Last Update: 11/5/07

Hellgate: London

London, 2038. The once great city lies in ruins. A massive, sinister gash in the fabric of our reality gnarls and churns, dominating the horizon as it blends into a permanently darkened sky. The unspeakable cataclysm that befell London threatened to engulf the world as the shadow of the demons fell across the face of mankind.
  • Introduction

    • According to legend, when the ravens depart the Tower of London, it will crumble to rubble and disaster will befall England. As man became more dependent on science, ancient lore and rituals were lost to the antiquity of time.
  • Classes
    • Mankind is a race of survivors. A rebellious few survive in the shadows of their former dominance, combining the holy, ancient, and arcane rites with the fringe sciences of the modern era.
  • Demons
    • Emerging from the swirling chaos of the Hellgate, the demons overwhelmed humanity's defenses. The Hellgate writhes and seethes like a living thing, a tornado of eldritch energies through which the minions of the netherworld surge forth.
  • Mods
    • Some equipment can be modified through the introduction of various technological and magical elements, commonly called Mods. These Mods are typically integrated into pre-defined slots or hard points on an item through a simple procedure that can be performed by any adventurer.

    Bill Roper said,
    Success should be based on skills, level, items, and so on. So it's really based on what makes you successful in an RPG. That being said, it certainly isn't going to hurt a guy if he's good at shooters.

    Additional Game Features:
    • First person perspective!
    • Dynamically generated content and levels including tons of weapon and item drops for scavenging.
    • PvP will be included, although it is likely that it will be for Elite members only. PvP modes may include duels and arena matches
    • Has some combat aspects of a shooter, but is first and foremost an action rpg. Players will not need to scavenge for ammo. The only mention of "ammo" refers to a type of modification.
    • Quest driven story, yet with a lot of freedom to adventure and treasure hunt in hopes of finding the best of the randomly generated goodies, as was so popular in the spiritual predecessor Diablo!

    Proposed Subscription Details (thanks Hellgate Guru!) These are just a few of the features discussed, visit the Hellgate Guru links for more info:
    • Free player accounts as well as "elite" optional subscription play options that are currently stated as $9.95 per month for U.S. players.
    • Free players can access all initial content and play with free or elite players, but elite accounts will receive regular content updates.
    • Elite players can access premier 24/7 customer support via phone and email, and will have priority in case of player ques.
    • Free players may create 3 characters, Elite players up to 12. Elite players will have a 40 item "swap stash" versus 20 items for free players.
    • Elite accounts can access additional play modes.
    • Elite players will have enhanced graphical options for characters.


    Ex-Blizzard employees Bill Roper, Erich Schafer, Max Schafer, and Dave Brevik--the men behind Diablo, are the heart of the development of Hellgate: London.

    Developers: Flagship Studios
    Co-publishers: Namco Bandai Games & Electronic Arts

    The game runs on a proprietary engine developed specifically for this game. The only other component that Flagship has licensed is Havok for physics.

    System Requirements:
    • OS: Windows XP with SP2 or Windows Vista
    • Processor: 1 .8GHz or faster (2.4GHz for Vista)
    • RAM: 1GB or more (2GB for Vista)
    • Video: DirectX 9.0c/10 compatible device w/ 128MB RAM or better and Pixel Shader 2.0 support; requires NVIDIA GeForce 6200/ATI Radeon 9000 chipset or greater
    • Audio: DirectX 9.0c compatible device
    • Disc drive: 8x DVD or faster
    • Hard drive: 6 GB or more free space
    • Input: Keyboard and mouse
    • Internet: Connection required for multiplayer
    Platform(s):  
    Publisher: Namco Bandai Games & Electronic Arts
    (Make a Comment)
    +0
     
    Richard Emms
    by Richard Emms 1200534870
    Living Dead Boy: I'm going to put that review on hold until the HGL developers get the game on track with the game's patches - specifically patch 1.0. Either that or I'll tire of the idea of reviewing the game and it won't happen. :)
    +2
     
    Richard Emms
    by Richard Emms 1194338508
    An excellent, but flawed game. It seems it was rushed out for the Halloween release (a lot of beta bugs are still present in the released version) and still needs quite a bit of work done. Particularly the chat interface needs to be reworked entirely and a bunch of usability issues need to be fixed.

    One thing I have to say is that the gameplay is incredibly fun. :D And it suits both RPG and FPS players! What an unusual mix!
    +0
     
    Tasha Darke
    by Tasha Darke 1193139040
    How did I not comment on this before? Been following this game for a while now, been fortunate enough to play the Beta and really enjoying it. Can't wait for the game to go live properly.

