|
Hellgate: London (PC DVD) | 
 enlarge
| From: Electronic Arts
Category: Video Games
List Price: £34.99
Buy New: £14.09
You Save: £20.90 (60%)
New (11) Used (5) from £8.25
Rating:  22 reviews
Platform: Windows Xp
Genre: role-playing-games
Media: Video Game
Age: 11 - 18 years
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5030930057220
ASIN: B000FNA25U
Release Date: November 2, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: IN STOCK. USUALLY DISPATCHED SAME OR NEXT WORKING DAY (MON - FRI). PLEASE ALLOW 3 - 6 DAYS FOR DELIVERY. BRAND NEW AND FULLY GUARANTEED BY A WELL ESTABLISHED TRUSTED LTD COMPANY. EMAIL DISPATCH CONFIRMATIONS SENT. TRACK PROGRESS 24/7
| |
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Diablo -ish November 5, 2007
Jackster (Scotland, UK)
19 out of 23 found this review helpful
I bought this game without hesitation - if the creators of Diablo2 were releasing a game along similar lines, well it's a must have.
I've been playing Hellgate (single player) for 6 or 7 hours in total up to now - and in all, I like it - its good fun: good graphics, (not the absolute best but then playability is more important than graphics), great setting, interesting characters to choose from, lots of skills and character upgrades and the ability to modify/upgrade almost all equipment you find.
So why then am I not raving about this game as the best ever, rather than just saying its 'good fun'? I think the fundamental problem is that it has lost something in 'translation' from a 3rd person hack and slash to what is essentially a 1st person shooter. One of the main reasons people liked, (and continue to like), Diablo2 was that in addition to the character generation and loot grabbing, it has a coherent linear story, real plot development and excellent NPC characters.
Hellgate, in comparison doesn't have any of these. For example, it has some of the worst NPC characters ever - they sound like village idiots! Why did Flagship not just have them read out their quests instead of having them make stupid random outbursts? - I actually think that removing their voices altogether would be preferrable to what we have now.
Plot is another area which suffers - you don't really get the feeling you are progressing in the game as it seems to be just one long monster-shoot for no particular purpose. Even with the character upgrades to keep you interested, I think this will get a bit boring after time.
Fundamentally, this game is a halfway house trying to please both RPG Diablo/NWN fans and 1st person shooter Halo/Bioshock fans: unfortunately you can't please all of the people all of the time and I don't think it really represent a classic of either genre. While it is good, and I would recommend it, I don't think that this game will stand the test of time as well as Diablo has...pity really.
Written by a non-D2 player November 12, 2007
Mr. Ld Hewson-north (Oxford, England)
12 out of 15 found this review helpful
First of all let me explain that I played Diablo 2 briefly, although not online, and got bored very quickly (clearly I missed the best bit!!) however, this meant I had no pre-emptive thoughts with what I thought this game should be. Therefore, I write this review with untainted clarity.
Having played World of Warcraft for the best part of 2 years I thought I would rest my Trolls, orcs and Scourge to meddle with some gun-touting Humans against the forces of hell. I did absolutely no research into buying this and bought the game purely on impulse.
So far i have only totted up around 8 hours and have managed to hit level 11! The first thing to note is it IS FUN... no matter about anything else, I do enjoy blowing some mutant scum back to the portal from which it came! The second thing to hit you is it isn't perfect. There are loads and loads of flaws and the mouse movement is very annoying. I play with a pro-gaming mouse & mouse mat and it still annoys you with its dragging-like movement.
Having played tons of games over the years from beta stages and onwards I would say the first major patch will fix many of the annoying flaws in this game but until then be prepared to be a little frustrated at times and bare in mind it has only just been released for the EU.
Now down to the game:
The customisation involved is heroic! Lots and lots to do and seems it will be almost endless with the amount of different character structures & builds. Its very addictive and the fact that money is not such a struggle to obtain makes it very fun.
The graphics are fine and although they are not ground-breaking, they enable people who don't have the most UBER computer to play the game which will increase community numbers.
As mentioned in forums around the world the voices of the NPC's are...well... you wanna turn em off!
After a quick read through the manual and checking the official site you soon realise that you are going to have to self-learn the game basically from scratch. There are very few things that help you learn how to play the game and even now I sit here realising I have made some fundamental flaws in my characters optimisation. Unless you are a Diablo2 player (which I presume is very similar) then you constantly find yourself guessing what the best combination of gear, weapons etc are while wasting resources in the process! I'm sure I will hit level 15 and then start again as I still seem to be learning new things every 10minutes and regretting what I had done beforehand.
A point which has barely been touched on is this game is fully playable in single-player mode. I would definately recommend this, until you hit the online scene if that is your plan.
Having said all that the game stinks of fun and I'm sure swarm-guns will keep lots of us entertained as minions run around trying in vain to escape your pesky little friends. xD
Overall I think I would give it a 3 and a half out of 5 but hopefully with a few patches, many of the teething problems should be ironed out and attract the masses and start hitting 5/5.
DIABLO - THE AWAKENING November 3, 2007
NeuroSplicer (Freeside, in Orbit)
10 out of 13 found this review helpful
UNREAL was one of these games that mark an era. Huge, gorgeous scenery, atmospheric and fast - there was nothing like it for many years. When UNREAL II: THE AWAKENING came out I could not wait to get my hands on it - only to be hugely disappointed. The new game had been graphically improved yet the UNREAL character was replaced by a bland and generic FPS feeling.
The DIABLO series enjoyed a similar, well deserved, success. HELLGATE: LONDON was released by the creators of DIABLO - leaving a similar disappointing aftertaste I am afraid.
