Firstly, while there's moments of post-apocalyptic chic to it, it lacks atmosphere. I suspect the problem comes from a couple of places. Number one is that it's only acceptably attractive and - in a few areas - seems even regressive. Monster death animations, for example. When a monster slumps to the floor I've often missed it and carried on shooting the corpse. In the days of ragdolling showing death clearly, this seems really retro. It looks pretty good for an RPG, of course… but the second you make an RPG which moves like an FPS, you're moving into their territory and end up being compared to them. Hellgate comes off badly in such a comparison. The random generation explains some of it, sure… but it doesn't remove the sensation.
Number two, it's a role-playing game that's just completely capitulated to massively-multiplayer conventions. While the main arc of the story is a proper narrative, when I hit the first communal area I walked away with a half-dozen quests to go to X bit of the underground and kill Y number of Z monster (Or go to X bit of the underground and get Y objects. Oh yeah - you get Y objects by killing Z monster). Yes, each quest will take you to a randomly generated instance… but it feels completely artificial, as if Flagship just weren't trying to think of ways to hide these time-sink grind mechanisms. I mean, they're instances. Closed areas where abstractly anything could happen. The reason why MMOs use such repetitive limited quests is that, in a shared world, there's a limitation. Using it as the game's backbone is… well, not exactly conductive to a sense of place. It's made worse by the stations themselves being claustrophobically small, with these people offering quests to collect the flotsam and jetsam of the underground being scant metres away from each other.

We know, we know - there are a number of you that are still waiting to get into the Beta. We feel your pain, we really do. Thing is, we've been working on a few major bugs and other issues, but are close to squashing them with the power of the almighty Mjolnir!

While we can't give you a specific date and time as to when you'll be let in, it shouldn't be too long. We've got a lot of you in so far, and all this testing has only made everything that much better.

Remember, this Beta is not ending on October 7 as some of you might think. We're going to run it as close to launch as possible, so even if you were let in the Beta with one of the later groups, you'll still have plenty of time to get in on the action. Think of it this way: the later you get let into the Beta, the better the game will play. Less bugs, less crashes, more Hellgate. And that's a good thing, right?

Have faith, my friends! We won't disappoint you!

Following in Diablo's footsteps, you'll have plenty of skill and attribute points to spend per level, slowly working your character into a demon-eating machine. And you'll be exploring randomized dungeons, with monsters tall and small, and sub-bosses dropping any combination of color-coded loot, each item possessing its own unique attributes. These items can be augmented and modified by any number of modifiers and processes, ensuring a broad spectrum of customization that looks to keep the game fresh for years to come.

Lead by ex-Diablo devs, Hellgate developer Flagship Studios has clearly not gone in a radically new direction. Some in-game assets--such as the user interface--are clearly derived from the previous efforts, while other specific elements are unarguably direct transcriptions. Identifying scrolls have become Analyzers. Town portals have turned into Personal Relocation Devices. Hardcore mode is, well, Hardcore mode. Even the infamous Wirt--and his leg--make a humorous cameo early on.

With so many similarities between the two franchises, it's far easier to focus on their differences, likely the most significant change being Hellgate's firm rooting in a 3D space. As such, the top-down camera view is all but gone, present in only one oddly-chosen video. Instead, you'll be at street level, either looking over the shoulder of your avatar, or witnessing the hellish landscapes directly through his

Our soundtrack rocks. It's so good we had to throw a copy of it into the Collector's Edition of our game. Composed by Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan (they worked on such titles as God of War II, Splinter Cell Double Agent, and Quake III), it does an amazing job of bringing together the old and new world themes in Hellgate: London, while scaring the bajooblies out of you - and this is only on the title screen for our game!

In all seriousness, though, we think you'll really dig it. Linked below is a track from the soundtrack to give you an idea of what you can expect from the final game. Turn out your lights, turn on your laser show, and crank the sound to 11!

Hellgate: London Theme Song (right-click and "Save Link As")

Check out Chris Velasco's website and Sascha Dikiciyan's website for more info!