    Hugs to the people from Hellgate Guru
    +0
     
    Beggin-Strips
    by Beggin-Strips 1193114467
    i got accepted into the beta too!!! this will tide me over til the game ships. woot!!!
    +1
     
    Sampapa
    by Sampapa 1193104495
    I just got accepted into the Beta :D :D :D

    Oh and here, I found this on the beta website.
  • OS: Windows XP with SP2 or Windows Vista
  • Processor: 1 .8GHz or faster (2.4GHz for Vista)
  • RAM: 1GB or more (2GB for Vista)
  • Video: DirectX 9.0c/10 compatible device w/ 128MB RAM or better and Pixel Shader 2.0 support; requires NVIDIA GeForce 6200/ATI Radeon 9000 chipset or greater
  • Audio: DirectX 9.0c compatible device
  • Disc drive: 8x DVD or faster
  • Hard drive: 6 GB or more free space
  • Input: Keyboard and mouse
  • Internet: Connection required for multiplayer
    		•
    +0
     
    Volatar
    by Volatar 1193005548
    @Erathoniel

    The hide bug glitch is fixed in the beta
    +0
     
    pcguy89
    by pcguy89 1193002393
    I played the demo and found the two playable classes kind of boring. I really want to play the Cabalist class because I think it will interest me more.
    +0
     
    Sampapa
    by Sampapa 1192977673
    LDB=Im not sure what the specs are, but my CPU can run it on medium. Id say no smaller then a 256 mb Graphics card. Thats what I have, but I also have a good processor.
    +0
     
    Erathoniel
    by Erathoniel 1192891457
    The demo is definitely worth it. Other than unchecking the Hide Blood option every start-up, the game had only one frustrating glitch, a (whatever those jumping monsters are) that would not die because I minimized the game while playing it. Great gameplay!
    +0
     
    Living Dead Boy
    by Living Dead Boy 1192861905
    If someone wants to help me update the system requirements info on this page, feel free to pm me, thanks!
    +1
     
    Volatar
    by Volatar 1192852297
    The beta NDA was lifted today, so expect a flood of information on the game. I will be contributing to this.
    +0
     
    Jacob Fike
    by Jacob Fike 1192833941
    After playing the demo, I found this game to be more fun than I expected. The FPS-style gameplay makes the repetition more bearable, which makes the driving force behind the game, the "pinata" effect, more enticing because it doesn't feel like as much of a chore to wade through countless minions to get the goods.
    +0
     
    Volatar
    by Volatar 1192828689
    I will agree with that. From just minutes of the game.
    +1
     
    Erathoniel
    by Erathoniel 1192764342
    The demo for this game will run on a year-old laptop without problem. To tell you the truth, I was expecting to pull a Jack Thompson and come off like a raving lunatic. The violence is not that bad, and the occult (at least between Marksmen and Swordsmen [forgot what they're called in game]) is not terribly bad. Comprable to Dungeon Siege. M rating not deserved after blood removal option. Still to spooky for the kiddies, but a T rating was probably due.
    +1
     
    Volatar
    by Volatar 1190067840
    Public Beta Signups have begun!

    http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/09/17/1722217
    +0
     
    The Builder
    by The Builder 1189729615
    I'm pretty sure the subscription content will eventually appear in warchests and expansion packs. Either way, I'm in it for the single player first.
    +0
     
    Living Dead Boy
    by Living Dead Boy 1188352949
    This has been in the wind for a long time now of course. It's not surprising, it's just part of the usual corporate trend of increasing margins of return on a big investment.

    I'm not usually one to subscribe to games, but I would for a very rare game that captivated me so that I felt it worthy to devote a lot of interest. To me, the free play Hellgate: London would do little but serve as a demo. I wouldn't like playing in a lower caste, so I'll probably either subscribe to this or not play at all.
    +1
     
    Killbot
    by Killbot 1188346368
    My anticipation for this game went down after finding out there's an optional subscription. It's better than a subscription only, but coming from guys who made Diablo I was kind of expecting free completely.
    +1
     
    Sol Invictus
    by Sol Invictus 1179766024
    Woo! I finally got to play Hellgate: London. adds to played list
    +0
     
    Living Dead Boy
    by Living Dead Boy 1179197909
    Thanks again Onyx. Edit coming up.

    ps- I think this is a good choice by the publisher.
    +0
     
    OnyxAbyss
    by OnyxAbyss 1179193958
    You may have already heard, but the details of the OPTIONAL subscription are here! The short of it is9.95 a month for more character slots, larger shared stash, and ongoing content. More details can be found here. http://www.hellgateguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3873
    +1
     
    alchfive
    by alchfive 1175546374
    I played this game for about an hour at E3 and a little bit at GDC. I really can not wait for this game. It seems like the perfect game to get my FPS and RPG friends all to play at the same time.
    +1
     
    HankHarpoon
    by HankHarpoon 1174812720
    i cannot even begin to explain how excited i am for HGL. I am still a bit fuzzy on the multi player though.. There will be a pay and free version? should prove interesting.
    +2
     
    Scaper-X
    by Scaper-X 1173148118
    To clarify, it has been established there will be both free and fee multiplayer.

