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Finally a good effort

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 92 / 133
Date: November 02, 2007
Author: Amazon User

If you don't want to read this long review, let me simply say that Hellgate London is a good game, and definitely worth the money.

But if you want to know a little more...

Let me start off by just saying it... Diablo 2.
There are few games out there that are of such a high quality that they become the standard that others have to beat, that they become the thing that is used to compare. Diablo 2 is such a game. It is the game of which it is said with other games; `Diablo also had that' or `unlike Diablo.'

So, here we are, Hellgate London; the game that wants to take over from Diablo. Can it? Well, yes and no. Yes in the fact that over the years there have been many Diablo clones, and none came close to `the real stuff.' Hellgate does. Hellgate comes close and even surpasses in some areas, like graphics. But then again, what would you would expect from a new game that is trying to beat a, what, ten year old game?

Also, one very interesting this is that I wouldn't actually call Hellgate a clone of Diablo. A clone is a copy; more of the same. While Hellgate is more of the next step. Yes, it has all the things you expect and know from Diablo. Health potions have become health injections, the identification scrolls have become single use identifier units. Items are still color coded, and there are even mods and weapons that can be compared to the weapons with sockets from Diablo. But simply the fact that you are actually in a 3D world already makes you surpass the 2D world. In Diablo you could see everything in a circle around you. In Hellgate you only see what you look at. And if you want to see what happens behind, or above you, you have to actually turn around, or look up. While Hellgate is not the kind of game where someone suddenly jumps out at you (save from the few monsters that appear out of nothing, but do so with a very convenient warning sound,) you actually have to walk to a corridor and look in to see what's happening there and if there are monsters to be found.

I have only tried one class until now, but in that class (the guardian) one thing I really like is that you don't have to target every single enemy. In Diablo you had to click on one enemy at a time to attack it (save for some abilities like the strife shot for the Amazon, or the throwing starts for the assassin.) In Hellgate you can simply click (doesn't even have to be on an enemy) and hold down the mouse key and as long as the enemies are inside your range you automatically attack the next one when the first one dies. Note, the enemy has to be inside your sword range, so you won't go running across the map automatically just because you hit the attack key.

Hellgate also comes with Randomly generated maps (apart from some key locations), so it does have a high replay value and it's not that once you played the game you know every map there is in the game.

In short Hellgate is a fun game that makes you want to play just that little bit more.

Now, I did say that there was a `no' part to it being able to replace Diablo. So here come the more negative comments.

First, it is indeed a great game that you want to keep playing. But with Diablo you wanted to play for hours, and then some more. You could easily play it 8 hours straight. (At least I could.) With Hellgate you play for an hour, maybe two, and then you get bored. It is yet another zombie, yet another Imp, that you kill. While that was pretty much the same with Diablo, there still is that `something' missing that prevents you from getting bored. With Hellgate you do get bored... but then again the game is still good enough that a few hours later you find yourself restarting the game to play a little more.

Missions are boring to the extreme, and some are down to the stupid even. Mind you, there is some line in the main... eh... plot. But the secondary missions. It really is all the same. Go there and kill 5 of those. Go there and kill that monster. Go there and get me that. In Diablo most of the missions were a continuation of the main mission, and even the sub missions (the ones you could skip and still end the game) had some tie to the main story. In Hellgate the only tie is that the monsters are your enemy and you go and kills some more monsters. Boring. Basically, the secondary missions have no value other then to get you some rewards that you are (mostly) going to sell anyway, and they get you to hack and slash some more and gain more experience. On itself that extra hack and slash isn't bad, since basically that's what you are playing the game for anyway. But the fact that there is no true story behind that hack and slash does tie to what I said about getting bored with it after some time. (Until you want to hack and slash some more.)

