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

The early levels are spent questing and getting a general feel for both your archetype and how combat differs ever so slightly from what you might have experienced in previous MMOs. One example here would be the combo system that, on the surface, appears somewhat complex but has been seamlessly integrated into the combat experience much better than previous iterations on the concept such as the Heroic Opportunities in EverQuest 2 or whack-a-mole combos in Age of Conan. Hitting the combo starter will temporarily swap out the same keybinding with the next skill in the chain which makes pulling off some of the longer chains you’ll experience later on a breeze.

Combat does tend to feel a bit slow at first, but ultimately hits a point in the early teens where it not only becomes more involved, but has a distinct visual flair as well. Though I did spend some time with each of the core archetypes during the event, I quickly took a liking to the Gladiator subclass. The interface is comfortable and familiar when playing the class, while combat itself felt extremely fluid and graceful. Gladiators attack in a series of grandiose, sweeping movements that instantly brought fighting games such as Soul Calibur IV to mind much more so than anything I’ve experienced in an MMO previously. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how the class fares in aerial combat in the Abyss should the option become available in future weekend events, but for now I was quite content to scamper around and beat the living snot out of everything that stood in my path; all the while looking the part of a badass warrior with some seriously mean moves.

Flight itself becomes available upon completion of a quest you automatically gain at level nine that allows you to select which of the eight unique subclasses to advance your character into. One minor sticking point here is that, for such a hefty decision, the subclasses themselves are only briefly described in a few simple lines of text with many offering a completely different playstyle than what you might have experienced in the first nine levels. For example, Scouts can become either an Assassin or Ranger; with the first nine levels dedicated to melee attacks and more assassin-oriented combat it would be hard to really understand how vastly different the Ranger subclass would pan out since you haven’t seen any of its skills in action at that point. This reminded me of certain aspects of EQ2’s long-gone archetype system where you’d spend 20 levels essentially playing a Conjuror only to have an entirely different experience with your Necromancer later on.

Abrupt, non-descript “here’s your future” decision-making aside, at level 10 characters finally become Daeva and earn their wings. Most combat areas were designated as no-fly zones, but there were enough areas where flight was an option to get a decent feel for how much it will impact gameplay later on. Even in the no-fly zones your wings can still come in handy, as a quick double tap of the spacebar allows you to glide for short, 10 second bursts which can dramatically speed up travel in areas with terrain of varied elevations or even in Sanctum, the main city hub you’ll also gain access to upon becoming a Daeva as an Elyos. In certain areas crafting components can only be harvested while in flight as well, which certainly adds new a new layer of depth to such an otherwise commonplace activity.