Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom Post-E3 Update

Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom was one of the first PlayStation 3 games to make its way to the public eye when it was announced this past March, and it was one of the most visible titles going into E3. The game's playable work-in-progress debut at the show was solid and showed some promise, but it didn't blow anyone away. In the wake of the show, developer SOE hit town today to show off an updated version of the game that featured new content and improvements since we last saw it. We had the chance to get a peek at the maturing game to see where it is in the development process.

We began by taking another look at the warrior as he plowed through two areas, the sewers and the slave encampment. Though the sewer was seen previously in early footage of the game, we could see that the watery, pipe-filled area has been undergoing some tweaking. The work currently being done has yielded improved performance and an increase in the enemy population. The sewers will throw a unique foe, best suited to the sewers, your way: Quag Trolls. The finny and unpleasant critters look like they're from a branch of the Creature from the Black Lagoon's family tree and have a penchant for mobbing. Despite the many metal pipes and the scummy green water in the area, the sewers appear to be the ideal locale for the amphibian critters. While the level may sound like it favors the scaly enemies, you'll find a respectable helping of explosive crates to help even the odds.

The slave encampment is a new part that was being shown off for the first time. The outdoor area sends you on a mission to rescue citizens who are being held for a dose of torturing and maiming. The level is set among a tangle of tents, trees, and ruins that are populated with assorted foes. The more-open space affords more room to fight and it lets you pull off the warrior's hammer-centric combos. The level also features objects to use when facing off against the mobs of enemies.

The visuals in the game have been tightened up some since E3. Most of the improvements are incremental enhancements to animation and detail. The warrior's moves were a bit more fluid and the environment sported more polish. The work-in-progress game was still missing assorted effects and, though the frame rate has been improved, the action did bog down quite a bit.

The audio was in roughly the same skeletal state that it's been in. The game has a modest array of basic sound effects but it's still fairly embryonic. Besides the additional effects and voice, the game is also waiting on its score, which should help give the action some tone.

From the look of things, Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom is making the expected strides that a launch game should be making. The game is making progress and picking up polish along the way. There's still quite a bit that SOE is keeping under its hat, like the other playable characters, online play, and what, if any, support the game will have for the PS3 controller's motion sensor. Hopefully, as all of this comes to light, the game will live up to the potential it has. Look for more on the game in the coming weeks.