Combat feedback

Now you can see the conditions affecting your current targets and the skill they are currently casting. This information allows you to be aware of what's happening during fight and adapt your tactics, for example by trying to dodge or by interrupting a melee attack or by focusing your attacks on a target weakened by a bleeding or stunned condition.

target "casting" a skill

stunned target

The game is really near its first release in term of implemented features. I'm currently populating the items/creatures database so that the game can be played at least until the player reaches the XP level 5. I have still some bugs to fix and hours of play to spend to balance the weapons and creatures stats. Then I'll be sending beta invitations.

Concerning Hellgate London, I've played the beta for one week, reaching level 15 and this dissuaded me from buying it. It's not that bad, but I am disappointed though, maybe because I expected so much from the game. From my point of view, there are some major flaws that prevent the game from being the end-of-2007 killer :

• NPC characters that totally lack of charisma and a pathetic humour completely inappropriate for the game setting. This is really the opposite of the amazing trailer which was dark and adult (http://www.gamespot.com/video/927136/6162510/hellgate-london-official-trailer-3)
• dull storyline. I may have read the first 5 missions. Then I clicked next without reading, since the only interresting part was : what to kill and where.
• boring randomly generated dungeons without real difficulty. Once you've seen a dungeon type, they all look the same. The only really interresting part is the item management and to see your armor/weapons upgrade from mission to mission.

Too bad. Fortunately, the release of Crysis in only 15 days from now... ;)