Revisiting Hellgate

October 31, 2007 saw the release of the highly anticipated Hellgate: London title. Developers, many of whom were involved in development of the outrageously popular Diablo II, had been pushing themselves to be able to get the game out by a Halloween release date. Bugs and issues were rampant in the early days after release, and many players, especially those reviewing the game, found themselves very disappointed with what they were experiencing. Hellgate’s release date was most likely pre-mature, and the response that was given showed it.

Now here we are, just over five months after release. Flagship Studios hasn’t been sitting idly while their game struggles to gain acceptance. Patches and fixes have been released and content has been added. The most recent patch, version 1.2, is, in my mind, what the game should have started off at. Tons of bugs have been resolved (though some still exist), many critical balance issues have been resolved, and content has been added. This has caused the gaming experience to become much more rewarding. So, is post Hellgate 1.2 worth revisiting?

My answer is almost a reluctant one, as I have very much enjoyed many aspects of the game, whilst others cause something inside of me to feel uneasy about it. Because of this there are a few things I need to get off of my mind: First off, the subscription system gives people willing to pay more and more money every month the content that the game should have had to begin with. This will likely keep the number of paying subscribers low, because to pay for some of the things they want people to pay for is quite ridiculous. Also, the game is incredibly repetitive. There, I’ve said it. The safe zones between combat areas seem to be unique in their own little ways, with different characters and tie-ins to the story line, but the combat areas themselves feel like the randomized thoughtless tunnels of demon shredding they really are. So, that main thing, along with a somewhat bland story-line, has caused the game to have a surprisingly subtle undertone of boring.

Alright, now that that is out of the way I would like to now shower the game with praise. The optional FPS-RPG hybrid battle system it employs is very enjoyable. First-person perspectives have become more and more of a trend in modern-day western RPGs, and Hellgate London did a pretty good job at implementing it. Granted, it isn’t the best I have seen thus far, but it is certainly good. Graphically, the game is pretty good, and besides an occasional physics glitch, everything is quite beautiful.

Hellgate London has a great system that allows you to upgrade your equipment as you progress. Certain components can be gathered to allow you to increase the base properties of an item so that, if there is a helmet that you love the look of, you can hold onto it without it becoming utterly worthless. Rare properties can also be randomly given to items as well, at a price of course, allowing for even the wimpiest of gear to have the potential of holding its ground.

Now, so far the thing I have enjoyed the most about this game is how well the skills for each class seem to really cater a character to my playing style. The best example of this is the Marksman, I think, as this class can be shaped to be played exactly as a player wishes. If someone loves sneaking around and quietly wiping out enemies, there are appropriate skills to do so. On the other hand, if someone wants to rush in and blow hundreds of baddies away with sheer and utter force, you simply need to invest your skill points appropriately. So, how is this any different from any other RPG that utilizes a skill tree system? Simple: Hellgate London has few elements of turn-based play to it. Dodging an enemy’s spells or projectiles can be done by maneuvering your character accordingly; fighting styles are defined completely by how you move your character, and dueling between a characters involves much more skill in character control than any other PvP situation I’ve seen thus far in a good RPG’s multiplayer environment. So, the simple numbers involved in your character’s stats aren’t the only thing that will lead to a victory.

So, my final verdict of this game is it is definitely worth checking out, especially with all of the fixes that have been released. And, at the price you can find this game for many places, it is worth the investment. The gameplay has a lot of the same feelings to it as Diablo II, and does add enough to make that experience enjoyable to even players who are burned out after too much Diablo-like content in the past.

Quick Thoughts

Pros: Great combat system, character building is very fun, graphics are good, and MMO environment is enjoyable.

Cons: Repetitive, odd subscription system, physics system is a tad glitchy.

Overall: Good game. Price has dropped since release, so it is worth checking out.