Unveiled: Diablo III's Wizard Class

a quick time-out from gaming with Renzie Baluyut.

BlizzCon '08 is well under way at the Anaheim Convention Center, and Blizzard fills us in on the third of five classes you can play with its highly-anticipated hack-and-slash RPG: Diablo III.

You've probably already seen the demo gameplay for the first two classes: the Barbarian and the Witch Doctor. As if paying homage to the old pen-and-paper role-playing games, Blizzard has decided to throw in our magic-wielding Wizard Class.

Unlike the Witch Doctor who supposedly draws his abilities from the spiritual realm, the Wizard taps into the raw power of the universe and channels it to do her bidding.

The good guys of Blizzard gave eager BlizzCon attendees a sneak peak of the workings of the new Wizard- essentially what sets her apart from the other classes- and had gone further to explain Diablo III's new skill system and skill tree, a new rune system, and new improved special effects based on your character's special abilities.

So what can the Diablo III Wizard class do?

- Early on, she is able to throw Magic Missiles- something Dungeons & Dragons players should be familiar with. It's really more like the old Firebolt of Diablo II- a very basic arcane ranged attack which presumably becomes more powerful as your character invests more skills into it.

- After gaining a few more levels, she can now unlock Electrocute- a quick zap of raw electrical energy that pretty much looks like a form of a lightning bolt, then maybe progressing to something like chain lightning at higher levels.

- Higher up the skill tree is Slow Time, which was implemented as a bubble effect that radiates outward from the Wizard.

- Lastly, the devastating Disintegrate was introduced. Described as "a real face-melter", this spell makes use of a charge mechanic which allows the player to hold down a button and sweep their mouse across a swath of opponents, dealing more damage to enemies unfortunate enough to be targeted longer by the Wizard.

While a lot of the gameplay aspects were already demonstrated at BlizzCon, the current version is by no means final, as some game mechanics are still being either worked in, fine-tuned or chucked out completely by Blizzard game designers.

No word yet on when Diablo III will be released. In the meantime, get blown away by this vid posted on Blizzard's YouTube channel. Enjoy!

Pictures from Gamespot. Check out more pics and screenshots on Gamespot's section on Diablo III.

Cheers, everyone!

Waiting For Fallout 3

Just a little over a month more before Bethesda Software's take on the venerated role-playing classic hits stores. I gotta admit- I can't wait to get my grubby little fingers on my very own copy of Fallout 3.

For those unfamiliar with the title, the Fallout series of role-playing games was set in a post-apocalyptic, alternate reality. Remember the Cold War in the 50's? What if we actually went straight to World War 3 from there? In the Fallout universe, the survivors have been living in underground Vaults for several years, only to come out and find a desolate, wasteland of a world. And that pretty much sets the stage for Fallout.

Usually, you start out as a Vault-dweller, or as a descendant of vault-dwellers, and as you do some exploring and go about your business, you'd probably discover a greater evil on the rise, and you, as the reluctant hero, end up being mankind's last hope.

I'll probably go into the details of the first few games (Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics, and the XBox's Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel) in my future posts. For now, it's enough to know that Bethesda Software- the dudes from the hugely successful Elder Scroll series of role-playing games, have so far done a great job in bringing back Fallout from the dead.

Here's the latest Fallout 3 video trailer from GameSpot. Enjoy.

Here's the very first trailer that came out earlier this year, if you missed it:

Fallout 3 comes out on October 28. Not just for the PC, but for the XBox 360 and the Playstation 3 as well. Can't wait!

Cheers, everyone!

Getting To Know: BioWare

If you've been playing a lot of role-playing games on the PC, then you definitely must be familiar with the work of BioWare.

BioWare is a gaming company (or more appropriately, an electronic entertainment company), based in Alberta, Canada, which has, for over 10 years now, been the creator of some of the most highly-praised and commercially successful computer role-playing games of all time.

