The people have spoken! You voted for it, and now you have it! If this takes off I plan to write more so PLEASE leave a comment to help me refine my future reviews.
Intelligence Check: Vindictus
Vindictus is a free-to-play action oriented MMORPG that exchanges the classic targeting system found in previous MMOs for the God of War style that involves beating the holy ham and cheese croissant out of anything that moves. Although the idea of running into a dungeon and going hack and slash happy may appeal to many gamers, the somewhat revolutionary game mechanics has taken a toll on the rest of the game. European players are unfortunately being left out, as Nexon is only allowed to host in the US and must IP Block external players.
The game begins with the player selecting a character. Unfortunately Nexon had to tell a story with the characters that has already been set in the game Mabinogi. This means that players are stuck choosing the play style they prefer while ignoring the fact that gender is stuck. However, Vindictus does a good job of making sure that the characters are not overly sexualized, meaning those of you with a girlfriend or boyfriend won?t have to worry about them looking over your shoulder and popping you a good slap for staring as the characters nearly visible features, which is bound to happen when playing Onechambra.
Players in the US only have three of the four classes. Lann is a dual wielding nutcase that swings his swords faster than Lloyd Irving?s famous Sword Rain: Beta, Fiona is a sword and shield character, reminding me a lot of Cassandra from Soul Caliber, and the final addition is Eve the scythe and gravity defying mage. A fourth class, an archer, is scheduled to be released soon, though knowing Nexon...say when is Episode 3 coming out?
Once a player has chosen a character they are thrown into a tutorial. Although the player has the option of skipping it, the tutorial has been done so well that players will barely realize they are in one. To sweeten the deal, Nexon created an opening sequence after finishing the mission, which ends on an EXTREMELY epic note. I have never recommended players actually take a tutorial until now, you will NOT be disappointed.
The appeal of Vindictus is stellar, combining the arcade hack and slash style with an MMORPG which allows friends to go blood crazed is a brilliant idea. When I say blood crazed, I mean absolutely insane as characters in Vindictus have some of the most brutal yet elegant methods of evisceration I have personally seen in a free to play title. Players looking for a game that is obviously not created for kids, yet also not labeled as an adult title due to the lack of degenerating garments, need look no further than here. As players load the game they may find something eerily familiar about the way the game loads to the title screen so I will spoil that right here: Yes, this is a Source game. The game engine that is in Portal, and Half Life 2, is here in Vindictus.
What can be done with the Source engine in Vindictus is simple: pick up object, rush to enemy, ??????????, profit! Spears, pots, pieces of a tree, even dead enemies themselves (oddly enough, rigor mortis sets into characters pretty quickly, enemies turn to stone seconds after being killed) can be used to beat enemies to a pulp. While the notion of smashing things into enemies may appear fun, it really boils down into two attacks, the quick how?s yer father, and the Hulk smash. Also I should probably mention that picking up heavier objects will reduce stamina, which is essential to actions for any character. On the flip side, a lot of the sound effects in Vindictus may sound familiar, particularly walking.
There is only one objective to Vindictus: Finish the dungeon. Side missions ask that players collect certain items or kill certain enemies but the main goal remains the same. Players can take up bonus missions to spice up the gameplay but in the end, the end is what counts. The levels all have different settings from ancient ruins to snow caves to many other areas. Unfortunately, these levels take a long time to get to and until one makes the shift from the 12 ?different? dungeons the setting looks the same. Progression as a character is also less defined by level and more geared towards what equipment there is and what achievements the player has completed. Once a player has finished an achievement a permanent stat boost is given, meaning the more achievements a player has the better.
The community helps, there are many missions in the main storyline that require a party, and some rare loot can only be obtained by achieving things that require at least three or four players. One such loot drop is a boss monsters helmet. One player must shoot a grappling hook (which cannot retract! Has nobody played Ocarina of Time or Just Cause 2?!) in order to trip the boss while other players hack away at the head of the boss until the helmet flies off. Fortunately, loot is done well. All players will receive their own loot boxes, with boss loot drops being given to all players involved. This does away with ninja looting effectively, and I applaud Nexon for the idea. I just wish that Nexon would hurry up and figure out why players have a hard time connecting; a lot of them are strangely nice. A nice community is strange from the same people that host Combat Arms, which I state here and now that I would rather be drawn and quartered than play that game, so don?t even ask.
Players can play to the end game absolutely for free, and a non-obsessed player will barely notice the token system. Players are given 50 tokens to spend on entering dungeons. The 50 tokens are reset every couple of days and players spend two coins per dungeon. This may sound simple but many players constantly complain about this feature, saying that Nexon, selling premium spare tokens, is simply cashing in. In my person experience, I have never had a problem with the tokens running out. In my mind the business milking Nexon is going into is selling underwear and facial features for a temporary time limit. Thankfully these items do not give any stat boosts yet, but really? I need to pay weekly for my wal-mart smiley boxers?
In summary, Nexon has a real gem here. Vindictus grabs the player with an amazing opening sequence and refuses to let go for a long time. Once players are let go however, they land pretty hard. Vindictus might have a great gameplay element, but playing in the same dungeon for weeks might seem rather tedious to some players, the same going with equipment. All in all, I think everyone who is getting tired of the ?click, 1, 2, 3, repeat? system should give Vindictus a try.
