Hellgate: London Review

About.com is no more impressed by Hellgate: London than anyone else has been so far, giving the game a 3/5.

Like several other recent RPGs, Hellgate uses a shooter-like control scheme, but the underlying game mechanics are stats-based. The cross-hairs aren’t there so you can score a head shot, but merely to select a target. Still, the game manages to retain a lot of that shooter feel, particularly when playing one of the ranged classes, which allow you to get right into the first-person perspective if you so desire.

The gameplay varies considerably depending on what class you play. Guardians and Blademasters get in close with swords and shields, Summoners use pets in battle, Rangers and Engineers fight from a distance, and Evokers are not unlike casters adapted to the game’s sci-fi theme. After trying several classes, I was torn over which one was more fun, because they all seemed to bring something special to the battle.

The AI isn’t outstanding, but there are enough demons, and their behaviors vary enough, to keep you on your toes. Some of them swoop down from the skies, then circle around for repeat attacks, while others run away and use ranged weapons. You’re bound to have edgy moments when a quick fix from your health injector is the only thing between survival and death.

Altogether, Hellgate’s combat is fast-paced, addictive, and truly delightful in a button-mashing, hack-and-slash sort of way. Cutting through tons of demons and collecting heaps of loot is central to the game, and Flagship has done a masterful job of it.

True to the RPG designation, each class in Hellgate has a skill tree that you progress through as you gain levels. It’s not very elaborate, as they’ve tried to stick with skills that are genuinely useful. Skills have ranks which can be increased with skill points, so you get to decide whether you want to add skills to your arsenal or improve skills you already have. There’s no way to move skill points around after allocating them, which would be appreciated, even at a price.

Because skill trees make RPGs.