If you happen to be participating in the open beta for Gigantic on Windows 10 and Xbox One, the game's latest update packs a whole lot of new and interesting stuff to check out. Along with the usual gigantic list of bug fixes and balance tweaks, there's a new hero to play, new weapons, and much more.
The hero feature of this update is the addition of Zandora, a new character that acts as a hybrid melee/support hero. Zandora wields a lance for offense and has the ability to switch between different auras that can provide speed, healing, or a damage boost to herself and her allies. Zandora also has a pretty neat focus ability called Vow of Shielding, which can give allies around her a defensive shield should they find themselves in a sticky situation.
Also in this update are the new Eternal Light Weapons, which can be unlocked after reaching Hero Mastery Rank 10. Available in the store, these weapons have dedicated special effects that add a bit of flash to your attacks.
The update also introduces guardian damage preview, which is intended to make planning an attack with your teammates a little easier. From the release notes:
Gigantic is meant to be an intense mix of teamwork, player skill, and strategy. One key strategic element is knowing whether an attacking guardian will deal a wound on its own or if heroes will need to try to go in for the wound. This will no longer be a guessing game. We've updated the guardian health UI to show, in advance, the amount of damage the vulnerable guardian will take as a result of the rampage.
- The amount of health that will be lost – which is determined by the amount of shield the defending guardian has – will now flash until the guardian is struck.
- If the guardian will take enough damage to finish the wound, the heart on the guardian's health bar will also flash.
There's a whole lot more included in the various balance tweaks and fixes included in this update, all of which you can dig into in the full release notes. If you're eager to try out the new hero, Zandora, you can unlock her now with the Eternal Dawn bundle on the shop. If you're a Gigantic Founder (someone who has purchased the Gigantic foudner's pack), you'll get access to Zandora for free. And if you're new to Gigantic, you can download the open beta for free on Xbox One and Windows 10 now.
