ALT+F4: Aion Open Beta, Command & Conquer 4 Details
Posted by Future Man on August 27th, 2009
Big important fancy news seems to have come to a bit of a standstill once again, with everything just about to start launching left and right, stealing all your money. But, we do have some news on the Aion open beta and when that goes up, as well as the head start program, for anyone itching to get their grind on. On the RTS front, there’s some exciting new details on the upcoming Command & Conquer 4, regarding the story and some gameplay stuff not seen in previous C&C fare.
Check it all out, after the jump.
Aion Opens Up
Firing up on September 6th, anyone who has managed to avoid pre-ordering Aion for a beta key is going to get a chance to take the NCsoft MMO for a test run, all the way through September 13th. This beta is even going include “Western enhancements”, which aren’t the silicone breasts and Super Sized everything as you might expect, just character changes, new zones, and balancing.
In addition to the beta opening up to the unwashed masses, folks who have pre-ordered have something to look forward to. Pre-order…ers are going get a couple days head start to jump on that treadmill and start racing towards level cap. This head start even will begin September 20th, with the full game launching Sept 22nd.
You can go ahead and start downloading the Open Beta client right here.
Command & Conquer 4 Dubbed Tiberian Twilight
The previously announced fourth (and supposedly final, in the current state) entry in the long running Command & Conquer series has picked up a name, with Tiberian Twilight getting slapped up there next to the old C&C. But what might be more exciting than the uplifting name is the story set up for this sequel.
It is the year 2062 and humanity is at the brink of extinction. Tiberium, the mysterious, alien crystalline structure that has infested Earth for decades and served as the primary reason for years of relentless conflict between the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the Brotherhood of Nod, is close to rendering the planet uninhabitable. Mankind is on the verge of extinction when Kane, Nod’s prophetic leader, emerges from seclusion to deliver GDI the message that he has developed a system that could control Tiberium and harness its power. But he cannot build this “Tiberium Control Network” without GDI’s cooperation. Thus, the two opposing factions – GDI and Nod – inevitably find themselves in desperation for the same cause: to stop Tiberium from extinguishing mankind.
After 15 years, the network is nearly complete, Tiberium is under strict control and our revitalized, newly terraformed planet is on the cusp of a new age of prosperity and progress. It is then that the world’s citizens begin to seriously ponder why Kane chose to help, and what will he want in return. These questions and more lead to the dramatic final act of the Tiberium saga.
Sounds like the perfect excuse to film a bunch of ridiculous FMV, if I’ve ever heard one. In addition to the new story, there’s some features hopping onboard for the first time. Your base will now be a mobile unit in the form of the Crawler, allowing you to break free of being anchored to one corner of the map, and maybe even some of the more monotonous base building. But a big walking unit factory isn’t the only new addition.
The game is going to have class-based elements, allowing the archetypal offense, defense, and support options for players, each bringing their own slant to play style. I’m definitely interested to see more of that, and what it might mean for balance. Another new facet is going to be an RPGish sounding progression system, allowing you to net experience from units killed and allocating them into the shiny and new, be it units, powers, as well as “strategic options”, whatever that might be.
The game has no exact release date, but is currently slated for 2010.
[Source: Press Release]
Tags: Aion, ALT+F4, Command & Conquer, News, PC, Tiberium Twilight
Loading ...
