Hellgate London review for the PC

London 2038, and the city is ravaged by an invasion of creatures from Hell - this is the setting for Hellgate London, reviewed in this issue. It's an action RPG that finds your character fighting back to reclaim the city from the monsters. The game looks great, with an impressive setting and effective music, and the choice of six character classes gives you the option to play one of them in first-person view. But does it go far enough to stand apart from other similar games and to resolve the conflict between action and RPG that so often dogs the genre? Read our Hellgate London review to find out more now!
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Hellgate London review for the PC
Action RPGs have always had a bit of an identity crisis, with developers having to decide to put the emphasis on the action, or the role-playing. In Hellgate London the focus is resolutely on the fighting, with most character interaction and trading linked to improving your character's potency as a liberator of life.

The setting is refreshingly real-world, though we're 31 years ahead in London 2038. The city sits in smouldering ruins, ravaged by an invasion of some unspeakably ugly characters from, unsurprisingly, Hell. Humanity is trying to get its collective backside in gear to do something about the invaders, with the help of various characters including your own.

On your marks(man)
Character creation is pretty standard fare, though one interesting aspect is the option to play as a gun-toting Marksman (one of six possible classes to adopt). That choice switches your default view to first person, and essentially makes the game an RPGFPS.