Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

In an undisclosed year in the twenty-first century, humanity is trying to rebuild after the cataclysmic Great Destruction. Demons from another plane roam the rubble of Japan’s eradicated cities, forcing the survivors to huddle in underground bunkers. A few brave warriors, Demon Busters they are called, dare to go outside to face the dangers. Fans of the Shin Megami Tensei (SMT) series already know I am describing the plot from SMT: Imagine Online. Gamers who don’t know what SMT is and are looking for a game that does things differently should pay attention.

Imagine Online is a free-to-play MMOG hosted by Aeria Games that brings the cult classic Shin Megami Tensei universe into the world on massively multiplayer gaming. As a Demon Buster operating out of the human base known as Third Home, players strike out on a quest to get to the heart of the demonic infestation. Along the way, you’ll negotiate with demons, follow the quests you want, and develop skills to make your character play the way you want.

Character creation options, while not as plentiful as those offered in Perfect World International, quickly show how much Imagine differs from standard MMOG fare. Your avatar can be male or female human with a selection of machete, knife, or axe as your starting weapon. You’ll customize your Demon Buster’s appearance with a number of urban apparel choices. From khakis to jeans to sweaters to tees, you’ll be able to design a Demon Buster that fits your idea of a cool sixteen to twenty-two year old who likes to go around and mix it up with demons.

The second major difference between Imagine and other MMOG offerings reveals itself almost immediately after you have picked out your character’s ensemble; Imagine gives players an opening cinematic. It’s nothing too fancy at first; you’ll read a bit of plot background before hopping into the game. But the music is striking, and adrenaline-inducing guitar riffs accompany some synthesized melodies to produce a score that both exhilarates a gamer and makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand erect at the same time. Unfortunately, all of the exposition appears as text on your screen, and it’s not the best translation. It’s really a pity that Imagine lacks voice acting, but it is a F2P game.

Your freshly inducted Demon Buster (DB) begins his or her journey by helping a more experienced DB investigate why Second Home has fallen off of the communications grid. This brief tutorial will introduce movement controls, combat, and skill usage in a way that feels pretty seamless because it also moves the plot forward. It’s what comes at the end of the tutorial that really generates enthusiasm.

Your character is forced to choose between going into a dangerous area solo while leaving the other DB to stay with an injured guard or stay behind and defer to her expertise. Regardless of your selection, a few scenes later has you coming into one of the lower levels of this dingy, metropolitan structure (with your nerves already on edge because of previous demon encounters and the story of the downed guard) to run into a boss complete with cut scene. Cue the pounding music, the sense of drama, and clever camera work to present the scale of your foe. Your DB companion tries to save you from a killing blow and gets herself tossed around like a rag doll. Then the demoness turns on you and swings… 

I won’t spoil any more of the story, so instead I’ll mention the bells and whistles offered up by Imagine. Combat involves real-time attacks (on a cooldown timer) with a touch of the strategy required in Mabinogi. Gamers will need to employ certain types of attacks to penetrate the defenses of the enemies they face. Speaking of those enemies, many can be coerced or cajoled into becoming your companion and fighting for you. Once you have dominated a demon, it will fight with you and gain levels as well as developing a deeper level of trust in you.

As your Demon Buster gains levels, more skills will become accessible. The skills are strengthened by using them, but players will have to pick which ones to advance carefully because the points available for all skills are finite. Unlocking a precise combination of skills allows for a large variety of customization akin to classes in most games. This is why players don’t pick a class at character creation; they build their character based on skills and their choice of attributes as they level. Thus, gaining a level gives skill points and attribute points. Using skills makes your skills better and your Demon Buster stronger. It winds up a combination of traditional level-based progression and the skill-based advancement that fans of Darkfall clamor for in forums all over the web.

Ten Ton Hammer is keeping a close eye on Imagine because it has so many distinctive gameplay traits. Be sure to look for a review from Ten Ton Hammer when the beta ends.