Hellgate: London Pre-Ship View

RPGVault has a pre-ship view up for Hellgate: London, taking a final look at the game as it ships.

Commendations
Based on around 25 hours in the beta, the play has a very compelling “one more mission” feel, with the randomized maps providing a mix of familiarity and uncertainty, plus an exceptional loot generation system that creates a nearly constant sense that the next improvement in your gear is only a kill or two away. The action is a seamless blend of run and gun where the enemies attack in bunches, and times when the surprise you from around corners or out of the ground. The pacing is top-notch, fast enough that lapses in attention can be deadly, but without being inaccessible. The visuals are also impressive, especially some of the demons and other monsters.

Reservations
There have been reports of issues involving Vista and DirectX10; these were still being addressed when the beta ended a few days ago. How well the team will handle adding new content for subscribers on an ongoing basis is a question mark. So is the way those who choose not to sign up will react. The system requirements may be high for those who aren’t fairly serious gamers. It’s premature to gauge the strength of the story and overall writing.