Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade
- February 11, 2005 15:14 PM PST
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Part Diablo and Gauntlet, Untold Legends will give RPGers one more reason to buy the PSP next month.
Perhaps the coolest aspect of Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade is that it neatly compliments Sony Online's own Champions II: Return to Arms. For the uninitiated, Champions II is a hack-and-slash RPG in the spirit of Diablo II and Dungeon Siege. Though Untold Legends lacks the online multiplayer component of that title, it does feature four-player wireless multiplayer. We're expecting more news on that feature in the coming days, so check back soon for additional multiplayer features and impressions.Otherwise, Untold Legends fits neatly into the Champions vein of action RPGs. Think of it as Diablo II lite, with a Gauntlet twist. Though the gameplay wasn't as insanely, unbelievably addictive as Diablo II (which still controls a sizeable online base to this day), the portable aspect added an extra incentive. Like Diablo II, the environments were randomized with new layouts, monsters and items on each playthrough. The main "Hub," which worked like Diablo II's towns, allowed players to hock items and buy potions and new weapons and armor. Speaking of which, the preview version boasted some impressive item modifiers; some would inflict aura elemental damage, while others occasionally cast support spells.
The character classes veered from the traditional, which helped keep things fresh. The Knight was a no-brainer tank class, an expert in hand-to-hand assaults. The Druid functioned somewhat like a traditional priest or cleric, but could summon various pets or even enchant his foes. The Alchemist could not only launch area of effect spells, but could enchant weapons and even convert weapons on the ground directly into gold. Finally, the Berserker boasted solid hand-to-hand combat, but in a nice twist, excelled at using thrown weapons. The stats included Strength (which also boosted inventory carrying capacity), Dexterity (which improved defense and could even boost spell damage), Stamina (which affected health and health regeneration) and Power (which boosted mana reserves for spellcasters).
Visually, Untold Legends is shaping up to be a solid entry in the PSP launch lineup. The character models (which each boast cosmetic modifiers like hair and skin color) boasted decent detail, particularly concerning their weapons and equipment. But the 3D environments looked simply awesome, especially on the PSP's gorgeous widescreen LCD panel. Better yet, the artists employed varied tile sets to help add variety to each environment; a regular cavern could give way to mushroom-covered hallways, cobweb-infested corridors, or eerily-lit rooms.
Overall, though, the outdoor environments looked the best .These included icy badlands populated by witches, a sun-washed desert prowled by giants and lion-headed scorpions and a lush evergreen forest. And yes, theyre fully 3D, and many boasted fancy special effects like subtle colored lighting or translucent snowfall. The bosses were also notable, and included a huge ice dragon and a massive, crafty spider queen. The spider boss was particularly fun to fight; as the player perched on a small pedestal in the center, the monster would rise from the void surrounding the player and shoot webbing at the player. It was definitely impressive, especially for a portable machine. The sound wasn't much to speak of in the preview version; the music came across as somewhat tinny and simplistic, but that may be a side effect of its unfinished progress.
Overall, the hands-on play test was a positive experience. But the wireless multiplayer mode looks like it could offer the biggest incentive, particularly when you factor in the portability. Well have more info on that much-anticipated feature soon.
