Online multiplayer hunt-em-up Nosgoth has thrown wide its creepy, gargoyle-laden doors to all comers in it's recently launched open beta. Previously under closed testing on Steam, the vampire slaying/playing free-to-play is now available to every neophyte, childe, and rookie.
Set in the venerable Legacy of Kain universe, Nosgoth pits teams of melee & stealth based vampires against range & buff specced humans. Each round sets teams of four on either the vampire side or the human side and then switches after one match. Both factions currently have four classes of various utility and appeal, with two initially available, but more are in the works. Subscribing to the TF2 model of revenue generation, class upgrades are available to be earned after plenty of time put into the game, or can be unlocked through the in-game store. Some cosmetic items can also be earned, but most are real money only. Speciously, these items are available for real money purchase even now, although it is a safe assumption the studio won't go bankrupt or be sucked dry by a vengeful count before the final product is complete. However, Nosgoth makes a point of constantly allowing one perk and skill from each faction available to use for free each week, so if you wait long enough you'll be able to try out your prospective toys before buying them. Speaking in an open letter, the Psyonix team said of their plans for the future of the game:
"Now that we're successfully opening the Nosgoth beta up to the masses, our next steps are to bring you more content, more classes, more game modes, and more fun as we continue forward. The powerful Summoner class will join the Vampire Clans in just a few weeks, while the brand new Human class will bring power and protection to Nosgoth just a few weeks after that. We have plenty more in the works as well."
Nosgoth is free on Steam, and requests your aid in stress-testing its servers and toppling a vampiric dominion.
How has your time in Nosgoth treated you? Do you think beta launches should have real money transactions? Tell us in the comments below!