Exklusiv: Hellgate: London Tube Tour I

Howdy folks, and welcome to the first installment of the Hellgate: London Tube Tours! On this first trip around the block, we'll be stopping by a variety of places that you'll visit as you play through the first of five Acts. First and foremost is Covent Garden Station. Now, this and every other station in the game act as a hub for just about everything you'll do in the game outside of actually battling Demons. Shopping for items, partying up with your friends, receiving quests, upgrading weapons - it all happens at the stations. Covent Garden Station is the first real one you'll come upon, and will get you familiar with all of the game's basics, as well introduce you to some key story characters.

After picking up some quests and possibly finding some fellow comrades to accompany you on your journey, you'll be transported deep underground into Kingsway Sewers. Dark, rank, and densely packed with Demons galore, the sewers themselves can span multiple layers, digging even deeper into ground below. There's a definite feeling of claustrophobia within the tight rooms and enveloping shadows, and depending on what beasts you encounter, your battle tactics will have to change on the fly to compensate for the low ceilings and multiple levels. Kingsway Sewers is also home to a few unique enemy characters, such as Big Ben and Typhoid Mary, who unlike other enemies, you'll only encounter once.

Bloomsbury is another level you'll reach early on. In stark contrast to the sewers, though, Bloomsbury takes the battle into the open streets. With wide layouts and chilling weather effects, the change in pace can feel fairly drastic for some. Thankfully, we've made these early levels so they continue to warm you up for what comes later in the game; expect to see some Zombie variants and minor flying Demons for the first few missions.

Moving right along, we come to the Steam Tunnels. What makes the Tunnels so interesting are the numerous corridors and stairwells that connect it all together. Demons can pop up above you, below you, or behind you, and sometimes they're just lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce as soon as you get up on them. There's a definitely feeling of progression by the time you reach this point in terms of challenge, but again, by the time you reach the end of the game, you'll look back at this level as little more than a subtle tickling of the feet.

In Covent Garden Market, you may notice a giant organic blimp coasting through the sky. That is an Exospector. It's big, it's ugly, and you'll even shoot one down and go inside of it later in the game. Your goal around this point will be to make it to the British Museum - but you've got to make it through Covent Garden Market first. As you'll see in the video, there's a Hell Rift located in this level. Once you step through it, you'll have your first juicy taste of a boss encounter. Shulgoth is its name, and, well, that should speak for itself. By now you should have some good battle tactics developed making him tough, but beatable. This part plays exceptionally well when you have a party going due to the level being littered with ton of Imps. Perhaps the most gratifying moment of this battle is when you see all the loot drop after Shulgoth dies. Yes, it's really a jackpot of magic equipment and palladium.

When you finally reach the British Museum , one thing you'll immediately notice is the architecture. This will be your first glimpse of a grand, vast interior, with noticeably different colors and lighting. The shades of blue are a refreshing change, as you'll just be coming out of Hell and all of its red glory and prior to that, the dingy sewers and rust-colored Steam Tunnels. But don't let the soothing colors bring your guard down - you'll fight one of the toughest battles yet in this level. We'd detail it for you here, but really, the element of surprise is part of the fun.

As mentioned before, the first Act of Hellgate: London introduces a lot in terms of gameplay, graphics, and story. You'll learn to use your skills, how to defeat enemies, what weapons are your favorites, and much, much more. You'll also travel underground, above ground, in small interiors, in open spaces, and even to Hell. You can play through the Act in single player, or all the way through with your friends online. It's even likely that you'll go through more than once as you try out different classes to see which fits best with your preferred style of play. The point is, you'll see a lot, play a lot, and learn a lot in this first section of the game. But keep in mind that Act I is far and away the smallest of the five Acts, so trust us - you ain't seen nothing yet.