Nosgoth, Hunt Or Be Hunted .

Nosgoth is not for your Legacy of Kain fanboys. I know this, you know this, and Square Enix knows this. While at PAX Prime this year I got the chance to speak with some of the development team currently working on Nosgoth, and their goal is to reach a whole different player base; one that’s never even heard of the Legacy of Kain series. Why would a company potentially alienate the fans of their own series? Simply put, because Nosgoth is a completely different type of game. That doesn’t mean that Psyonix doesn’t want Soul Reaver fans to play Nosgoth, but since this is strictly a multiplayer action game the storytelling that the series is known for is only shown through visuals.

Before heading into PAX Prime I knew enough about Nosgoth to understand what type of game it is, but this was my first chance to actually play it. The Square Enix representative walked me through how the game was played, key bindings, classes and the general strategies required to win. Basically the vampires are trying to hunt down the humans rebels while the humans need to stick together to survive. That doesn’t sound too complicated, but apparently people can still screw this up.

Two Factions, All Brutality

Okay, so Nosgoth isn’t going to be a cinematic masterpiece, but is it going to be a decent game? Trying to balance two completely different factions is always a challenge, and it’s usually done very poorly (see Aliens: Colonial Marines), but Nosgoth feels well put together. On one side there are the bloodthirsty vampires, seeking control over their human slaves, and on the other are obviously the humans who are trying to win their freedom by killing every last vampire. The humans are all armed to the teeth with bows, crossbows, guns, traps, etc. while the vampires rely solely on physical prowess and cunning.

As I logged into my first match I prepared for the bloodbath I knew would ensue. The gothic, gloomy visuals and dim lighting let me know where I was; I was in a place of pain and struggle and desperation. The humans would do anything in their power to earn their freedom and the vampires…well they didn’t want to lose their slaves.

Team Play

First up was my chance for redemption, I was playing the humans. Since I generally favor tactical-ranged classes I picked up the scout with its long-ranged bow and area-of-effect skillset. My team setup a small, circular perimeter around the first opening we came to. Despite this being our first time playing together, coordination was already in motion. A Sentinel swooped out of the shadows and in for the kill; one of my teammates landed a few bolts to his chest and with one charged arrow I took his head clean off. Before I could make another move I was already on my back and a Reaver was tearing out my insides…I was done for. The next thing I see is my body being drug into some dark alley to become vampire food. Things went back and forth for some time, but we managed to pull ahead last second; somehow we won our freedom, for the time being anyway.

Nosgoth is very much a team-based game, any deviation from team-focused play and you’re going to end up dead. The Vampires are actually quite a bit stronger than the humans and should always be able to win a 1vs1 scenario, but the humans have a few tricks up their sleeves. Range is their obvious advantage, but it goes a lot deeper than that because a good vampire won’t be hit until he’s in your face. Their synergy is what makes humans strong. One player lays down a trap, another blinds incoming waves of vampires and the others drop a barrage of explosives give any night terror a bad day.

So the humans have the tools, but what do the vampires get? Well they have raw damage and a superior set of skills that range from near invincibility to AOE knockdowns. A well-placed shadow bomb can obscure the entire enemy’s vision while a Sentinel can carry a player off to be lunch. The next moment a Tyrant rushes in drawing the humans’ attention while the remaining Reavers or Deceivers do the dirty work. Winning or losing doesn’t simply come down to who has the best set of skills or the best individual players, but instead it comes down to which team can outplay the other one. It’s as simple as that. Separate and die, or work together and dominate.

Free to Play, not Pay to Win

One thing that was stressed during my play session was that Nosgoth is definitely not pay to win. Everything relevant to gameplay can be bought with currency that’s earned by playing the game. According to the representative, the starting set of items and abilities can be just as effective as the ones unlocked with in-game, or premium, currency. In all honesty, I feel that’s probably true for once. After playing in the beta this past week, I’ve unlocked a number of 7-day trial items just to give them a test. While I don’t care for some of them, others have become a staple in my arsenal; however, I don’t credit any of my wins for the alternate skill sets, but they do fit my personal play style better.

The one thing that can’t be earned in game are the special character skins and experience boosts. I’m not a fan of the premium skins personally, but the boosts do provide up to a 100 percent bonus to gold and experience. Every 5 class levels, up to 25, give you an item chest with uncommon or rare pieces of equipment and abilities, with the final one also providing a unique class skin. Having been a Legacy of Kain fan myself, I was hoping to see a bit of fan service such as a Raziel or Kain skin, but that isn’t likely. I was told that there probably wouldn’t be any Legacy of Kain skins because this game is taking place in a different era and it’s possible those particular skins might become too popular.

Overall, I have enjoyed my time with Nosgoth and feel that it’s one of the better solely PvP experiences that I’ve played this year. The classes and factions feel decently balanced, the visuals are delightfully gloomy, and there’s enough gore to go around. This might not be what Legacy of Kain fans were hoping for, but it’s definitely what PvP fans needed.