Ben-DutkaOne of the biggest drawbacks of MMOs in the past has always revolved around the colossal difference between veteran and newbie players. Those who just started couldn't possibly play with the no-lifers who have already spent a year playing 40 hours/week. However, Sony Online Entertainment has said this isn't going to be a problem in their upcoming PS3 MMO, The Agency .
According to Eurogamer MMO, the game's lead designer and writer Matt Staroscik said the game "was a shooter first and foremost," which means player skill rather than "time invested" will dictate ultimate success.
"Less experienced characters will be at a disadvantage, yes, but we are not like a traditional class-based MMO where your 89th-level Dark Paladruid can defeat an infinite number of noobs," said Staroscik. "In The Agency, the noobs are going to get you – but you'll make them pay dearly."
In the game, you can choose to side with either the UNITE spies or the ParaGON mercenaries. Once you've selected, you're then faced with another intriguing choice: to complete your missions via secrecy and stealth or all-out firepower. Perhaps most interesting of all is the ability to acquire what they call "living loot" in the form of allied operatives. Staroscik says this gives the game a "unique twist," primarily because you're running your own agency.
"The operatives system is a grand multiplayer game of resource management and risk vs. reward – with hundreds of cool, collectible characters," he said. "You'll send them out on assignments to gather intel, make them build things for you, and even have them help you in combat. As they work, they'll gain experience and new abilities. They'll also suffer health and morale hits, which you'll need to manage."
Everything about The Agency sounds promising, and we can't wait to get our hands on it. We're not big into MMOs, but how can we pass up a Bond theme online? We don't have a concrete release date for this one just yet, but we're hoping to see a beta test before the year is out.
Related Game(s): The Agency
