“Face-Punchingly Good.”  Shouldn’t that be an official ’nuff said??  How about: “I can’t pledge on Kickstarter fast enough”  Still not enough?: “…I’m a believer.”   The media LOVE FORGE.

We’ve been crowing about Dark Vale Games’ awesome new indie game FORGE for some time now, telling people that its mix of FPS speed and MMO abilities was creating something totally new and very fun.  But screenshots and teaser trailers can only go so far.

Pre-order FORGE now for a special early-adopter price: $15 via the official Kickstarter Page.

That’s why we hit the road with Tim Alvis, COO/CTO of Dark Vale Games, to visit some of the top gaming sites in the world and offer up some hands-on time.

The Pyromancer lights up the beautiful "Forest Ambush" map

If we ever needed to validate our opinions about this game, we sure got it on this trip.  The media loved the vision and the execution of FORGE and especially loved thumping the PR rep in a the quick head-to-head matches we played on the gorgeous Unreal Engine 3-powered maps.

We’ll leave it up to the outlets to tell you what they thought via the articles below.  You can also nab a peek at the game in-action in the narrated walkthroughs embedded below (note: the maps are designed for 8v8 – 24v24, not 1v1, so they are demonstration only).

IGN – “Rocket-jumping wizards? I can’t pledge on Kickstarter fast enough…What’s admirable here is that Forge isn’t expecting to own a massive audience out of the gate – it’s trying to earn a community with good ol’ fashioned great game design.”

MMORPG – “Face-Punchingly Good PVP… I can tell you that while Forge may be difficult to describe to the uninitiated, its gameplay will be instantly comfortable to aficionados of the MMO and FPS/TPS genres.”

GAMESRADAR – “FORGE looks like it’ll be a great romp for gamers looking to test their skills without investing hours into acquiring gear before they can compete.”

GR recorded a GREAT walkthrough session.  Check it out!

GAMESPOT:  Take a look at GameSpot’s quick gameplay sesssion!

MASSIVELY -“…there’s a lot to love about Forge, and I think that anyone who gives the game a fighting chance will find something about it to keep him around… I think Forge definitely deserves our attention.”

GAMESBEAT:  “Dark Vale Games is like the Gordon Ramsay of independent video game developers. The studio took two industry staples — massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) and first-person shooters (FPS) — trimmed the fat, added its own special spices, and simmered everything under medium heat until the recipe was fit for public consumption.

GAMEZONE: “If you’re the kind of gamer that is always going, ‘man, they should have done this…’ well  here’s your chance to put your money where your mouth is.”

DIGITAL NOOB – “This week I was able to check out FORGE firsthand, and it is definitely one of the top games I’m anticipating the release of. It takes the best things of MMOs (the PvP), Shooters (in your face action) and MOBAs (the even playing field) and mashes them together in a great way….I admit that I was skeptical at first, but after meeting with the guys and spending some time testing out the game, I’m a believer.”

Be sure to also watch Totalbiscuit’s hands-on demo and interview right here:

** Stay tuned for more updates and be sure to register for the BETA and check out the Kickstarter Page!**