Being a huge Dungeons and Dragons geek myself, I've been taken by most of their games. In fact, my love affair with BioWare started when the first Baldur's Gate (1998) game came out- and totally revolutionized the way role-playing gaming for the personal computer: for the very first time, the table-top RPG mechanics of 2nd edition D&D actually translated very well on a PC platform.

Then more D&D games for the PC came out: Planescape: Torment (1999)- developed by Black Isle Studios, made use of BioWare's Infinity Engine, followed by the first Icewind Dale (2000) game, then the even-more-improved sequel to Baldur's Gate- Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000) and its expansion, Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (2001), finally culminating in the release of Neverwinter Nights in 2002.

BioWare helped usher in that new golden age for computer role-playing games. I've been fortunate enough to play all those games, and each one that came out were epic in scale- with gripping storylines, memorable characters and challenging battles.

Everything was well-made- the voice-acting was spot on, the musical scores were perfect, and game was so seamless, all you could think about was finishing one more quest or heading to one more town, before finally catching 2 hours of sleep before heading for work later that day.

Games by BioWare

• Shattered Steel (1996)
• Baldur's Gate (1998), and its expansion, Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast (1999)
• MDK2 (2000)
• Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000), and its expansion, Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (2001)
• Neverwinter Nights (2002) and its expansions: Shadows of Undrentide (2003), Hordes of the Underdark (2003) and Kingmaker (2005)
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ("KotOR") (2003), which first came out for the Xbox before finally seeing a version on PC.
  
• Jade Empire (2005), also came out for the Xbox first.
  
• Mass Effect (2007), came out for the Xbox 360 first, before releasing a version for the PC.
  

Third party games using BioWare engines

• Planescape: Torment (1999)
• Icewind Dale (2000) and its expansions Heart of Winter (2001) and Trials of the Luremaster (2001)
• Icewind Dale II (2002)
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (2004)
• Neverwinter Nights 2 (2006), and its expansion Mask of the Betrayer (2007)
• The Witcher (2007)

Games Currently in Development

• Mass Effect 2 (in-development)
• Mass Effect 3 (pre-development)
• Dragon Age: Origins (2009)
• Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (2008)
• an Untitled MMORPG using the HeroEngine
• a Knights of the Old Republic MMO
• another game in development yet to be announced
  

Right now, I'm playing Mass Effect for the PC. My friends who've had a go at it on the Xbox 360 swore it was a great game- and they were absolutely correct. Never have I been sucked into a game like this since, well, Neverwinter Nights 2 or KotOR II: The Sith Lords.

I hope to write a review in a bit. I've already hit level 25 after almost 14 straight hours of playing, and I don't think I've even hit the halfway mark of the story. Yes, it's that epic.

Check out more on BioWare on their entry on Wikipedia, or check out the official BioWare website.

Cheers, everyone.

I've Seen Diablo 3's Barbarian- and it was Awesome

a quick break from gaming by Renzie Baluyut

Blizzard has gone right ahead to create some good buzz about one of its upcoming games, Diablo III. There were already some signs online that hinted on a release pretty soon, and with Blizzcon 2008 happening in a couple of months, we just might see more clips of Diablo III on YouTube and other gaming sites.

Speaking of YouTube: I'm currently subscribed to Blizzard's channel, and for all you fans of the great hack-and-slash RPG- Say 'Hello' to the first of five (or so I've heard) classes for Diablo III: The Barbarian.

That's him right there cleaving his way through waves of ghoulish undead. Watch the new Diablo III Barbarian in action: here's a video clip to blow your mind!

Here's something about the Barbarian class we gleaned off the YouTube channel:

From the writings of Abd Al-Hazir (entry no. 0025)

In my journey to catalogue the various denizens, civilizations, and fauna of our world, I have traveled far and wide, but never before have I been struck with such dismay as when standing upon the ramparts of the ancient fortress of Bastion's Keep. I came to see firsthand the barbarians, those near-legendary, immense, relentless, dual-wielding furies of combat dwelling upon their sacred Mount Arreat.

