Gods and Heroes Previewed at Comic-Con '07

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Posted August 1st, 2007 by Cody Bye

The Myth Becomes a Legend, Becomes a Game

A Hands-On Preview of Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising

By Garrett Fuller

Before we had J.K. Rowling or George Lucas to spin tales of epic heroes and grand adventure, the human race developed their own “real” stories, what we now call ancient mythology. This was the very beginning of mankind’s tales about gods, monsters, quests, and heroes, and those ancient humans spared no expense on the grandeur of their tales. I grew up on Greek and Roman myths, my mom used to use them to get me to read. Hence, thirty years later I still am fascinated by the ancient world. Enter Perpetual Entertainment and their partnership with SOE to develop a MMOG using just that fascination. Gods & Heroes looks to deliver a game play experience that captures the player’s imagination of ancient myths and subsequently allow them to play out their own hero stories.

Combat in Gods and Heroes is swift and epic; you won't want to get a sandwich in the middle of the battle.

While at San Diego Comic-Con, the Ten Ton Hammer team got a hands-on preview from the folks at Sony Online Entertainment and Perpetual. Right away I noticed that more polish had been added to the game from previous versions that I’ve seen, and the graphics really popped with visual brilliance. The game keeps looking better and better from month to month, and the developers at Perpetual are sparing no expense on the artistic side of the coin. But graphics are only part of the game; my biggest question, as always, is how does it play?

Combat in Gods & Heroes works very well with various combos and attacks available in every demigod’s arsenal. The combos are great to watch as players and monsters really get down and dirty, while the animations between the characters put you in the midst of the combat. The gameplay moves quickly and doesn’t leave the player time to get coffee in between strikes or spells. In fact, you’d better be on your toes or you’ll be facing the reaper sooner rather than later. Plus, you’re not alone in this world. You’ll always have your minions with you, and while they may not talk they certainly provide you with ample back-up on the battlefield.

The minion system in the game is probably one of the most well executed ideas in Gods & Heroes. You don’t just have a pet, you have a team; up to four personal companions travel with you on this journey. If you decide casting and healing is your specialty, then you can have your own tank (or two) to travel with you. You can determine your own squad formation with a handy minion toolbar, so they can run in front of you and draw aggro or behind you, whichever you prefer.

And it’s not just mortal warriors or casters that can follow you around, but immortals as well. Sorry, not Gods, but monsters. Minotaurs, cyclops, giant wolfen, if you do the right quests they could be joining you on missions. This allows the player some unique strategic decisions when playing the game. Certain combinations of NPCs can really make the difference against foes and big raid encounters. The Gods & Heroes minion system offers a lot to the player in both strategy and customization.

The minions in Gods and Heroes are a terrific way to fight alone or in a group.

Another feature common in MMOs, but given a different twist in Gods & Heroes, is player housing. In the battlefields of ancient myth, players can build their own camps where they hang out and relax. This camp is the spot where players will respawn upon death in the game; don’t worry you’ll be able to get back to the spot where you died fairly quickly. This camp will be customizable, and you’ll see many of your NPCs and housing options that are available to you. As you collect minions, you will be able to station them in your camp. This way you can get a large selection of NPCs and choose the best ones for each quest.

With “gods” prominently in the title, it would be strange if the players didn’t have a chance to align with the gods of Olympus. Players will be able to spec their skills based on the gods they align with, having certain bonuses and/or abilities pertaining to their affiliated god. As players progress they will receive more gifts from their gods to continue the battle, ranging from enhancements to minor abilities all the way to the extremely explosive “God Powers”..

Gods & Heroes is currently in closed beta, but the game looks very polished and plays well. The squad development system adds a lot to player meta-gaming and the fighting is fast paced. These two elements alone make me want to pick up Gods & Heroes just like lifting a Gladius for battle. Comic Con was a very busy week, but the demo of Gods & Heroes had me leaving the SOE booth with an excitement to play and a sense of what to look forward too this fall.

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