The maps. (The kind that lets you know where you are, not the kind you play on.)
The mini map that shows what's in your direct vicinity is good enough, but I truly hate the world map. The world map is laid out like a metro/subway map. Now, there is a reason for that, since a lot of the game plays there and you get from one place to the other in subway tunnels. But still. When you bring up the world map it basically only tells you where you are at the moment, and from it you can't really see if you have to go north or south since just like in a real subway map a place that is located to the north on the map might be very well to your south depending on how you are standing (and no, there is no compass.) While that is not a bad thing in the tunnels, on a bigger area that is larger than what you see on your mini map you can actually get lost because the world map only shows that you are in `that' location. Thanks, I know that I'm at Piccadilly Circus, now please tell me if I'm on the north or south side of it, and just where the exit I came from is again. No, I much rather have the map you had in Diablo, the one that you could have on constant as a semi-transparent overlay. But even that you can't do with the world map. Well, you can leave the world map on while you play, or you can put the mini-map as an overlay, but both are not really transparent, and it still is only a subway style map or limited range. Either way, overlay is not doable really because it obstructs your view.

Another thing, and eventually this too ties into the boring aspect, is that there is too much gray. Now, I know that you are running around in a destroyed city and cities tend to be gray. But still, I little more color would have been nice. Every street looks the game because wherever you look you see gray buildings and more gray buildings. It takes away variety and quickly turns the areas that aren't subway tunnels into a repetitive combination of gray buildings and boring monsters to kill.

And lastly, two things that I'm neutral about at the moment of me writing this.

First, the skills are set up very differently from Diablo. With Diablo you basically had to pick a few skills and stick to it; train them as high as possible. Otherwise you would end up being a weak mediocre jack of all trades that would get killed time and again. In Hellgate they turned that around 180 degrees. Here they actually want you to spread your skill points over many skills. And to make you do so you get a huge increase with the first skill point, but less with next skills points. For instance. With the defender there is a skill that you can use that makes you hit an enemy with 100% more damage (great against tough monsters only since reuse is time delayed and you can't use it al the time) The thing is, the first skill point gets you that 100% increase. But when you add a second skill point it only adds another 10%, making it a total of 110% extra damage.

While I do like this approach in general because it does allow you to use more skills, I have now (level 11 player at the moment of this writing btw) reached a point where I have noticed that in actual play I don't use several skills. Now it would be nice if I could use my skill points in the skills I do use and actually get a nice increase with it. Yet on the other side, as I said, I'm not `that' far into the game and I don't know yet what the increases will be. Maybe there are 20 levels, just like Diablo, and then 10% increases would still eventually turn out to be a massive 300% extra damage, if it keeps increasing in increments of 10%. Time will tell.

And lastly, a thing that I like and don't like at the same time. The monsters in the game don't level up with you. Monsters have been set to have a certain level in this or that part of the game. In playing that turns out to be still around a realistic level where monsters that are a little tougher do need a few more hits with the sword, while the base level zombies are by now little more than a nuisance and are cut down with the first sword swing. In a way I like that because it makes you truly feel that you are getting better. In the game Oblivion monsters do level up with you and at a point it just makes the game unbelievable. Here you are someone that has trained to be a master with the sword, cannot train any higher, yet still every robber you come across is just as skilled as you. Come on. With Hellgate that won't happen. Zombies that once needed 3 sword hits to be killed are now mowed down with a sweep of the sword while I don't even really slow down. Basically is shows me that I'm getting better, while at the same time there are slowly but surely popping up other, tougher, monsters that do keep me on my toes.

As I said, in general I like that. But I just wish that they would do something about those low level monsters. Streets are still filled with zombies, and now that I can kill them in one blow they are really nothing more than nuisances that distract me, at most. It would have been nice is they were replaced by different monsters that are a little higher up. Not enough that every monster is a master challenge, but enough to make you want to look out and not let them come too close.

So, where does that leave us?
Do I recommend to buy it? Yes. It IS a great game, and it by far surpasses any Diablo clone created to date. But at the same time it didn't succeed in replacing Diablo as `the game to beat.' It's not Diablo, but it is definitely the best attempt by far. I would give it a very close second place. And if you don't compare it to Diablo, and simply want to know if it's a good game, then I would even call Hellgate a great game.

H.W.

Diablo Done Better

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 24 / 36
Date: October 30, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is very much a sequel to diablo 2 but there are some obvious breaks from the diablo series.

