TheSnee
The Pillars crumble: Nosgoth, Square Enix’s class based asymmetrical shooter/brawler has ceased development, and will go offline on the 31st of May, 2016, according to the official site.
The game pitted heavily armed Vampire Hunters, equipped with varied crossbows, pistols, gas bombs, hexes and more up against the immortal, inhuman Vampire Clans. Two teams face off against each other, the Hunters playing a third person shooter, using ranged weapons to their advantage, and the Vampires, using their superior physiques and strange powers, could climb and outflank their enemy, confusing and separating them before going for a close, bloody kill.
While the asymmetrical, ranged vs melee gameplay is nothing new, the inclusion of MOBA style skills, equipable and changeable outside of a match, provided an interesting way to attempt to out think an opponent, and allowed players to completely change the playstyle of a class, for example changing the agile Reaver from a speedy, evasive hunter to a teleporting assassin. Access to skills and classes is gated by player progression, the all pervasive XP bars making an appearance here, or by finance, with skills, weapons and classes being available to purchase as part of the game’s Free to Play business model.
Nosgoth takes its name from the doomed, fictional land in which the Legacy of Kain series takes place. It’s unapologetic anti-hero protagonists, flamboyant speeches, bizarre architecture, time bending story and brutal combat found many to appreciate it, myself included. After a long wait since the last game in the series, Defiance, many fans of the series were hoping for a direct sequel. Nosgoth received criticism from fans of the series over its interpretation of Legacy of Kain‘s lore, and the transition from a single player, story driven experience to a multiplayer fragfest. Lore is still present in Nosgoth, though you have to go looking for it. Maps are thematic, and often beautiful, and the Vampire clans directly relate to those laid out in the excellent Soul Reaver. Nevertheless, despite sharing a setting, Nosgoth seems to target a different audience from the original games.
It’s sad to see Nosgoth go. Whilst some would argue it was a misuse of the license, it was still very enjoyable. If you’ve not tried it, it’s worth checking out before it goes dark.
