Vindictus
| Vindictus | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | devCAT (Nexon) |
| Publisher(s) | Nexon (Korea) Nexon America (North America) |
| Engine | Source |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Fantasy MOGAction |
| Mode(s) | Online Game |
Vindictus (Korean: 마비노기 영웅전) is a free-to-play action-oriented massively multiplayer online role-playing game created by devCAT, an internal studio of Korean free-to-play game publisher Nexon. Vindictus is a prequel to the popular MMORPG Mabinogi and is known as Mabinogi Heroes outside of North America.
Vindictus takes place in the world of Erinn, the same setting used in Mabinogi, but is placed chronologically several hundred years prior to the first game during a period of war and strife. Nexon America, Nexon's North American division, announced the new name on march 12, 2010 at the Game Developers' Conference in San Francisco.[1]
Gameplay
Combat System
Vindictus uses the Source engine to allow players to interact extensively with the environment. Environmental objects can be destroyed or picked up and wielded as weapons. Combat is described as "kind of brutal, like a bullfight," and will require a lot of teamwork.[2]
Setting
The time period of Vindictus is set several hundred years before the era of Mabinogi. in this war-torn world, the people cling to the belief that if they can destroy the "Fomors," (monstrous humanoids), they will be brought by their black-winged goddess Morrigan into the land of Erinn. As a result, the land has suffered under endless war for hundreds of years and many people are beginning to give up hope that the legend of Erinn is real.[3]
Free-to-play
Vindictus follows Nexon's traditional free-to-play model. The game itself will be free to download and play and charged no purchase price. The game will contain some type of virtual item shop to purchase in-game items to enhance the player's character's appearance and abilities.
Release
On July 19, 2009, a Mabinogi Heroes Open Beta promotional video was released, followed by the release of Mabinogi Heroes itself. The Mabinogi Heroes open release page has been launched and the game was "premiere launched" (accessible only in PC cafes) on December 16, 2009. The game was opened to the home user/player on January 21st, 2010.
North American Release
During the Penny Arcade Expo 2009, it was announced that Mabinogi Heroes, along with Dragon Nest and Crazy Arcade will be released by Nexon America in 2010.[4] As of January 2010, only the North American version of Crazy Arcade, renamed as Pop Tag! had been released.
In early March 2010, Nexon America officially revealed the North American release of Mabinogi Heroes at the Game Developers' Conference in San Francisco. According to the announcement, the name of the game had been changed to Vindictus in North America. The game is scheduled for a Q4 2010 release.
References
- ^ "Vindictus to Release in North America in Q4 2010". MMOHut. Retrieved 2010-03-31.
- ^ "GDC10: Nexon's Vindictus revealed". Massively. Retrieved 2010-03-31.
- ^ "Spotlight On - Vindictus". GameSpot. Retrieved 2010-03-31.
- ^ "Mabinogi: Heroes Comes to NA in 2010". MMO News. Retrieved 2010-03-31.
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