Goodbye to Hellgate: London … MMORPG on 56K dialup! (Part 2 of a series)

by apoppin · December 22, 2008

THE HELLGATE STORY

Hellgate: London takes place in 2038, where London has been invaded by demons from Hell. Up until recently, humans has had many champions holding them back. Various real-world events are referenced in the background of the Hellgate story as historical averted demonic crossover attempts – such as the Crusades – which were really undertaken to fight back the minions of Hell, as was the burning of London in their great fire to wipe out the Plague. According to their story line, the Knights Templar were the keepers of knowledge on how to battle these demonic forces. Due to internal human struggles, the Knights Templar just survived as an organization but their numbers were severely diminished and were forced to remain in hiding to survive.

As time passed and technology progressed, the old ways began to fade from memory and the secrets of the arcane were lost. When the demons attacked again, they found this planet unprepared. Ordinary weapons were of no use against the demons. The Templars offered their special services to the military, but the World leaders refused to believe in the Old Truth. Hell quickly took the victory from humans in the battle for Earth. “The Burn”, a decades-long process of “hell-forming” – completely assimilating our biosphere into theirs – had begun. However, various human groups had long been preparing for this possible occupation. Freemasons built the London Underground – the Tube System – long ago to be demon-resistant, and the stations now act as bases or “safe zones” for would-be defenders and refugees. These few remaining human defenders are armed with a fusion of modern weaponry and ancient magik such as flamethrowers that emit ‘Greek fire’ or weapons covered in plague-locusts. In the game, you play one of these defenders and have a choice of which “class” you want to develop. You have a choice of 6 classes and as in most similar RPGs, you increase your avatar’s skills and weapons experience by fighting successfully. Here is my Level 33 or 34 “Engineer” in one of the Stations. The little details – down to reading the posters and times on parking signs – are impressive!