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Vindictus Double Impressions
Sykora and JudoChinX
October 4th, 2010
Jason Trent: You know how they say you get what you pay for? That's not always true. Sometimes you get more; a lot more. Being a gamer is rarely cheap, but if you know where to look, there are options for the frugal gamer all around us. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Vindictus, the latest and greatest from Nexon, a publisher whose is well known for other free to play MMORPGs such as MapleStory. In this day and age of subscription based MMORPGs, it's refreshing to see a game that is completely free to play. That's right; there's no cost of entry and no monthly fee to keep playing.
So, if it's all free, then how is the game supported financially? Speaking with Chris Gyselinck, the game's assistant producer, I learned that Nexon is going with micro transactions. I was pleased to find that, unlike many games that generate revenue similarly, in-game items purchased using real life money will not give the owner any advantages over their peers. Instead, they will provide cosmetic changes.
Price aside, what sets this game apart from its numerous competitors? The first thing you're likely to notice is that combat takes a more hack and slash approach to things than your traditional MMORPG. Instead of standing in place and hitting numeric keys, the player uses the left and right mouse buttons to quick attack and strong attack their way into combos and out of harm's way. Should you need to dodge an attack, which you will, hit the space bar before the attack on you lands, and you'll move out of the way just in the nick of time to retaliate. Revenge is such a lovely thing. Combat is much more dynamic and hands on than other MMORPGs I've played, and in a game where reflexes trump stats, that's a great thing to behold.
One of the main selling points, so to speak, is the game's use of physics. Nearly everything in the environment is destructable. A notable moment for me during my time with the game was a battle with the gnoll chieftain, the game's first major boss fight. As I weaved in and out, landing attacks and backing off, the gnoll chieftain made slow but far reaching swipes with his hammer. He recklessly smashed through several pillars between us, so what did I do? I grabbed a chunk of stone that he'd conveniently made into a more friendly size, lifted it above my head, and threw it at him. Similar tactics can also be used with broken planks of wood and pots littered around each of the game's dungeons. These physics would have been impressive had they been in a single player game, but being about to pull off such feats with friends all over the world makes this even better.
For those thinking that this sounds more Diablo than World of Warcraft, you'd be a bit right, and a bit wrong. Yes, combat is hack and slash in nature, and missions take place in instanced dungeons, but around town you'll be able to interact with other players who are not in your party. Many features such as a town message board, the game's name for an auction house, are here and ready to tie your experience into the rest of the player community.
As is the case with many MMORPGs, I found Vindictus to have a somewhat steep learning curve. Though there's a great deal of online documentation on how to play the game, I took a more organic approach and let the game show me how to play, and because of this choice, certain elements of the game proved to be confusing for the first several hours of gameplay. Not to worry though; I got the hang of it all after a bit. I guess that sort of thing comes with the territory.
Vindictus is currently in early access beta, so be sure to keep an eye out for the completely open beta bound to hit soon. I've had a great time with what is bound to be a hit with MMO gamers everywhere, and as a value oriented gamer, can't imagine a better experience for the price.
Eric Ippolito: Vindictus (developed by devCAT and published by Nexon), started it's early access beta recently, and yours truly from Goozernation, along with Jason Trent, got to get their hands on this gem and be apart of the action. The game starts off with a respectable cinematic opening that sets the tone for the plot of the game. The scene is emotional and interesting, and it becomes interactive towards the end. (It also involves a very large spider, which brought up nightmares that this reviewer had just the evening before. This made it all the more gripping).
The first thing I noticed about the gameplay was how my character can only attack in the direction he, Lann, is facing with the keyboard. This isn't the biggest deal in the stretch however. The second aspect of gameplay that stood out was the amount of destructable items in the environment. Just about everything can be sliced up! It was shocking to be honest- in a very good way. Thoughts of destroying every possible window and box in Nintendo 64's Goldeneye flooded into my mind while accompanying a smile on my face.
After the player gets past the opening sequence of the game, you'll find yourself in the small town of Colhen, where you're met by Tieve, the town's oracle. Tieve starts you off by showing you where to go. You're then able to explore all the different shops and places in the town. At first impression, this part of the game was slightly confusing. The panel at the bottom seemed puzzling at first, and the chat, with the different channels, was a little daunting. After a mission or two, however, the in-game features were easier to comprehend and each new thing to discover became an adventure. I may sound silly for saying this, but one of my favorite features is how the character will look at certain nearby objects when idling, such as those cute little furballs shown in the picture provided.
Vindictus seems like an excellent game with plenty of presence from other players. At first you'll see other gamers with similar items of clothing, but eventually you'll begin to notice a great variety in the customization provided. In the town, you're able to trade items and "craft" materials you've found in dungeons in order to create new armor, weapons, and gear. Also, you're able to discard old gear by selling it to shops or in the marketplace where you can also find new swag for yourself.
So far, the amount of stories available with all of the different characters are pretty impressive. Early missions often take place in similar locations, but it makes sense when it goes along with the storyline. Don't tell me you don't frequent your favorite hot spots in the real world anyway.
In the end, Vindictus is a pleasant surprise, and after the first hour of slight confusion, it turns into a great game. The character customization is decent; the gear customization is better. The music is nice, the player interaction is fun and the future possibilities are exciting. It is definitely worth checking out- and if the game is able to keep up it's pace in the long run, then it is quite certainly worth it's price tag when it arrives later on this year! Sike! It's going to be free when it's out. Even better.
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