|
| |
|
|
When PC online gaming first became widespread back in the 90's, the dream of having massive worlds populated by hundreds, if not thousands of players from around the world all interacting with one another seemed incredibly close. However, although the concept seems a basic one, the actual execution proved more difficult than most expected, with only a handful of MMORPGs coming close to people's expectations. The main problem seems to be balancing the online community aspect and creating a fun game, but this is something that Codemasters hope to accomplish in their latest title, Dragon Empires.
The game's world is split into five empires, with each protected by a massive, fire-breathing empire dragon. Today, we got our first peek at some of the lands which these mythical beasts are guarding, and it certainly looks impressive! The game's graphics engine has been tailor-made to create some of the largest and most detailed landscapes seen in an RPG to date. Mountains tail off way into the distance, yet seemingly lose no detail, while lakes and seas look incredibly realistic thanks to some neat reflection effects and differing states depending on whether it's a calm day, windy or in a raging storm.
Animation is also another key element for generating a realistic world, and Dragon Empires doesn't disappoint in this department either. Every tree and bush is individually animated, with each one swaying differently depending on its size and the current climate. What's even more impressive is the way that the engine will seamlessly move between different terrain types as the player explores the world, and will fade in additional detail onto each object in realtime as it moves closer into view.
If you take a quick peek at these early screenshots I'm sure you'll agree that the game is already looking pretty tasty. We hope to have more details and screenshots closer to the title's Autumn 2003 release date!
Marc Hull
|
|
| |
| |
Go Back To Main Page 
Go To Top Of Page