]

I've played the demo and will admit that it seems a bit underwhelming at first being in the classic Diablo style, ie more hack and slash rather than storytelling, but like Diablo again, Hellgate London doesn't seem to be addictive, but it gets to be.

@Zenicetus

I believe this phone in service is just their way of making sure that you aren't hacking since online is a significiant portion of the game. There will also be some marketing, but its supposed to fit in with the game's enviornment so any advertisement will blend in. As for copy protection, I believe that there is none, but don't quote me on that

[Lehesu]

Eh, I'll stick with Titan Quest for now.

[Fragony]

Any ingame adds equals no buy here. Games are expensive and profitable enough as they are.

[Slyspy]

Yep, it phones home for in-game ads and has a subscription for extra content. I'm not going to bother.

[doc_bean]

Played the demo to see what the hype was about.

Meh, it feels really old school, but not in a good way. The 'random' levels are pretty boring. The shooting isn't much fun since you can't really 'aim' in the usual fps way. The enemies are thick as a brick, and rather uninspired. And the visuals aren't all that great (given the hype about te visuals) with everything on max.

[Sarathos]

Its only a demo, I know its supposed to look good to attract buyers but they are only testing it. The full version might be a little better, we shall see.

[TevashSzat]

Well I got the game and I must say that it does feel like Diablo II.

The item randomizaation is awesome, but I feel that the class restrictions on the items may be a bit too much. As for the content, you can just play singleplayer and not worry about multiplayer at all. There is no difference between singleplayer and multiplayer unless you want to play with friends

[Bellum]

Any ingame adds equals no buy here. Games are expensive and profitable enough as they are.

Because it really matters if a coke machine says 'Coca Cola' instead of 'SoftoDrink(orw/e)', or if a bilboard has an axe ad instead of something completely made up.

Either way, Games aren't profitable at all unless they sell well (and many don't). That's old news, been true since the 90's.