TERA Online: Next Gen MMO?

I’m sure by now most people are watching TERA Online. Coming out Spring 2012 for the UK and America, it’s a new Korean MMO with aesthetics not dissimilar to AION.

Hopefully however, unlike AION, TERA promises to bring something new to the MMO genre.

Like AION, it has practically naked women, huge weapons and a beautifully crafted fantasy setting, but it also has a new combat system that could make this new game much more engaging than previously popular MMOs such as World of Warcraft.

TERA isn't like other games in the genre. You don't target an enemy and mash buttons mindlessly in your set rotation as we've all become accustomed to. In TERA, melee classes have to make physical contact with an enemy for them to deal damage, ranged damage-dealers have to aim their abilities and healers have to target their allies to replenish their health.

I have always found it frustrating in MMOs that kiting so that the mobs make no contact with me never actually stops me from taking damage. I might take less, but even with a gap between us my health would still be depleting gradually. With TERA this should no longer be true. In fact normal mobs have their own tactics. Some you have to dodge a charge, others move out of area of effect abilities. This game could perhaps teach new players basic tactics so that instances won't be so taxing if you're teamed with them (although honestly, I'm not holding my breath).

Thanks to its skill-based combat, PvP in TERA also looks promising. So far there has been no word as to whether it is balanced, whether there will be open-world PvP or if you will be able to have multiple specs to allow for PvP, but from watching videos of duels it seems interesting. I'm not saying that it's eSport material, but if they implement it well it could at least be damn good fun.

Currently TERA Online is undergoing westernisation. Supposedly they're tweaking the gameplay and storyline, adding more quests to get rid of the grind so popular in Korean MMOs and generally making it more suitable (including making the clothing of a certain race more “PC”). I'm hoping that they won't be changing it too much, as in Korea the rating of this game is 18+ thanks to the amount of blood pouring from your enemies and such – it would be silly to take the fun out of slashing mobs to pieces just for a lower rating, surely!

With public beta starting at the beginning of next year there's a little wait to go but hopefully other games will fill in that gap. 

Why I need The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Collector's Edition

It’s really all A Game of Thrones’ fault that I want the Skyrim Collector’s edition. And so really I suppose that it’s my boyfriend’s fault for introducing me to the series.

Before I began watching the television show based off of George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” I had very little need for dragons in my life. Six or so months ago I would have complained to anyone about how overdone dragons are. The whole wizards, fairies and dragons thing of the classic fantasy genre bored me to tears. I was all about the future; girls with big boobs in tight spacesuits and aliens with unpronounceable names.

Then I was introduced to the Game of Thrones TV series and I was completely hooked. Like many people I fell in love with the story; wincing and continuing to watch as bad things happened to every single one of my favourite characters. When the series ended I bought the books. I wished for more time in the day to read; harder-wearing eyes so that I could scour the pages for longer without tiring.

And the dragons. Oh the dragons! I almost wished that I were in the books myself (only held back by the truly terrible things that George R. R. Martin does to his main characters).

And so… The Elder scrolls: Skyrim. The new chapter in the series of fantasy games. And this time it’s full of beautiful dragons of all kinds. I simply cannot wait to see them in my skies, to prevail in battle against such mighty beasts and harness their power for myself. The only thing that could make it better would be if I could tame a dragon of my own (but hey, I’m not Daenerys).

And so Bethesda are teasing me with their Collector’s edition thanks to the beautiful statue of Alduin the World Eater that is included in the package. I need his spiny, scaly gorgeousness displayed on my desk for me to gaze at as I soak up every little bit of the story that I can. I am Dragonborn!

Reduced Nintendo 3DS price: Y U so tempting?

I’ve been looking at the Nintendo 3DS since it first came out. It might be that my original DS is on its last legs, the launch titles being particularly appealing, or the fact that one of the standard colours is an amazing aqua blue; but I’ve been longing for one since it was released (and that has very little to do with its part in the 3D fad that seems to be going around.)

At first, despite longing for the new Nintendogs game (dogs and cats? How could I resist?) I couldn’t justify over £200 on a hand held console that has, at its worst, 3 hours battery life. I mocked it a little in front of my other gaming friends; pretended that it was a ridiculous purchase, whilst in the back of my mind I yearned to hold the bright blue plastic in my hands, see the excited eyes of little virtual puppies and kittens staring up at me expectantly like I were 9 again and all the games I wanted to play were pink and fluffy and with absolutely zero violence.

Now my predicament comes with Nintendo lowering the console’s price by such a huge amount.

I was almost happy not buying a 3DS. Or I tricked myself into thinking that I was. Who needs a new, shiny handheld when my old, original DS is just about hanging on (albeit on one hinge..)? I’d told everyone that it was simply useless thanks to its short battery life, that the 3D screen must give people headaches anyway.. But now, at the new price of £115 from some retailers, I am sincerely considering putting some of my well-earned (ahah..) student loan towards acquiring one of these beauties.

My first games will be Nintendogs + cats and of course Zelda: The Ocarina of Time 3D. Along with a powerpack from Nyko which should double battery life (rendering my previous point for not buying… completely moot). I could see myself sinking a lot of hours into this console, especially with a new Paper Mario coming out and a Shin Megami Tensei game (although I’m not altogether sure that’s being released in the UK at this moment in time).

So student loan, I know where you’re going!

Unless of course I end up spending you on the upcoming The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Diablo III, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Torchlight II, Dead Island or Saints Row: The Third…