Vindictus

The latest Vindictus Europe video has a scary new boss monster on display. Nexon is introducing Thor (no, not that Thor), a giant crocodile-like creature with three mouths and a nasty disposition.

Nexon describes Thor as an "outlaw of the dark and damp underworld," and the trailer shows a cross-section of Vindictus heroes slicing and dicing the new monster using the title's unique action combat mechanics.

While we're on the subject of heroes, the video also teases the latest Vindictus Europe playable character, a giant brawler named Karok. Check out all the gory details after the cut.

[Source: Nexon Europe press release]

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Did that grab your attention? Nexon is sure hoping it did, as the company is in the throes of its "Get a Hat Trick!" promotion. For the next month and a half, players who dive into Vindictus, Dragon Nest, and Dungeon Fighter Online and get to level 20 in all three games will have a shot at several nice prizes -- including the above 2012 BMW M3. So, in effect, just by playing MMOs, you could be netting yourself one of the sweetest rides in town.

While Nexon has already handed out awards for the third and fourth place winners, there are still prizes left for aspiring gamers. First of all, everyone who gets a hat trick (as defined by achieving level 20 in the above three titles) will be treated to $20 worth of in-game items. Additionally, three players will get an Alienware Aurora desktop computer, and 30 people will win $50 "Karma Koins."

As for the Beemer, the prize will only be unlocked if 30,000 players achieve hat tricks by March 15th -- and even then, only one car will be given away after that. So good luck and may the game be with you!

Nexon Europe is pushing Vindictus forward with the game's newest update, which brings two large content improvements to the game. Players mostly interested in the PvE side of the game can start investigating Rocheste's sewers, braving dangerous beasts in the hopes of obtaining new treasures and three new armor types. Fortunately, the three characters of the game each receive a new skill to go along with all of the dangerous, hopefully making it just a little easier to tear through whatever lies beneath.

If you'd rather go for the PvP route, however, the update is introducing a new combat mode known as M-Match. It's two teams of players pitted against one another, with the added twist that each side has a boss monster under its control. The first team to take out the opposing team's boss is the winner. The new arena also contains a number of chained boss fights for players to pit themselves against, either one at a time or multiple bosses in sequence, just to reward players who decide to hack their way through greater challenges.

[Source: Nexon Europe press release]

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The website Steparu.com has a hands-on preview with the latest character coming to Mabinogi Heroes -- also known as Vindictus to NA and EU players. His name is Kai, and he's a flashy archer with more than a few surprises up his pretty sleeves.

As an archer, Kai's tactics largely revolve around kiting and long-ranged assaults, so keeping one's distance is essential in most fights. Kai can transform his bow into a long or short variant, with the long doing more powerful (but slower) attacks and the short one pew-pewing much quicker at closer range. He can also unleash an attack that hits multiple targets at once, making him ideal for some burst AoE damage.

One of Kai's more unique skills is the ability to place a marker on the battlefield and then quickly grapple his way back to it on a moment's notice. While he's traveling back to his marker, he's immune to all damage, making this a strategic move for pitched fights.

Kai is coming to Mabinogi Heroes in Korea tomorrow, although it will be some time before he lands in the States or Europe.

[Thanks to Justatip for the tip!]

Look, I'm a red-blooded American gamer. I even call it 'Merica. So it should be no surprise when I feel like getting down with a melee-based chop-'em-up or have the desire to leap, jump and bounce my way through countless levels. In other words, action. We 'Mericans love our action games. I have my particular favorites, for sure, and within that list are my favorites of favorites that get the nod for different reasons. Honestly I'm not into action-based games just for the challenge. I don't need to make repeated attempts at downing a boss to have fun. I enjoy the immediate response that an action game gives me. I love to click the mouse button and see my character's sword swing or gun fire. It's satisfying.

Of course, action games can have their drawbacks. Not only do they tend to produce a euphoric haze that can only be described as "stoner glare" and an open-mouthed state of hypnosis, but they can take a toll on delicate, drum-beaten wrists like mine as well. I take the good with the bad, I guess. Click past the cut and I'll let you know my favorite F2P action MMOs.

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Nexon Europe is preparing for the biggest Vindictus update of the year. The Cohlen in Flames content package brings fire and brimstone to the online action title in the form of Resenlian's Labyrinth, which Nexon describes as "a deeply intense myriad of twisted, dark corridors and skull-lined murderous dungeons."

New skills are coming too, foremost among them the transformation ability that features both a temporary boost in ability and a permanent (i.e., irreversible) decision to walk the path of the Paladin or that of the Dark Knight.

There's also a new town in the update, and Rocheste features many new characters and side quests as well as the chance to create personal weapons via the new expertise system. Finally, Nexon is raising the level cap to 70, and you can get a glimpse of the update in the Cohlen in Flames and Transformation videos after the break.

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Players will journey to the "icy caverns of Hoarfrost Depths and face fearsome foes," among them various Yeti clans, Formors, and new raid boss monsters. New skills are also the order of the day, and abilities like shield charge and reverse gravity are designed to decimate foes and add a bit of oomph to the game's combat visuals.

Finally, new gameplay styles are coming to the EU client, and Hero Mode bumps up the difficulty level while Gauntlet Mode pits players against their "most dreaded enemies, one right after another." Surviving the gauntlet brings several rewards including a rare title. More info is available at the EU Vindictus website.