Most of you know by now, but the Collector's Edition of Hellgate: London not only comes with some sweet new box art, a making-of DVD, a map, a comic, and the game's soundtrack (whew!), but it also includes an exclusive in-game pet named the Mantawraith. We've held off showing what it looks like, but we can't wait any longer. Behold, the Mantawraith!




Also, unknown to many, there's another exclusive pet you can get. It's called Cocomoko. Check it out below.



Look a little familiar? If you've been a PC gaming fan for any reasonable amount of time, it should - it's based off of PC Gamer's Coconut Monkey (and not my dog, Coconut)! As you might have guessed, if you pick up the latest issue of PC Gamer with Hellgate: London on the cover (this pet is for both subscriber and newsstand issues), on the included CD is Cocomoko. If you really need another reason to pick up the issue, it will contain an exclusive review for Hellgate: London!

Can you believe it? Hellgate: London's official US release is just several weeks away, and we're getting a little antsy. So antsy that we want to give you guys lots of awesome goodies we have around the office - but you'll have to earn it!


Since Hellgate and Halloween are such a perfect fit for each other, we want this to be the theme for the contest. What you have to do is create something that ties in Hellgate and Halloween together, and whatever we feel best captures this, wins. Sounds a little vague, right? Well, it's supposed to! After all, what's the fun in telling you what to make? We'll narrow it down for you, though. Here are some contest deets:


CATEGORIES

1. Art - Create a visual piece, such as a wallpaper, painting, photo, etc., and send it to us in JPEG file format.

2. Movie - Make a short (or long) movie (live action, machinima, etc.) to send us. So you don't have to email giant files, it's best to upload to YouTube or a similar service and then send us the link.

3. Audio - Songs, music, radio plays, etc.


Remember, this is not a contest of who is the most hardcore fan, or who has more time and money to make something "nicer" - this is about creativity. The only limit here is your imagination. Also remember to make sure no one gets hurt, you don't do anything illegal, and most importantly, that you have fun.


So what's all this hard work get you? Check the list below.


Grand Prize, one per category

* A copy of Hellgate: London Collector's Edition, signed by various Flagship Studios members
* A Hellgate: London Weta figure (our pick, not yours due to supply)
* An official Hellgate: Halloween t-shirt (super limited!)
* An interview with you, featured on the official Hellgate: London site
* Bragging rights for eternity


Runner-ups, two per category

* A copy of Hellgate: London Collector's Edition
* A signed Hellgate: London poster

So what are you waiting for? Please send your entries to info@hellgatelondon.com with "Hellgate Halloween Entry: XXCategory NameXX" as the subject by October 17, 2007. If you don't include the subject, the email WILL NOT BE SEEN! Also, be sure to include your name, email, address, and phone number with your entry. Don't forget to check out all the official rules and legal to make sure you're eligible.

Renowned video game composers Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan have created the original soundtrack for Hellgate: London, the premiere PC title from Flagship Studios. Furthermore, the complete original soundtrack will be made available within the Hellgate: London Collector's Edition. Both the Collector's Edition of Hellgate: London and the standard retail box will be hitting store shelves in North America on October 31, 2007.

Even without a dominating figurehead, Charing Cross is still well-monitored and patrolled. Templar and Hunter both share duties walking the station's perimeter, ensuring no inhuman trespasser survives. This vigilance on the part of Charing Cross's guardians is necessary, for while Covent Garden may act as their shield in times of crisis, Charing Cross still sits dangerously close to many unsafe zones.

Piccadilly Circus, for instance, has fallen far. Vile creatures stalk the streets and hunt under a permanently darkened sky as the sick taint of Hell tears concrete and steel, venting its fiery rage into our world. And in some sick twist of fate, the area's prominent neon advertisements are still semi-operational, reminding the struggling survivors of London's death of what once was.

Hellgate™:London © Flagship Studios, Inc. All rights reserved. Flagship Studios and Hellgate are Trademarks of Flagship Studios, Inc. throughout the world. All rights reserved.