E3 '10: Jumpgate Evolution Impressions
A lot of MMO's think they're massive, but it takes a special something to truly earn that title. The space battles featured in Jumpgate: Evolution can only be described as "massive." As the sequel to the 2005 Shooter/RPG hybrid, Evolution expands upon the foundation set up in the original and takes them to new heights.
The set up is simple: three factions of humanity, Octavius, Quantar, and Solrain, battle each other for intergalactic supremacy through a never ending series of dog fights. Players pick a faction and begin fighting for their side in a struggle that adapts to the outcome of battles. This isn't to say that the Jumpgate universe has been simplified from its last entry. In fact, the folks over at NetDevil were quick to point out that their storytelling mantra in development was "story, not backstory," meaning that players should experience in every battle, and the outcome should help build a fuller, deeper world for the player to explore. It's a lofty goal, but all signs from today's demo pointed in the right directions. After hearing just a few examples of how a single battle can have fixed, global repercussions I was intrigued.
The game itself places an intense focus on Player-versus-Player gameplay and features action that remains quick without getting twitchy. Action unfolds in large scaled open worlds that feature a truly massive amount of players. Players already familiar with Jumpgate and other MMO's will feel right at home with the control scheme. It was a little chaotic and disorienting at first for me, but after a little bit of time I was able to get my bearings. Never the less, it was a pleasant change of pace on the MMO front and hopefully the start of some truly epic battles.
Game-Boy
Posted to E3, Hot Stuff, Video Games on 15 June 2010
Other stuff like this: codemasters, jumpgate, jumpgate:evolution, netdevil