If you're an American Vindictus player and all this is sounding a bit familiar, well, it should. The Lost Artifact update went live in the States back in February.

[Source: Nexon press release]

It's time for a celebration, y'all. It's been a year since Nexon's popular physics-based hack-'n'-slash title, Vindictus, officially launched, and what a year it's been. Between constant content updates, seasonal events, awards, and more, Vindictus has had a rather successful first year, and it doesn't seem to show any signs of stopping.

So exactly how far has Vindictus come since the title's inception a year go? Well, follow along past the cut and join us as we take a short look at the game's history and find out how it holds up today.

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Better late than never, right? That's what Nexon Europe is hoping its fans are saying about the late arrival of Vindictus. The free-to-play title launched in Korea in January 2010, then it took a bow in North America in October 2010, but the game is just now getting around to its European closed beta phase.

The beta begins on September 15th, and testers will need a key to participate. Registration happens on the game's official website, and there's more info on the Vindictus Europe Facebook page as well. Nexon has also released a new trailer to mark the occasion -- view it after the break.

[Source: Nexon Europe press release]

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If you've never been to Gamescom before, let's simply put it this way: It's big. Really, really big. Forget most any convention you've attended; this is likely to be even bigger. Billing itself as the world's largest games event, Gamescom sees well over a quarter-million fans, journalists and exhibitors crowd into the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany to check out hundreds of games and companies.

Due to its size and worldwide prominence, Gamescom is a significant event for anyone following the MMO genre (and video games in general). There are plenty of MMO studios gearing up to share first looks, exclusive reveals, detailed Q&A sessions, and exciting hands-on demos for attendees.

Naturally, Massively will be paying close attention to all of the news coming out of Gamescom this week. For those attending the convention or merely looking to keep abreast of all of the games, studios, and information forthcoming, we've compiled a guide to the hottest tickets at Gamescom as well as a comprehensive exhibitor list of MMO studios after the break.

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As most of readers of my column realize, I love the Star Wars franchise, and I will pretty much play any game if it has that label on it. However, I am not just a Star Wars fan, I am also a big MMO fan. Well, at least I like the idea of MMOs. Ultima Online blew my mind when it came out over a decade ago. I had been glued to my TV and Nintendo until I saw that I could play a game that simulated living in the Ultima universe. Since then I have tried out nearly every major MMO to hit the web since then -- which brings us to today.

Choose My Adventure is a chance for Massively readers to guide one member of the writing staff on an adventure in a game of the readers' choosing. For the next six weeks, I want you to choose my adventure for me. As I mentioned, I have tried nearly every major title in the last decade, but I haven't necessarily spent a lot of time in all of them. After the break, I will describe some of the games that I believe will be great for this task, and you can choose one for me via poll. Then, as a special bonus, on Friday at 6 p.m. EDT I will introduce you to each of the games on Massively's Livestream channel.

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Nexon, the creator of the action-based MMOs Dragon Nest and Vindictus, recently invested a significant amount of money in the Hong Kong-based social-gaming developer 6waves Lolapps. Gamasutra quotes Nexon CEO Seung-woo Choi as saying, "We made this investment because we believe that 6waves Lolapps places the same value that we do in providing exciting games to our players and driving growth for the company by doing so."

There is no direct link between this partnership and Nexon's announcing that its flagship MMO MapleStory will be spun off into a Facebook game called Maplestory Adventures, but 6Waves CEO Rex Ng believes the relationship between the two gaming companies can only benefit the player with great content and adventures in the long run.

This news comes on the coattails of another MMO developer, NCSoft, buying a smartphone application developer. The MMO space is expanding well beyond the at-home PC. The MMO gaming industry is integrating itself into more and more aspects of our daily lives, stretching the definition of "living world."

European players eager to get their hands on Vindictus have a good reason to get pumped up today, as Nexon Europe has launched the Vindictus EU teaser site for the upcoming MMO regional release.

The gorgeous website boasts both English and German language options, has an overview of the game and characters, and is prepared to inject fans with screenshots, wallpapers and a rocking trailer to keep the excitement level high. Players looking to put in for extra credit may sign up for the game's newsletter and Facebook page as well.

Seeing as how incredibly popular Vindictus has been in both the Asian and North American markets, Europe should prepare to fall in love with the fast-paced action MMO. Vindictus will launch in Europe sometime in the fourth quarter of this year, and is prepared to make a splashy appearance at next month's Gamescom in Germany.

If you've been following recent game development, you will have noticed that action-based gaming, or gaming that requires a player to literally control the character on the screen through mouse-clicks or shortcuts, has become all the rage. It shouldn't be surprising, though, considering how incredibly fun it can be to click the mouse button and have the character on the screen smash his enemies. I've fallen in love with it myself, especially while playing games like Vindictus or Dungeons and Dragons Online. After so many years or pushing 1-2-3-4 in order to kill mobs, truly swinging an axe feels wonderful.

More and more games use this immediate-response style of play. Up-and-coming side-scrollers like Rusty Hearts or recent smashers like Dragon Nest are showing that action-based gaming is growing stronger all the time. I've even begun to feel slightly let down when I switch to a "classically controlled" MMO. Targeting a mob followed by pressing a series of number keys just does not satisfy like slamming your enemy through a bookcase. (Watch the video after the cut for some of my bookcase action!)

But what could all of this action mean for future design? And what about disabled players or players who have issues with wrist pain (like I do)? Click past the cut and let's discuss!

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