Neocron

"[Beta Review] An excellent leap forward from a technological standpoint, and darn fun."

Neocron is a gritty cyberpunk MMORPG. This game defiantly isn't for the family. Infact, Neocron could be considered one of the most adult games on the market today. The game's atmosphere is harsh, and yet its very believable. Its easy for us screwed up kids to see Humanity evolve into this. The game boasts several ingenious features including, but not limited to, first-person shooter combat, unique player apartments, advanced tradeskill system, and even pixilated pornography. Yes, pixilated pornography. Its unbelievable how far Neocron pushes things...

The game uses all the current standard for weapons. You'll find knives, pistols, rifles, rocket launchers, and even advanced energy weapons. This wouldn't be anything spectacular for a third person MMORPG... but Neocron isn't your run-of-the-mill third person MMORPG. All of the models are very detailed and just look darn cool in combat. There is such a huge variety of weapons in the game that you might be overwhelmed at first. In order to use certain weapons, you need x amount of points in x skill. Rifles require the rifle skills. Energy weapons require heavy weapons and high-tech combat skills. Knives require melee skills. Etc. While its possible to split up your skill points and use every kind of weapon its not very practical. The most advanced and deadly weapons in the game require you to invest your skill points specifically into one field.

Instead of picking a race during character creation, you choose a profession. You can be a Spy, a Private Eye, and various other ''races''. You can then choose a pre-configured ''class''. You could choose an engineer, and you will have the skills suited to creating items. You could choose a solider and receive combat skills. Etc. However, you can easily reconfigure your skills with a few mouse clicks. The only real difference between the classes is starting items. An engineer will start with a construction device, while a soldier will not. You will then proceed to choose you appearance. You can customize your facial appearance to your clothes. Beyond that... anything is possible. After you finish your character you will be sent in game and dropped off in your personal apartment. This aspect of the game is very exciting. Each player gets a custom apartment, randomly chosen from several different looks, and can use it for various functions. You can store items in cabinets, access the net with your computer terminal, take a nap to restore to spent health, or even kick back and relax at the dining room table. The last element ads for some very exciting dinner parties with friends. However, not just anybody can enter your apartment. When they enter your name in the apartment terminal they will be teleported to a landing outside your apartment. They can then ring the doorbell and wait for entry. Or not. Its up to you, the owner.

The cityscape in Neocron is surreal. The graphics are simply amazing. You've got a sky box that changes with the time. Early? You've got a bright sky. Late? Its pitch black up there. Very cool. The layout of the city is just a wee bit confusing at first glance. Each player is equipped with a map, available in a small version docked in the corner or a huge version. This makes it a lot easier for new players to get around. Besides just walking around on foot you can take the hover cab system. Its a great way to get from one sector to another. You can also use the anti-grav lifts to get from floor 1 to floor x. Beyond that, each shop is very unique. While one Archer and Wesson arms dealer will be a tiny shack downtown, another might be a huge carpeted store with plush benches to rest your feet on. There is so much more in the world of Neocron to mention to describe in one review... if it's not too late, download the public beta and have a look around!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/17/02, Updated 09/17/02