- Next to Halo, the best
first-party franchise on the Xbox gets even better than the
stellar original
- Gorgeous visuals, particularly fuselage flames
- Fits-like-a-glove responsive controls
- Ability to jack Mechs is a great new addition
- Playing online is next to
impossible for newbies
- Graphics lose their beauty and sharpness online
- Single-player campaign has some choke points that lower the
enjoyment a bit
Be
notified of site updates. Sign-up for the Newsletter sent out
twice weekly.
Enter
E-Mail Address Below:
MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf
Score: 9.2 / 10
Contrary to what some people may say, (all
those Sony and Nintendo fanboys, you know who you are!) there are other
A+ first-party franchises for the Xbox besides Halo. Yes, it’s hard not
to get caught in the overwhelming shadow of the magnificent Halo 2, but
the MechAssault series is a great first-party member of the Xbox library
in its own right. The original was at the very genesis of showing off
the quality of Xbox Live gaming. Its sequel, MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf
(MA2), travels the same path of the Halo line: great first game followed
by a follow-up that improves on the original in so many ways it creates
a solidly spectacular video game.
Just like Halo 2, MA2 takes all the goodness of the first game and
exponentially adds to every category: better graphics, better action,
bigger selection of Mechs, more rigorous challenge level, the innovative
Mech jacking addition, and most importantly, improved online play with
the bonus of clan building features that allow clans to fight for
control of planets, have their progress saved, and move onto the
next sphere, all in a quest for universal
conquest.
If you first take on the game’s single-player game traversing 20
missions, you will be placed in a sequel immediately following the
events of the original game, only this time around you’ll be facing off
against the enemies of the 31st Century as a force of only three to
start, including a solitary Mech
Advertisement
pilot (hence the subtitle of the game, Lone Wolf). This time around, the
single-player mission gives a much more taxing challenge (that borders
on frustratingly hard at times). The game has a better save system to a
point, saving the game’s progress at certain junctures, but a few more
in-between would have saved a necessity for a wee bit too much
backtracking.
You’ll have a much better array of Mechs at your disposal this time
around, from all the different size and strength classes. In addition,
you can also now operate other non-Mech vehicles, including a tank and
flying crafts. You can also hitchhike a ride (or give a ride to
teammates online) on the VTOL aircraft that serves as a battle armor
transport.
Speaking of battle armor, you can employ the man-sized armor to give
yourself a functional suit of armor that serves as a weapon with,
because of its smaller stature, much more maneuverability than Mechs you
are fighting. The downside is that the battle armor isn’t very durable
against the much, much more powerful Mechs, so that any Mech that gets
you locked into its sights will dispatch you rather quickly compared to
if you were fighting in a Mech yourself.
But the biggest ability you have with the battle armor, and the game’s
biggest innovation, it the opportunity to jack other Mechs while you are
in battle armor. If you get close enough to a Mech, you can grab a hold
of the back of it, and a display showing all your Xbox controller keys
(A, B, Y, X, right trigger, and left trigger) appears. The objective is
to hit the random key pattern before your Mech-operating opponent pilot
can (either A.I. or human controlled).
If you are the faster key-code pusher, you will eject the Mech pilot and
be able to claim the Mech for your own usage. Of course, if you’re not
as quick on the key-punching, you will be thrown from the Mech and
momentarily knocked out of commission, giving your opponent a distinct
advantage in a fight. Accomplishing successful jacks is an especially
telling test of your gaming skills while online against human players.
The ability to destroy practically everything in the playing field
returns with a vengeance. Go ahead, blow the hell out of every building
you can see, if you want to get your destruction groove on. There are 15
levels of blasting delight to adventure through. And even with the
presence of the “fog of war” that is used to mask pop-up visuals on the
horizon, MA2 is a graphical treat, noticeably improved from the first
title. The most impressive visual is the flames spewing from the
jump-jet packs of the Mechs that have the ability to rocket into the air
using said jump-jet packs.
The fuselage-induced fire and heat is just a magnificent showing off of
the Xbox’s impressive graphical abilities. You’ll also be impressed with
the particle effects of the weapons fire and its resultant powerful
obliteration of anything in its path. In general, every aspect of MA2
benefits from a vibrant, neon-inspired color palette. Only when you play
online do the graphics drop in quality and crispness, but it’s the
required tradeoff for lag-free online gaming where at times everything
onscreen is under weapons attack or burning in a combination of a
smoldering pile of twisted Mech metal and the charred flesh of dead Mech
pilots.
Sound is on par with the first game’s better-than-average effects,
especially from the above-mentioned jump-jet packs, which sound
completely authentic. What voice acting there is in MA2 is okay, and
music includes selections from hard rockers Korn and Papa Roach.
Another highlight is the responsive controls that fit the third-person
action like a glove. And the control schematic is customizable, so
players like me who prefer the Y axis controls to be changed can do so.
MechAssault was the first title to really show the full potential of
Xbox Live. MA2 follows in the lineage of its original with another very
good online experience. The game setup isn’t as easily navigated as Halo
2’s, but offers a somewhat unique way of finding matches. Either by
joining match or starting one, you and the other players that join can
be seen as Mech pilots, and you can even control your pilot’s movements
on the deck of the spacestation that serves as the matchmaking arena.
You can wave to other players, or menacingly smack your fist into your
palm in a “bring it on, sucka” challenge that can be carried over to the
field of battle.
But one extremely important piece of advice I would like to extend to
all that decide to play MA2 online: this is one tough game for newbies!
Don’t expect any sympathy from experienced MechWarriors, who take
gleeful delight in annihilating those novices who come in their path.
Get a good knowledge of what each Mech offers as an offensive weapon and
learn the advantage of the arsenal of weaponry on each of them before
heading online and suffering destruction at the hands of merciless
veterans of the MechAssault gaming realm.
Sorry, Sony and Nintendo fanboys, despite your denials and attempts to
slam down on the Xbox as a one-hit first-party wonder, there are other
top-notch franchises on the Xbox, and MechAssault 2 proves it without a
doubt. Xbox owners, enjoy having a viable alternative to Halo 2 for
hardcore online gaming. It’s not as perfect as Halo 2, but MA2 is a
great game worthy of your Xbox Live time.
