MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf

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 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.

 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.

- Lee Cieniawa

lcieniawa@armchairempire.com