Don't get me wrong, this is a good game. However, disappointment is inevitable for a game that tries to do everything: provide a 40-hour single-player FPS; double as an action-cRPG; and serve as a subscription-MMORPG (with at least two pay-grade classes: First & Standard) at the same time. Trying to please everybody, well, ends up falling short. They did put in a solid effort; however, in the end, both FPS and action-RPG fans will find the game wanting.
FPS-wise HELLGATE:LONDON is slow (by the way, the perspective is adjustable from FP to TP and back) and the character movement feels unatural . The weapons are inventive and impressive. Monsters and demons appear all over (popping from places that surprise you) and are dynamically-generated - as are the maps, every time a new game is started (adding to the game's replayability). Yet the rhythms are nowhere near those of a true FPS. There are tight moments but no high-speed tension.
I guess that is the price of creating a single player game and aiming at the MMORPG market at the same time (trying to avoid lag-time).
As a cRPG, HELLGATE: LONDON fares somewhat better. It is not the first time, of course, to come upon a First Person cRPG (the classic ULTIMA series introduced this). Nevertheless, HELLGATE: LONDON manages to convey the DIABLO feeling from the FP perspective beautifully! The multitude of sold or looted items alone is staggering! Everything seems to be customizable and appears on the character. A nice touch is that unwanted items can be broken down to their raw materials - which can then be used in either crafting new items or enhancing existing items at a vendor. Thus, an item well beyond the one you are currently using can yield material capable of enhancing it. Similar to TITAN QUEST, creating unique items using a mold is also possible.
There are three factions: Templars (aka: Knights), Cabalists (aka: Mages) & Hunters (aka: Rogues), all capped at level 50.
Graphically the game is crisp and clear but not cutting edge. The graphics are comparable to HL2 and QUAKE4 (3 year old games). The surfaces, the textures, the reflections and the weather effects are beautiful, and they are designed for BOTH DX9 and DX10! I cannot comment on DX10 (as I am running WinXP) however, for DX9 I have no complains - I encountered no freezes or crashes and the system demands are reasonable.
What is concerning is EA/FLAGSHIP's emerging intentions to charge for this game piece-meal. Since this is a heavily OnLine-oriented game, having the latest "installment" will be a necessity in order to survive and compete effectively.
The multiplayer offers a number of choices: free (with limited gameplay capabilities, such as leading a guild), Standard monthly fee (for additional content such as new areas, more classes, weapons,quests, and game modes) and First Class monthly fee (premium content). It may seem a good decision on boardroom papers, however, I doubt that this...cast system will sit good with the MMORPG crowd. Imagine building a character exactly as you want him for, say, six months, only to have him wiped by a rich n00by with premium weapons...Yeah, that will work miracles in building your fan-base...
So, for someone buying the game mostly for its multiplayer, be warned: 26 is NOT all you will have to pay (yes, even if you opt not to subscribe for the unrestricted gameplay).
All in all, a solid effort to mix-and-match different genre that falls just short of its raised expectations.
PS:
There is a major storyline objection: presenting Freemasons and Templar Knights as the saviors of humanity is as absurd as describing Nazis as "cosmetic products manufacturers". Some things cannot be spinned I am afraid. Now, I did not take this into account in rating this game since no one is taught history by video games...is he?
 Welcome to Hell November 7, 2007
Tormented Soul (Pandimonium, Outer Planes)
8 out of 13 found this review helpful
Yes this hell. A perfect adaptation of purgatory for the PC. You see you are first seduced by the diablo thing. A burning desire to see what modernised version of that classic would look like. Oh, buts whats this? I have to sign a pact to get the patch? Well, ok. I don't normally touch product registration with a barge pole. But just this once. I really do need that patch.
Arrrrrrrgggghhhhhhh. The torment begins. An endless session of logging on again and again. Then, the invalid ID begins...
The patch (patch0) is supposed to download automatically? Via a big button? Keep checking it will be there? What sort of instructions are these? Grrrrr.
Without doubt the most frustrating experience EVER created. I am going back to ZX81 days here.
Cue flames and pitchforks.
The advice from this tormented soul - wait a couple of months until this gets sorted. Looks like it could be a great game but not ready for release yet.
PS - If anyone finds a way through the Hellgate, I am on the 478th plane down, cubicle on the left. I Still have quite a bit of sin that needs cleansing out (apparently)but a cup of tea would be appreciated.
 boooooooooooooooooooring December 3, 2007
T. Hengeveld (Rutland and Stevenage, UK)
8 out of 12 found this review helpful
I played the alpha and the beta. I bought the game. I tried a few characters. I got bored and played something else.
After getting to level 17 I got so bored of the environment I stopped playing. I enjoyed the upgrades and the skills I played but the environment just wasn't varied enough for me.
I realise it's supposed to be based in London (the clue's in the name) but that doesn't excuse the lack of imagination used in generating the maps. I believe they have used about 10 different structures for the map layout, 5 of which are used for the majority of maps.
Many of the maps are based on London streets and therein lies a problem. Anyone who has visited London will realise that it is not strewn with red telephone boxes (and certainly not 3 in a row). There is not a square in almost every street.
It would appear that Flagship have picked up a tourist guide to London and chosen random names for the streets in the game. In the game I played, Downing Street is about a mile long with a square in the middle (instead of about 150 yards long with gates at either end).
Perhaps it is only those who have been to London that will care about such things.
I could forgive the game-makers this faux-pas if only the levels were less like the previous. The quests would be so much more interesting if only I didn't have to go back to the same dull tube-line or Picadilly Circus....street to do it in.
I've waited for so long for this, had such expectations and am now so disappointed that I don't think I'll even bother logging in again.
The game gets 2 stars for it's playability and, frankly, for the builders who made Diablo 2 Expansion.
Gutted.
|
|
|
|
Copyright Thalasar Ventures | |