The most salient break is that the entire game is in a true 3d world where you can play from the first or third person perspective. This makes for a pretty fun experience but for some rather different gameplay mechanics. You have to combat flying creatures that, as oppposed to the diablo series, actually are above your head! The general style of attacking is also quite different for all charachters in the 3d world; the game plays much more like half life than like a diablo gone 3d. The "hack and slash" of diablo is made much more robust.

There are alot of other less notable differences so ill run through them quickly. Spell damage is based on the items you are holding; this prevents early spells from becoming useless (infact the early spells are normally the most frequently used at later levels). You can imbue items with magical properties at a cost in gold. You can "upgrade" items to enhance the base damage or defence, this eliminates the problem of finding a good magic item early in the game and having it become obsolete towards the end. Gold is actually important. There are many skills designed to heal and assist party members.

There are, of course, many similarities. The random (and unique) item system is still nearly identical to diablo. The skill tree and general skill aquisition system is nearly identical to diablo. The levels are random, though not quite as random as diablo. And what is really wonderful is that the charachter classes play like the charachter classes from diablo 2; the similarity is just incredible.

The other reviewer noted a lack of intensity. There is a certian lack of creatures to kill in comparison to diablo; you will still be killing hordes of monsters but not at the same scale as you would in a diablo game. I find this a welcome change though it was obviously implemented because of the new constraints placed on the game by its 3d world. There is also a certian sense i get that charachters move more slowly, but im not sure i can make this judgement any more precise than that. If this is what the reviewer means by a lack of intensity than i see exactly what they mean (and say its all for the good); but if something else is meant, like a lack of excitment, a lack near death experiences, or a lack of difficult fights that suck you into the game then that reviewer just didnt get enough play time from the demo.

Poorly put together game that loses steam fast

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: January 18, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I really wanted to like this game. I honestly did. I like FPS games and Diablo II is my favorite game of all time. Surely any integration of the two would be gold, right? No dice...

The missions are repetitive. You think they might get better later in the game but it doesn't happen. You are once again hunting for a bunch of a certain kind of monster or one boss monster.
The scenery/tile sets are repetitive. You think they might get better later in the game but it doesn't happen. Level 2 of an area will be exactly the same as Level 1. You can be at the 6th station and enter an area and be like, "wait, haven't I been here before?".
The items don't get interesting. The item database is also rather small compared with other real RPGs.
The game is still buggy. Even with the latest patch, you can frequently generate a map where the path to where you need to go is blocked by randomly generated objects. Also, if you "get stuck" trying squeeze between things, you automatically get transported back to the beginning of the area. These were 2 major bugs that provided unnecessary frustration. I know I can't fault the game too much for bugs since they exist with every game. However, combined with all the other flaws, this game just feels like there wasn't any real effort put into making it. Even the graphics don't justify the system requirements.
The only good thing this game has going for it is the sound. The combination of action sounds, ambient sounds, and music make for an eerie atmosphere reminiscent of Diablo I.
The Single-Player experience is just too tedious to finish.
The game somewhat redeems itself with the multi-player community but this can be true for any game and doesn't really reflect on the merits of Hellgate: London. By comparison, Diablo II was an immensely popular game largely because of multi-player but the game was also great to play by yourself.

Yes, some of original Diablo developers worked on this game, but Flagship Studio's debut lacks the overall production value that Blizzard has brought to all of their titles.

