We started off by selecting from a set of pre-made Incarnations as time with the game was limited, and decided to choose a nuker-type character with lots of ranged direct damage spells. The arena-like level we played was hectic. The ground was littered with power ups and jump pads that sent us flying into the air.

We tend to die a lot in multiplayer matches. And while we certainly did find ourselves waiting to respawn multiple times, we managed to score a respectable number of kills by using the jump pads to reach the maps upper levels to rain down frostbolts and fireballs of death from above.

Besides the free-for-all Bloodbath match we sampled, expect to have your pick from the usual first-person shooter game types. Vortex is a 16 v 16 take on capture the flag. Elimination is a Group v Group battle. But what excites us most is Fortress – a gigasmic 32 v 32 fight where you’ll need to capture strategic points and destroy your enemy’s fortress while defending yours.

The frame-rate was rather jumpy in the build we sampled, but that’s understandable considering the game is still in the pre-beta stage. Details are still fuzzy regarding whether or not Fury will be free to play online. If the game follows suit with Guild Wars and most other first-person shooters by offering free online play, it could be a real contender. Expect more details about the game’s promising Realm vs Realm and competitive ranking system as Fury’s release date – currently penciled in for the end of 2007 – draws nearer.