|
|
             |
|
|
|
||
|
Platform: Xbox Genre: Action Publisher: Microsoft Developer: Day 1 Studios ESRB: T (Teen) Released: Q4 2002 Support AE! Buy Games Here:
Be notified of site updates. Sign-up for the Newsletter sent out twice weekly. Enter E-Mail Address Below: |
MechAssaultScore: 9.1 / 10 |
||
|
Pros: -
Unbelievably smooth controls -
Great Xbox Live action -
Good selection of Mechs
|
Cons: -
Fog and dust are a weak attempt at anti-aliasing effects -
Single-player gaming not as much fun (but really how could it?) - Environment graphics pale in comparison to Mechs
|
Related Links: Review: MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries (PC)
|
|
|
"Practically everything in the game is totally destructible..."
|
|||
|
Any Xbox owners who may have been skeptical about the quality of online console gaming through Xbox Live only need to try out the new Xbox bot-battler, MechAssault, to become believers in PC-quality high-speed online gameplay delivered on a home console.
MechAssault
is based on the BattleTech universe of big, bad, battling robots and
Microsoft’s own PC offshoot of that cosmos, the MechWarrior series of
games. But Microsoft purposely made MechAssault more console-friendly.
They did away with having to worry about learning the complexities of a
simulation Mech game (that the MechWarrior titles are) and instead gives
Xbox gamers easier to learn arcade-feel gameplay and controls while
still requiring a level of strategic thinking on the player’s part to
be a successful BattleMech pilot. Consider it MechWarrior Lite. The
result is an extraordinarily fun robot fighting action game that is
easily one of the best Xbox Live titles (and Xbox titles period)
available today.
There is a backstory that progresses your single-player missions. Your mission is to work through 20 levels with the sole purpose of eradicating the fanatical “Word of Blake” followers trying to take over the planet. The story sounds a little silly (even more so after you’ve heard some of the over-the-top cutscene dialogue) but fortunately, it’s a non-relevant diversion to really enjoying the Mech fighting that is at the heart of MechAssault.
A
great feature of the Mech army that you can select from is that there
are 21 different Mechs, (some are a variation of others) and each has
strengths and weaknesses that must be taken into account when choosing
one for a particular mission (when you have a choice; some missions
require you to use a specific Mech). For instance, the Owens is fast and
light, which is good for quick hit-and-run tactics, but can’t take a
heavy pounding. The Atlas on the other hand, can dish out some serious
damage, but is very slow and susceptible to attack by a few smaller
Mechs at a time. One of the nice graphical features of MechAssault is
how detailed the BatttleMechs are. The animations of the Mechs are
smooth and perfectly fit how you would imagine a 40-foot terror moving.
Speaking
of movement, the controls of MechAssault are its biggest asset. I could
not believe how responsive the controls are and how easy they are to
master. Anybody that has played Halo will be totally comfortable using
the two thumbsticks to move the Mechs. The left controls the up, down,
right, and left movement, while the right thumbstick controls the
Mech’s torso (depressing it operates the defensive weapon on Mechs
that have it). The other buttons and triggers serve as the weapon
controls.
You can also customize the controls to your liking (I personally appreciate the ability to change the Y axis controls). Controls are never an issue in MechAssault, and that’s critical in a game that features fighting against online human competition.
The
interface that gives you all your Mech’s data is also intuitive and
easy to understand.
Another part of the equation that adds up to MechAssault being a great game is the vast array of weapons that comprise the Mech arsenal. This being a more arcade-style Mech game, you never run out of basic ammo in MechAssault. That changes for the upgraded weapons, where you only get a certain amount of increased firepower. Weapons fire is another visual treat. Realistic vapor trails follow the missiles shot from your Mech. The most impressive eye-candy related to weapons fire is the awesome fiery flames that are the result of an explosion of an enemy Mech or vehicle.
Three
power-ups are found in MechAssault: health, ammunition increase, and
weapon upgrade. Some are found hidden in buildings, but most come from
defeated enemy Mechs. Practically everything in the game is totally
destructible, by the way. You can annihilate whole cities if you want.
This can be used strategically to defeat enemies too. Rock bridges that
are part of the landscape can be destroyed at the right time to fall on
enemies, taking them out while avoiding unnecessary damage to your Mech.
In
the sound department, MechAssault scores big too, especially the
reverberation of your Mech’s running metal feet on the ground.
Musically, when the heart-pounding rock-tunage starts playing you know
you are in for a big battle any second.
If
that wasn’t enough, MechAssault is one of the online titles that gives
players access to free downloadable content in the form of new maps,
game modes, and Mechs through Xbox Live starting sometime next month.
It’s like getting an expansion pack’s worth of new and fresh gaming
goodies without having to actually buy an expansion pack. If Microsoft
continues providing new downloads for MechAssault, thereby keeping
online gamers from getting too bored with the same-old, same-old,
MechAssault could become the Xbox’s biggest selling title on par with
Halo (until Halo 2 comes out that is).
This
isn’t a completely perfect title though, especially in regards to
single-player gaming. The biggest issue is the eye-assaulting fog and
dust effects that weakly serve as the game’s anti-aliasing and draw-in
masking function. It’s almost impossible to see too far in the
distance because of these effects, even though there are actually
enemies that you can barely make out shrouded in the fog and dust. Snow
and rain falling, however, actually does look good (while basically
serving the same function as the fog and dust). The environmental
visuals consisting of the land features and the buildings throughout the
various cities and bases aren’t as sharp as I expected.
Don’t get me wrong, they aren’t terrible by any means but are just not overly impressive. Particularly in light of the fact of how detailed the BattleMechs and the various vehicles that appear in the game are.
But
in a game that is designed primarily for online play, putting less
emphasis on the large environmental features means less chance for any
slowdown of the frame-rate during big battles or lag during Xbox Live
action. If MechAssault were an offline only title, somewhat weaker
visuals would be sort of unforgivable. But putting together solid online
play functionality is a totally acceptable trade-off for slightly lesser
graphics.
MechAssault’s
artificial intelligence is good, but not tough enough that they will
push your Mech fighting skills too hard. Some of the early levels feel
almost too easy. However, as you progress farther in the game and reach
the latter levels, having to fight off gangs of bruising enemy Mechs at
the same time can prove extremely taxing. But in multiplayer online
gaming, worrying about the game’s AI goes out the window because the
mediocre single-player AI is replaced by the intelligence of up to seven
other human MechWarriors. No matter how good, artificial intelligence
just can’t measure up to human intelligence. If there was any title
that had to be chosen to showcase Xbox Live’s fantastic potential,
MechAssault is it.
Ladies and gentlemen of the Xbox community, console online gaming is here to stay. Microsoft gets its Xbox Live service off the ground nicely with the release of the stellar MechAssault, which has a 20-ton load of great features. While it’s an okay (albeit short) single-player game, it is a heavy-metal-slamming great online (and even offline) multiplayer experience. The ease of connecting to the lag-free Xbox Live servers and engaging in Mech combat against other human competition, coupled with hard-to-believe-it’s-this-good controls (that anybody can pick up within a minute of playing for the first time) help MechAssault more than live up to expectations.
Simply
put, if you have already done so or want to soon sign up for Xbox Live,
make sure MechAssault is part of your gaming arsenal.
-
Lee Cieniawa (December 20, 2002)
Search for Related Topics:
...More Action Game Reviews...
|
|||