Far from 5 stars and Diablo 2

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 10 / 12
Date: November 25, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I remember playing Diablo 2 for a very long time and I just couldn't get tired of the game. I'm now level 25 and I'm thankful that this game was a gift and I didn't spend the 50 on it.
My main complaint with this game is the repetitiveness. Every act has taken me to the same street, same huge building, same train tunnel and the same basement type level. Redundant? Yes! Very much. Granted they get shuffled around every time you go in, its still the same damn place! At least in Diablo 2 every Act looked different. The main storyline is pretty straight forward, and frankly I'm getting bored with it already and the side quests are also redundant and not much fun, just something to do as you're running to complete a main storyline quest.
The one thing I do enjoy is the weapons and abilities, I have a hunter, and I must complement the wide variety of arsenal at my disposal. As well as all the abilities I can "throw" at my enemies.
I made a Swordmaster to see if changing classes would keep me interested a little longer. Unfortunately I feel that's not going to help seeing as all you'll ever do it hack-and-slash. Everything to bits without much thought behind it.
The graphics are okay, nothing too stunning but not terrible either and the music is sporadic and just in the background much like it was in the Diablo games.
This game feels like it was rushed and didn't have too much thought put into it. It does not at all hold up to Diablo 2 and I would recommend you wait and see if they add some more content before picking this one up.

This Is One Of The Funnest Games I Have Ever Played!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 20
Date: November 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I started playing Hellgate: London and I couldn't stop. This game is very addictive. The replay value of this game is just amazing. Everytime you play the game, the game will play out differently.

The game takes place in London, England in the year 2038. Demons from Hell have taken over London and they live above ground. The last remmants of humanity live underground in subway stations. The levels you go through are always different and the monsters and creatures you fight against are always different.

Right now, I'm playing a character called Blademaster and I'm having so much fun playing that character. You can play six different characters in the game. You actually give your character a name and you make your character look the way you want it to look before you start playing the game. Blademaster is an expert using different swords and shields. You can also use one sword in each hand or a pistol in one hand and a sword in the other hand. You can also use a grappling hook to bring a demon next to you with one hand and kill the creature with a sword with the other hand. You make the choice of how to fight the demons throughout the game.

It was so cool to fight against demons called Blood Zombies and I actually used my sword to cut one Blood Zombie right in half. Well the bottom half of the Blood Zombie's body kept coming at me. It was just the hips and the legs coming after me. I couldn't believe it. Another time I chopped off the head to a Blood Zombie and the body kept coming after me with no head attached. There are these jumping demons that look like mean looking dogs and they will try to land on top of you. Well I actually use my sword to kill them while they are up in the air above me. It so cool to see them fall down dead around you.

The graphics in this game are really good. I don't why people are saying the graphics aren't very good in other reviews because I think they're great. Also the demo to the game is only 5% of the full game. The different levels and demons in the demo are nothing compared to what is in the full version game. The full version game is huge. The game reminds me a lot of Diablo and Diablo II. I loved those games and I love this game. This game is definitely a five star game. I highly recommend getting this game. Hellgate: London is so much fun to play.

Still in beta

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 14 / 21
Date: November 15, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I feel ripped off with this game. It is unfinished and still a beta product. I have been waiting for this game ever since it was announced and want my money back.
So many bugs exist in this game but they must have rushed the release, because bugs from the beta are still unsolved 2 weeks after launch. Some say 'wait til the December patch' - I call BS. These things should have been fixed before release and software companies need to stop selling us broken software with a 'we'll fix it later' attitude.
Some find this game fun as it is and defend it mirthlessly, but then again, some enjoy self-mutiliation and dressing up in furry suits.
The sketchy pricing scheme is weird too. Not well thought out and rushed is all I can say.
NOT RECOMMENDED.

Fun but UNFINISHED game. MARRED by bugs and poor Customer Service.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 11 / 15
Date: November 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

First of all let me say this is a fun game. If you liked Diablo 2 you'll love how this game plays and feels. I got this the day it came out and I've played every day pretty much since then.

Pros:
- Unique apocalyptic future setting but with demons (not too many games like that)
- Very fun. Action Rpg with a lot of variety with ways to play.
- Good graphics with settings maxed. (You'll definitely need a high end computer though)