    We don't have more details than that at this time.
    +1
     
    James Nichols
    by James Nichols 1173138613
    I'm just going to say this now to clear up any confusion there might be, and maybe some people will be fortunate enough to read this and come to their senses if they think otherwise.

    A suscription fee is NOT set in stone yet. In fact, the developers have been debating amongst thereselves a lot about how they plan to do things. Scraper-X and Taylor Balbi would tell you the same thing.

    http://www.hellgateguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2882

    :]
    +3
     
    Taylor Balbi
    by Taylor Balbi 1171392294
    It's not like Diablo lol. I've played it. It certainly has a few features that Diablo had. But this game is way more interactive than Diablo. It's as much Diablo as WoW is Warcraft 3. The game plays quite differently, because you're working with an extra dimension of fire. Certainly a hell of a lot of fun to play! If you liked Diablo, this is as good as a third Diablo will get in my opinion. Isometric RPG's are dead hehehe. If you're interested in the game, i'd suggest heading over to HellgateGuru.com and checking it out
    +3
     
    maex
    by maex 1171390549
    Whatever my pc purchase in the future may be, it has to run Hellgate and Spore. screw doing work on the computer.
    +2
     
    pcguy89
    by pcguy89 1171259151
    Many people have been comparing this game to Diablo. If it is anything like Diablo, I'll probably buy it, as I was a huge fan of those games.
    0
     
    Taylor Balbi
    by Taylor Balbi 1170980200
    I know what you're saying man, in a week + some hours ill be at Flagship Studios!
    0
     
    SgtPepper
    by SgtPepper 1170979893
    Hellgate Guru, Representing!

    I can't wait to play this game. It makes me salivate just thinking about it!
    0
     
    Taylor Balbi
    by Taylor Balbi 1170921106
    We definitely work hard on HellgateGuru.com hehe. I hide in the backlines and do a lot on the Wiki :D I can't wait! Scaper-X shows up at my house in like 8 days and we take off the next morning for Flagship Studios! WOOT WOOT!
    0
     
    Living Dead Boy
    by Living Dead Boy 1170915355
    Some nice content updates linked at HellgateGuru.com, good job guys!
    0
     
    Prince Ariketh
    by Prince Ariketh 1170910769
    Woo! I can't wait!
    +5
     
    Taylor Balbi
    by Taylor Balbi 1170461034
    I've played it, it's most definitely a 4.6 :D And you can expect a nice Review from myself and Scaper-X in the Reviews section since we're both going there on February 16th!
    +2
     
    Living Dead Boy
    by Living Dead Boy 1170408590
    I love how it's rated 4.6 and not even gone gold yet ;)
    +2
     
    Arklon
    by Arklon 1170292582
    Whoa, I wonder why I haven't heard of this game earlier. I was planning on playing mostly Enemy Territory: Quake Wars this summer, but I think I'll end up devoting much more time to this game instead...
    +4
     
    Taylor Balbi
    by Taylor Balbi 1169835604
    Scaper-X and I took the trip to flagship together the first time on October 20, 2006 and he's going with me again on February 16th. Hopefully we'll get to play some DX10 sexiness heheheheh I can't wait either.
    +3
     
    Scaper-X
    by Scaper-X 1169835270
    Leesee. Been following HG:L since...well, kinda since Bill Roper and the other Flagshippers left Blizzard. Tracked the other Big Blue splinter companies but quickly found myself attracted away from ArenaNet and to Flagship Studios. Participated on a number of HG:L boards, got staffed at Guru, started doing the London Calling webcast show, went to visit Flagship HQ in San Francisco, about to do so again in February...

    Yeah. You could say I'm into this title.
    +5
     
    Sol Invictus
    by Sol Invictus 1169769246
    I've never been more enthusiastic about a game since Diablo 2. Hellgate: London is going to be the game that saves gaming for me.
    +2
     
    Strom
    by Strom 1169765764
    I've been waiting for this game since FSS was created and it looks like it might even exceed my original expectations. I can not wait any longer, must have!
    +3
     
    OnyxAbyss
    by OnyxAbyss 1169686825
    Been following for quite some time now. Really looking forward to play. Damn you KK for getting a chance to be there! Get those photos up soon dude.
    +7
     
    Taylor Balbi
    by Taylor Balbi 1169576857
    I had the great opportunity to be invited out to Flagship Studios in San Francisco to meet with the developers and play the game. This was back on October 20, 2006. The game was amazing. Even though we played a build that was dumbed down so anyone could enjoy playing it, making it easier to learn the game dynamics and have more fun playing it, I must say it is one of the most fun games I have ever played. I'm looking forward to my next trip there on February 16th this year! The release window is Summer 2007, which is perfect! The game is going to have DirectX 10 in it also if you have a DX10 card, so I suggest upgrading because it looks AMAZING in DX10!
    +2
     
    Dr Wiley
    by Dr Wiley 1168891462
    This game looks awesome. I'm going to have to buy a new computer to play it...but I'm actually okay with that.
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