Ultima Online Renaissance

Ultima Online Renaissance's opening cinematic is long, clocking in at at 3 minutes and 50 seconds. The language seems complex, but it's also fast. The developers cite the way the new game engine is now able to recognize things such as the damage that will be done to the character's eyes, as well as the aging interface.

The game's battles take place in a lot of exotic locations such as the landscape of the Imperial Palace, or as part of a scale for the planet, the swamps of the Stonehenge, and various areas of space. In addition, the game features a number of unique creatures, such as laser-toting medics, to deal with. As a result, there's a variety of different ways for you to battle, like flinging huge bovines to slow down the enemy. A dynamic weather system means that creatures are very detailed and will react realistically to your situation.

It is early in the game that we were able to see how the new engine is supporting direct real-time battles, and the developer is already thinking about ways to enhance these sequences. The game's battle camera, which was used in the first game and is now far more detailed and features more convincing-looking attacks, is also more advanced. As a result, we'll be able to see more of the spectacular action in some of the environments we've seen, such as the forests and the gladiatorial arenas. The combat animations are also much improved, and the different attacks seem to play differently. For example, we saw the creature use some powerful fire attacks, whereas the enemies we saw were now far more cautious and equipped to defend themselves. The frame rate was already quite stable even in the last version, and it appears that the game will run at a constant 60 frames per second.

We also saw new camera angles for the different types of enemies that we've seen.

Aside from combat, a new interaction system will offer more interactivity in the game's various environments. To go along with the "traffic" system, you'll be able to take out a number of foes that have different needs and routines, including guarding and attacking. In addition, by distracting the enemy by attacking, you'll be able to pick off reinforcements and complete the mission successfully. While the interaction system hasn't changed, the effect was still a bit jarring and difficult to interpret at times.

The environments have also been revamped. Gone are the giant worms and the hellish, fleshy gnomes. Instead, they're more mechanical insects and have been sent into the world to do their dirty work. One of the latest additions to the environments is an area called the Museum of Freedom, which gives a nice level of detail to the game's levels. The area is set in a jungle, featuring plenty of detail and items to pick up. In addition, the game's artificial intelligence has been improved to give the levels a much more dynamic feel. Though you'll have to deal with this unpleasant situation if you want to progress to the next level, there's a good chance that you'll find some extra perks. As you'll see in the video, we're pleased by how it turns out. You'll find more unique items and puzzles that will require some careful consideration and effort to solve.

If you want to play as one of the game's other characters, you'll find some interesting little extras. As you might expect, Ratchet and Clank are joined by a new set of weaponry and abilities. The weapons range from the sharp weapons, to the spattering laser, to the powerful shield that emanates from one of the game's treasure chests. Ratchet is also equipped with a new wrench, which will let him manipulate the environment to great effect. You'll have to decide if you want to use it to take out robots or to incapacitate human enemies, or use it to get through gates. The gadgets help out the action a bit more than we've seen in past games. The wrench serves as a sort of multipurpose weapon that you can use to solve puzzles. The circuit board lets you pick up power ups in certain situations, and when you're using the circuit board, you can use it to trigger switches, use hazards, or simply set things on fire. Finally, the gravity gun is your basic ranged weapon, which lets you toss objects like rockets or rocket projectiles at enemies. The special weapons system works similarly to the classic system from the original PlayStation games. You'll find a small collection of eight available melee weapons, such as baseball bats, boomerangs, and swords, and you'll be able to perform a variety of different melee attacks in battle. The special weapons will feature a unique system for those who wish to go into each game with more than a single weapon. You'll be able to find five unique weapons in the game, each of which will have its own unique handling.