Instead, I stand here looking at a mountain that has been torn asunder by some extraordinary force. The sight, I must confess, is incomprehensible. Yet what I see before me cannot be denied.

What truly happened here? Where are those majestic warriors of old?

"I came to see firsthand the barbarians, those near-legendary, immense, relentless, dual-wielding furies of combat dwelling upon their sacred Mount Arreat."

Though they were once misunderstood as simple, bloodthirsty invaders, the long and noble history of these proud people is now rightly acknowledged. And therein lies the greater tragedy here, for those of us familiar with the nobility of the barbarians remember too what they call their "vigil", the concept that lay at the very heart of their culture. The barbarians consider it their sworn duty to protect Mount Arreat and the mysterious object within. They believe that if they fail to uphold their duty to the great mount, or are not given a proper burial upon its slopes, they will be denied a true warrior's death, and their spirits shall roam the land without honor for all eternity.

If there are any barbarians left alive, they must truly be without hope. Perhaps this is the genesis of the rumors of monstrous things reported to resemble the barbarians in size and ferocity, but that are in reality nothing more than unreasoning, inhuman beasts. Could the destruction of not only their home but also their very beliefs have actually brought this magnificent race so low?

You could also check out a better quality video over at the official Diablo III promotional website, or discuss Diablo all you want with your fellow fans here on Battle.net.

Pictures from Gamespot.com. Check out more pics and screenshots on Gamespot's section on Diablo III.

Cheers, everyone!

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Gaming.

That's right, welcome to my world.

Welcome to the world of a 34-year-old self-professed geek- who, by day, slaves away at a regular job and does business like most radio executives, but by night, hunkers down in front of yet another PC and dives into role-playing games.

That's right. I work hard so I can play. I work to pay my monthly World of Warcraft fees. I work to check out Datablitz (the local gaming software retailer) to see if the new game I've been waiting for is already out. I buy gaming merchandising when available. I get other people to play. And now, I'm blogging about it.

This blog- Renzie on Gaming- gives you my personal perspective on games, gaming gear, games marketing, and the gaming industry, and how the gaming industry affects the rest of the world. My personal perspective, ladies and gentlemen. Ultimately, this is all about what I think, and what I care about.

You're all welcome to stick around and poke around if you like. I even encourage you to leave a comment or toss around an idea or two. It's all cool.

See you guys around. Cheers!

Back To Guild Wars!

OK. This whole day job is eating into my otherwise perfect gaming lifestyle. Two-and-a-half months ago, I was contentedly satisfied playing my World of Warcraft- until I was hit by the stark realization that, yes, the gaming lifestyle needs to be supported by a steady source of income. So I begrudgingly returned to corporate slavery to generate the resources required to keep on gaming.

And here comes the announcement of the release of Guild Wars: Eye of the North. Ahh. I have such fond memories of Guild Wars. It was the very first MMORPG I got into (since I was very much working at the time). I've started playing in early 2006, and I've worked my way through the Prophecies campaign, the Factions expansion, and then the Nightfall add-on.

They say that Eye of the North is Guild Wars' first REAL expansion. What exactly they mean by that, I have no clue. But whatever it is, it sure sounds a whole lot better than the first two. Yay! More Guild Wars action for everyone!

Guild Wars is a great game for people who have work. While, yes, World of Warcraft is just as entertaining (or arguably more so), you'd like to be able to make full use of the gaming time you're paying for every month. Unlike WoW, GW is free-to-play (after your initial purchase, of course). And unlike LOTS of other free online games out there, this one actually kicks ass. The storyline is very engaging, the character development allows you for lots of customization, the quests are appropriately challenging, and the game has incredibly high replay value. Getting both add-ons (Factions and Nightfall) gives you a lot more quests to play with, additional storage space, four extra character slots, improved henchmen and so much more. Oh, and it looks and sounds good too.

So just before I go get myself a copy of Eye of the North, I'd like to back and revisit the lands of Tyria, Canthia and Elona. Spend some time with old friends, make some new ones- getting myself in the mood for a lot more Guild Wars action. Let's play!