WWGW - Pagan Online - gameplay live video
2Today we've got a quick look into the Early Access "PAGAN ONLINE" hack and slash, online co-op/multiplayer, lootfest, Diablo-like adventure. (READ ON)
So if like figuratively literally everyone you were bummed out by the Diablo-Phonez annoucement, then perhaps Pagan Online is just right for filling that sweet spot.
Darkness and EVIL with a capital EVIL are all over the place and we need balance to thrive: luckily, the goodness of Light exists to slaughter the fucking shit out of it at every opportunity.
One thing worth mentioning right out the gate here: PAGAN ONLINE is still in Early Access, though that implementation here seems a bit different from the typical meaning on Steam of "I just started this shit, see you in 3 years to never." Pagan is effectively a full game already moment of swift action, crafting goodness, and looooooot though the Early Access is referring more to an uncertainty with finalized mechanics as they experiment around with the difficulty curve, crafting systems, drops, and more other beta-stage tweaking. It's refreshing, and particularly a boon for the genre as with the Diablo-likes there's that repeat play highly emphasized with difficulty-climbs and better loot to acquire.
The direct feedback incorporated here means some interesting alternatives with regard to design choices: the main controls include alternatives for the more-traditional point-and-click Diablo styling as well as WASD controls with click-combat aiming, plus my all-time favorite bit of responsible PC game design: full controller implementation... though these games and FPS are like the one time in the world where I defer to the traditional keyboard/mouse set up anyway.
Pagan offers the usual assortment of characters class selections with the initial alternatives of Tank, DPS Mage, and the "jack of all trades" Berserker that you'll see us playing here. You'll be locked into that class until the naturally coming across those other class options via campaign progress. However, you've a chance to go through each of the three starting options if you'd like to make an informed decision before locked in to your choice for the foreseeable future.
I've only checked out the berserker class (here called the Kingewitch) so I can't really say how the others played, but you'll see a nice variety of skills and abilities on display that you start out with to keep things from getting too clicky clicky at start. Unfortunately actual combat experience can feel pretty repetitive here with a large emphasis on many enemies spawning all over the place and these techniques you're using not-so-much out of necessity for combat range but to break up the monotony of the usual attacks with each one being implemented and used as soon as its ready. Though I suppose this is an inherent flaw of the genre. Thats just what the Diablo-types devolve into eventually, here perhaps sooner than most, where you'll end up slaughtering so much so quickly that you'll seldom get a real sense of identity from most enemies aside from the boss-battles. That said, there's the solo experience and the friend one. And what doesn't resonate when isolated can be a hell of a lot more fun when paired up. The issue ceases to hold relevance when feeding into your partners mutual desires to see how far up the kill ladder you can climb.
Check it out now on Steam!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/992640/Pagan_Online/?curator_clanid=32660416
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