Hellgate London Demo!

Can't they get more file hosts

Ahhh, I just paid $1 for the mercury service on file shack for one month, I mean fuck it.... $1. 900kbps download speed.

Anyone else part of the beta test? I hit them with the 'I'm a games designer' line and they mailed me a key. Beta is like 4.8G DL though. Yikes.

Installing now, will see how it is.

After 15 or so minutes after playing the demo I found I didn't like:

*The art style over all lacked a lot of polish, textures, models etc all felt very very rushed and stuff floating everywhere.

*physics system seems to run at 10hz, GG fellas.

*No good hit indication, considering one of the main mechanics for this game IS shooting.

*Walking into non-solid npc's felt a bit meh.

*Not knowing where to go after the first level so far is a minor frustration.

*The level design feels a bit weird, you go through these teleporter things to different areas, tube stations which feel like a speed map with no level exit but the teleporter you walked through.

*Atmosphere outside a bit week.

On a good note I liked:

*Saying "I've been to this tube station.. wooooooo!"

*mowing down lots of stupid AI controlled monsters, feels like Doom (Doom might've had better AI though).

*The character development looks really really deep and complicated which I love a lot.

*Interior atmosphere seems to work ok, with the sounds and all.

*Collecting cool items.

Overall this game feels like it was rushed and the planning of the project wasn't very well thought out. I am not sure why this game is getting such good scores... could be the hype wagon. I am by no means not disliking this game, I was very much looking forward to it, and I feel a little dissapointed by what I have seen so far.

But I will continue playing for another hour or so.

Other links here: http://www.nofrag.com/2007/oct/18/27046/

Quote from Zombie

Overall this game feels like it was rushed and the planning of the project wasn't very well thought out. I am not sure why this game is getting such good scores... could be the hype wagon. I am by no means not disliking this game, I was very much looking forward to it, and I feel a little dissapointed by what I have seen so far.

Scores? There are no review scores yet according to metacritic, maybe you meant opinions from previews?

well it has been hyped quite a lot

Everybody at work got accepted into the beta. One guy used like 5 different e-mails, and all 5 got accepted. It doesn't seem like they were too picky.

yeah I played this last month, and I have to agree with everyone here.. I got to level 14 and got tired of the same monsters just increasing in level..

Quote from FrieChamp

Scores? There are no review scores yet according to metacritic, maybe you meant opinions from previews?

Yeah sorry I meant, previews. Must've been a bit tired last night

Yeah, this was a let down. The game is extremely slow paced, and it's too RPG-ish. There are certain aspects of the game that should have taken a more standardized action approach (if you shoot a guy head on, it should hit him, if you swig your sword within range of him, it should hit him) with RPG elements built around it. I only got to level 2 and asked myself what the hell I was doing. This game is basically Diablo 2, but with a lot less action and fun.

On a positive note, I did get a Deus Ex vibe from the environments. I liked the setting a lot. But the incredibly bland graphics and people just standing around doing nothing really destroyed the immersion.

I'll probably get it anyways just because the multiplayer aspect will probably be a lot of fun regardless of the gampelay's shortcomings.

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Very scalable graphics

Yeah, but unfortunately even at the highest settings the game still looks like shit.

it doesnt look like shit, especially not for an MMO.

I enjoyed it despite the rough visuals and the gameplay not going above and beyond. It's simple and heavily steeped in the Diablo design but I don't think anyone can be caught off guard by that knowing even a bit about the developer's history. I'll probably pick it up a little after release once a few friends have gotten around to grabbing it and it's been patched up.

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it doesnt look like shit, especially not for an MMO

Not really an MMO. Sure there can be hundreds of players in town, but when you go out to the dungeons, it's only a party of 8 max, and no one else. Also there isn't a large world to explore -- it's all rather confined dungeons. Instancing + small areas doesn't really make it much of an MMO. So they could have afforded to up the graphics without lagging people out too badly since the only time they see everyone is in town, where speed isn't really an issue since there's no combat.

I am getting the feeling this won't live up to expectations and I fear the buzz is wearing off in general due all the other bigs games came out in the last month or so...