Recently, Abandon Interactive opened its closed beta of freaky creatures.
The trailer, which has been getting much attention and favorable response from the gaming crowd and not to mention the lure of collectible-figure-culture in an massively multiplayer online scenario has been responsible for the buzz surrounding the title. Today, I tackle the early beta hands on to see
if there is substance beneath the hype.
GAMEPLAY
The main focus of the freaky creatures gameplay is on monster vs. monster battles. However, the game adds a strategy element to the fights in the form of building your own creature. You can start from a basic creature and then equip creatures with weapons, and also giving them horns, wings. The combinations thus achieved range from the bizarre to the, well….more bizarre. The battle is turn based and the good old concept of leveling up holds true here. There are online lobbies present which provide matchmaking features to match opponents based on their skill levels. However, you can also customize your creature offline but you cannot battle with other creatures offline.
GRAPHICS
The graphics of the game are okay for an online MMO, and while they do their job with no hassles, they are not extraordinary either. Since this is a beta product, expect this section to improve as the game nears launch date.
GETTING STARTED
1. You begin by choosing the type of creature (there are choices like Cyclopor, Rexar, Setsa, etc.) and by choosing one of ten different color schemes for your monster.
2. The second step involves customizing your creature. There are five places you can modify: Head, Back, Tail, Right Hand and Left Hand. The head allows you to choose horns and other parts for your creature, while the back has things like wings and spikes to choose from. Right and Left arm are for weapons which include things like laser guns to swords and shields, and tails allow you to choose from a collection of strange tails.
3.You can then choose a name and a musical “theme song” for your pet monstrosity.
After your creature has been completed, you can assign powers to your creature, ranging from attack to defense. The possible combinations are huge and after playing, it is clear there is no “master combination”, each has its set of strengths and weaknesses.
VERDICT
Abandon Interactive is aiming for the ages 8-13 demographic while trying to involve parents and it shows. The game is fun for dropping in and playing with friends, while it promises social controls to prevent abuse and swearing that is a part of almost every MMO out there. This game is one of the first games based on toy culture. The prospects are bright with the ability to play from mobile phones, and Abandon plans to provide collectible figures and a USB key with extra features with the retail release. A good game is enjoyable and while it is easy to play, it is not that easy to master, and I must say that the developers have done a satisfactory job here.
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