Cons: (and this is probably where most people are gonna give my review a "not helpful" since few people like negative reviews on Amazon.com)
- Bugs, bugs and more bugs. Memory leaks (i.e. uses up ram and won't let go when supposed to), disappearing items (items used in engineers bots disappear when you exit game and aren't there when you come back), skills not working the way they're supposed to and that's just a few of the problems. I STRONGLY suggest you check out the support forum for this game before you buy.
- Paid subscription needed for "features" that Diablo 2 had for free. Anyone remember making every single type of character in Diablo 2? A trap assassin along with a melee one? A bow amazon along with a javelin one? Well you won't be able to in this game! Like Diablo you can create different variances of each class which comes out to about 18 different characters you can make. BUT FLAGSHIP STUDIOS ONLY LET'S YOU HAVE 3 CHARACTER SLOTS ON THEIR SERVERS!!!. Let me repeat that. 3. So if you want to be able to play all the varieties of Guardians, Summoners, Engineers, etc. You will HAVE to subscribe. A feature Diablo had for FREE. Clearly a blatant way to FORCE you to subscribe.
- Subscription bugs. Currently even if you wanted to pay Flagship Studios $10 a month you can't. The ability to subscribe is down due to bugs. Did I mention there where bugs in the game?
- Founders Club: The founders club was essentially a one time fee of $150 that let people become lifetime members. No paying $10 a month. The problem? They only let 100k people have this option. If you're planning to buy this game the FACT is you will NOT be able to get in on this option. If you plan on playing this game more than a year you've been pretty much screwed over by Flagship studios.
- Horrible and I mean HORRIBLE party options. Nearly impossible to find friends online. Joining a party is a matter of luck. Most of the time (99%) I got sick of waiting to party and just solo'd the missions.

There are more cons but it would seriously take a lot more time then I have right now.

Bottomline- in it's CURRENT state this is an unifinished game that should have stayed in development for another month or two. Trying to get it out on Halloween for the coolness factor was just plain dumb.

Diablo 2 was a GREAT game. This is a mediocre copy due to bugs, poor marketing choices, and poor customer service.

Enjoyable, yet flawed

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 21 / 42
Date: November 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

A futuristic London beseiged by demonic forces? Sounds like a fun environment to me, and that's the setting of Hellgate: London, the much anticipated action/RPG from EA and Flagship. Loading up on loot and upgrading your character is the name of the game, with varying classes to choose from as well that determine what view you'll be playing from, including first and third person. The action elements are outshined by the RPG elements with Hellgate: London, but make no mistake that the overall gameplay is no less addictive for it. What really hurts Hellgate: London though is that the game shows off it's best stuff, and then doesn't so anything else to match or top it. It won't be long until the various enemies start looking similar and the environments become nearly identical. There are noticable technical glitches as well in an otherwise great looking game, which only looks better if you have a DirectX 10. The game's story is also worth noting, as it tries to weave in some comical moments that don't really work too well, and all together doesn't really amount to a whole lot as well. All in all, Hellgate: London is an enjoyable, yet flawed, spin on the Diablo formula that is definitely worth checking out to be sure, but until some patches are put out, the game is better left on the shelf.

Text Box Game With Almost No Voice Actng

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 15 / 28
Date: November 10, 2007
Author: Amazon User

That's right, you read and click your way through all the Hellgate dialog just like the bad ol' days. This issue seems to be oddly overlooked in many official reviews so I thought I'd lead with it--having not been adequately warned myself. Frankly I think it should be written across the game box in 90 point text. The text should be red and flashing. They could use the money they saved on voice acting to install LEDs and a little watch battery so the flashing could warn more people.

It's 2007 and scrolling through endless text boxes should be a deal breaker for a $50 game, but here's the rest of the bad news in case you still care:

Hellgate plays like a raw Diablo stats engine stripped of everything that made the Diablo games engaging. The developers seemed to cut every corner they could: generic story, boiler plate environments, NPCs that just stand around like lifeless mannequins, animations that look like they came from 1994, side quests that don't play into any larger story and are rewarded with the same crap you just purged from your inventory.

Just buy something else or they'll make more.

Do they even test installations?

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 11 / 18
Date: November 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have a 4 month old very capable computer with Vista, and Hellgate won't even run. I get a warning that it might not run and get directed to a text-heavy Vista "support" page. Vista support is also a joke. I have no clue how to get it to run. I suppose I could research it further, but how cruddy is that. I want a game that will install and run without me being a computer geek.

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