Final Vote: Seal of Approval
Intelligence Check: Vindictus
Vindictus is a free-to-play action oriented MMORPG that exchanges the classic targeting system found in previous MMOs for the God of War style that involves beating the holy ham and cheese croissant out of anything that moves. Although the idea of running into a dungeon and going hack and slash happy may appeal to many gamers, the somewhat revolutionary game mechanics has taken a toll on the rest of the game. European players are unfortunately being left out, as Nexon is only allowed to host in the US and must IP Block external players.
The game begins with the player selecting a character. Unfortunately Nexon had to tell a story with the characters that has already been set in the game Mabinogi. This means that players are stuck choosing the play style they prefer while ignoring the fact that gender is stuck. However, Vindictus does a good job of making sure that the characters are not overly sexualized, meaning those of you with a girlfriend or boyfriend won?t have to worry about them looking over your shoulder and popping you a good slap for staring as the characters nearly visible features, which is bound to happen when playing Onechambra.
Players in the US only have three of the four classes. Lann is a dual wielding nutcase that swings his swords faster than Lloyd Irving?s famous Sword Rain: Beta, Fiona is a sword and shield character, reminding me a lot of Cassandra from Soul Caliber, and the final addition is Eve the scythe and gravity defying mage. A fourth class, an archer, is scheduled to be released soon, though knowing Nexon...say when is Episode 3 coming out?
Once a player has chosen a character they are thrown into a tutorial. Although the player has the option of skipping it, the tutorial has been done so well that players will barely realize they are in one. To sweeten the deal, Nexon created an opening sequence after finishing the mission, which ends on an EXTREMELY epic note. I have never recommended players actually take a tutorial until now, you will NOT be disappointed.
The appeal of Vindictus is stellar, combining the arcade hack and slash style with an MMORPG which allows friends to go blood crazed is a brilliant idea. When I say blood crazed, I mean absolutely insane as characters in Vindictus have some of the most brutal yet elegant methods of evisceration I have personally seen in a free to play title. Players looking for a game that is obviously not created for kids, yet also not labeled as an adult title due to the lack of degenerating garments, need look no further than here. As players load the game they may find something eerily familiar about the way the game loads to the title screen so I will spoil that right here: Yes, this is a Source game. The game engine that is in Portal, and Half Life 2, is here in Vindictus.
What can be done with the Source engine in Vindictus is simple: pick up object, rush to enemy, ??????????, profit! Spears, pots, pieces of a tree, even dead enemies themselves (oddly enough, rigor mortis sets into characters pretty quickly, enemies turn to stone seconds after being killed) can be used to beat enemies to a pulp. While the notion of smashing things into enemies may appear fun, it really boils down into two attacks, the quick how?s yer father, and the Hulk smash. Also I should probably mention that picking up heavier objects will reduce stamina, which is essential to actions for any character. On the flip side, a lot of the sound effects in Vindictus may sound familiar, particularly walking.
There is only one objective to Vindictus: Finish the dungeon. Side missions ask that players collect certain items or kill certain enemies but the main goal remains the same. Players can take up bonus missions to spice up the gameplay but in the end, the end is what counts. The levels all have different settings from ancient ruins to snow caves to many other areas. Unfortunately, these levels take a long time to get to and until one makes the shift from the 12 ?different? dungeons the setting looks the same. Progression as a character is also less defined by level and more geared towards what equipment there is and what achievements the player has completed. Once a player has finished an achievement a permanent stat boost is given, meaning the more achievements a player has the better.
The community helps, there are many missions in the main storyline that require a party, and some rare loot can only be obtained by achieving things that require at least three or four players. One such loot drop is a boss monsters helmet. One player must shoot a grappling hook (which cannot retract! Has nobody played Ocarina of Time or Just Cause 2?!) in order to trip the boss while other players hack away at the head of the boss until the helmet flies off. Fortunately, loot is done well. All players will receive their own loot boxes, with boss loot drops being given to all players involved. This does away with ninja looting effectively, and I applaud Nexon for the idea. I just wish that Nexon would hurry up and figure out why players have a hard time connecting; a lot of them are strangely nice. A nice community is strange from the same people that host Combat Arms, which I state here and now that I would rather be drawn and quartered than play that game, so don?t even ask.
Players can play to the end game absolutely for free, and a non-obsessed player will barely notice the token system. Players are given 50 tokens to spend on entering dungeons. The 50 tokens are reset every couple of days and players spend two coins per dungeon. This may sound simple but many players constantly complain about this feature, saying that Nexon, selling premium spare tokens, is simply cashing in. In my person experience, I have never had a problem with the tokens running out. In my mind the business milking Nexon is going into is selling underwear and facial features for a temporary time limit. Thankfully these items do not give any stat boosts yet, but really? I need to pay weekly for my wal-mart smiley boxers?
In summary, Nexon has a real gem here. Vindictus grabs the player with an amazing opening sequence and refuses to let go for a long time. Once players are let go however, they land pretty hard. Vindictus might have a great gameplay element, but playing in the same dungeon for weeks might seem rather tedious to some players, the same going with equipment. All in all, I think everyone who is getting tired of the ?click, 1, 2, 3, repeat? system should give Vindictus a try.
Final Vote: Seal of Approval
