Welcome back to another edition of Not So MMO, you’re one-stop-shop for opinions, news, and insight into the world of games that are almost MMO. Multiplayer games, online games, MOBAs, and other genres… you know, the ones that feature many of the things we like about MMOs, minus the thousands of players who are on at the same time.
We have a large mass of news to get to this week, so let’s get to it!
If you are a Path of Exile or action-based gaming fan, you will be excited to check out our preview of Path of Exile’s upcoming expansion, said to be a real “game changer.” The team has been working for the past two years to get the expansion finished, and it has fans and players very excited.
Check out the preview video below!
DomiNations might seem to be another “Clash of Clans clone” to some, but playing the game reveals a bit more depth and quality than you’d find in CoC. It’s relatively simple and slow to get started in the game, but once you do you’ll realize that taking the CoC model and running with it was a very smart thing for Big Huge Games to do. You can level up buildings and smash armies like you can in other games, but the relatively unique age mechanic (something you will find in games like Forge of Empires) is different.
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Want to read our preview of the game? Check out Suzie Ford's DomiNations: Battle Through the Ages in a New Mobile MMORTS preview!
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In “Hey, that’s actually really cool!” news, World of Warships celebrated the first space flight by inviting players into the game to try out five special ships that were needed to participate in a special event. As you can see from the screenshot above, it was well worth the download.
Unfortunately, the event only lasted between April 11th and the 14th, so here’s hoping that we actually see a space version sometime. You never know!
Our own Michael Bitton sat down to discuss the recent developments in Hearthstone, including new cards, strategies Molten Core, the Return of Zoo, deck lists, new strategies and much, much more. Check it all out in his week one and week two Hearthstone Blackrock Mountain Postmortem.
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Elite Dangerous is certainly the cool kid on the block in terms of space flight, huh? Well, good news if you are a fan. The game’s mission system is going to be significantly revamped in the next update. What does that mean? New players have access to helpful missions that make for good gameplay, but not so much later on. The team will be adding missions for those who have been around longer and even missions for Founder level members. Reputation will also come into play more, rewarding players who are widely known to be super cool and totally rad.
Asteroids: Outpost announced… hang on a second.
Yes, Asteroids. Outpost. Have a laugh and enjoy the trip down memory lane.
Atari recently released a brand new trailer for its upcoming (hold the child-like giggle) title Asteroids: Outpost. Sure, it’s only pre-alpha footage, but it’s free. So enjoy. Plus, it looks kind of promising.
If you fancy yourself a World War II history buff or if it’s just that you enjoy blowing stuff up, check out the latest announcement from War Thunder. Players will join Chronicle battles and will be able to play in special locations like Britain, Moscow, Pearl Harbor or Berlin. Those who take part can earn cool vehicles or trophies. It sounds not only like a good idea to take part in classical battles, but in a way, players might be able to feel what it was like to see those locations during the war. Sure, it’s only a digital recreation, but I think I would find myself looking at the scenery more than anything. It’s sort of haunting when you watch the trailer, considering what happened at those locations.
You know those pesky players who data mine their favorite games so that we can enjoy early, previously-hidden videos and other information? Well, Destiny loves those players, especially one called MegaManExe4. According to him or her, the game’s expansion should hit live service on Tuesday, May 9th. Later on, we heard from Activision’s PR firm that, yes, this is the date for the release. So, yay nosey players!
Luckily, the developers of Destiny took the invasion of privacy in stride and allowed players a sneak peak of the expansion on their official Twitch.tv channel. Be sure to check the official Destiny YouTube channel in case you missed the stream. In it, they showed off The Reef, the new social area. In the trailer above, you’ll get more details about the expansion called House of Wolves.
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Remember Triad Wars, that “Clash of Clans with bare-chested dudes”? Well, if you enjoyed yourself in the new action game you’ll be happy to know that the site is updated with some glimpses into what to expect in the next patch. These items include (but are not limited to):
A new, informative start screen, raiding UI improvements, a more “celebratory” ranking-up notification, 20 plus items added to the store, more aggressive AI at the high end, tutorial tweaks and many other bug fixes.
If you want to try a game that is a mix of defensive base-building and gritty city-based combat, check the game out for free.
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Area Effect, makers of the brand-spanking-new sandbox Izle recently announced the move of the game to the “completed Greenlight” shelf. To celebrate the move, players can now download a free PC- or Mac-based demo. The game offer lots of customization, real-time combat, exploration and the ability to fully terraform the space around you.
The game describes “every blade of grass” being changeable, and they aren’t kidding: you can chop down individual blades of grass… if that’s your thing. You can also explore the environment by flying, climbing, swimming, or digging. So far, the game looks promising and inviting.
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Ah, cheaters and exploiters. We’ve all been there, huh? Looks like Diablo 3 players who recently exploited the fact that Blood Goblins were dropping massive numbers of blood shards might have a visit to the banhammer. Luckily the glitch has been patched in the PC version, but the console versions have simply had the Goblins disabled pending a fix.
Blood shards are used to gamble for killer items, so it’s easy to see just why players would want to get their hands on them. I can only imagine the tears from those who exploited the glitch, however, as they listen to the explanation that “yes, the developers do see everything on their servers.”
See you all in a few weeks!
