Forge
Preview
Smithing a PvP masterpiece
by Preston Dozsa
previewed on PC
Standard, But Not Quite Ordinary
Virtually every MMO is comprised of two parts: Player vs Environment and Player vs. Player. Some MMO’s focus on one or the other, while others aim for some combination of the two. But what most of them have in common is that you can’t experience either fully until you reach max level. And if you do manage to reach the fabled level cap, it takes a lot of time and effort in order to fully reach parity with others. In other words, it takes a long time before the fun really begins. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised to play Forge, a new game from Dark Vale Games that eschews the traditional format on MMO PvP combat and focuses on what's fun: players killing each other. No leveling, no gear hunting, and no time wasting. Just straight up, pure PvP. And by God if it isn’t entertaining.
Forge should be instantly familiar to anyone who has played an MMO before. In the third person perspective, you control one of five unique character classes with a wide variety of abilities. Up to 32 players will engage in team based combat across a variety of maps, three of which have been implemented so far. All of the modes are your classic multiplayer match ups, including Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and King of the Hill. It’s easy to grasp and understand, and there’s nothing really special about the modes themselves.
Easy to Learn, Simple to Master
Control wise, Forge handles well. All of the controls are customizable, so you can experiment to find your preferred scheme. Though if you’re used to PvP in MMO’s, I recommend hotkeying your abilities to the number bar as it will make the overall gameplay much easier to grasp. Unlike most MMO’s however, you do have to keep your cursor centred on the enemy if you want your attacks hit. It’s like a third person shooter in that respect, and it admittedly does take some time to get used to. That said, when you do get used to it, Forge really opens up with possibilities.
As stated previously, you have the choice between five classes to unleash your player killing ways. There’s the stealth based Assassin, the ranged and trap specialist Pathfinder, the fire based Pyromancer, the hulking and imposing Warden, and the supportive Shaman. Classic archetypes to be sure, but a blast to utilize nonetheless. I particularly enjoyed playing as the Pyromancer, who possesses the ability to launch opponents a good distance away, but can also be used to launch the Pyromancer himself across the map at great speeds. Flying Pyromancers are as awesome as they sound, though I believe that the enemy team would hate me for encouraging their use.
