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Free Maps
By Luke Judge
MechAssault 2: Lone
Wolf is blowing gamers away on Xbox Live™. So
far, online gamers have enjoyed new multiplayer modes and maps,
brand new vehicles like the VTOL and BattleArmor, and the
innovative new Conquest meta-game. With the release of the first
maps pack, players have two more arenas for testing their 'Mech
piloting abilities and team strategy. Gamers who purchased the
MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf Limited Edition have already seen
Troubled Waters and Mountain High, but now they're available for
the entire Xbox Live community.
See the city by the sea ... and
knock it down.
Troubled Waters
This is a tight,
close-quarters map that features several city blocks' worth of
buildings and some canals, all bordered by water and connected by a
series of bridges. The map supports the Grinder and Destruction
game types, and the action tends to be concentrated in a small area
(and therefore extremely intense). Savvy players can take sniper
positions atop any of the tall buildings or on the outskirts of the
arena, but don't get too comfortable: If another 'Mech levels the
building you're on, you're going up in a bright flash of light and
smoke. Some of the most powerful assault 'Mechs are available, such
as the Ragnorak and the Blood Asp, but lighter and faster 'Mechs
have the advantage among the buildings … at least until later in
the match, when most of the structures will have been leveled. The
map's layout limits the use of secondary vehicles (tanks, VTOLs,
BattleArmor), but you won't have time to miss them because in these
tight spaces the enemy is always close enough to strike. This is a
great map for deathmatch purists who just want to climb into a
'Mech and go head-to-head with another pilot. Now, those who prefer
team games should consider the other new map …
These mountains are both rocky and
smoky.
Mountain High
The Mountain High map is much larger than Troubled Waters, so it
supports all team game types (including Not It!, Capture the Flag,
Check It!, Base War, and Snatch It) as well as Grinder. The ground
area is under knee-deep water (knee-deep on a giant Thor 'Mech,
that is) and there's a wide cul-de-sac at each end of the map that
leads to the circular waterfall area in the center; rocky ridges
border all three of these areas, providing flat, dry areas for
objectives and high ground for scouts and snipers. At the start of
the match you find a wide assortment of light, medium, and heavy
'Mechs, including the Nova Cat, Summoner, and Catapult, as well as
BattleArmor and VTOL jets. The map layout is flexible enough to
present a serious challenge no matter what game type you play or
what game mode—the team with the best strategy is likely to win no
matter which engines of destruction they take into battle. If you
rely on sheer speed to reach match objectives in a hurry, you're
going to have to figure out how to deal with all those heavy 'Mechs
once they catch up. Crafty players will figure out a way to use the
spray from the falls as cover, occupying the high ground so they
can strike from above without fear of retaliation.
In all, the two maps featured in New Maps 01 cover almost the
entire spectrum of MechAssault arenas: You've got
everything from claustrophobic close combat to long-range sniping,
one map each for single-player matches and team games, and a ton of
gorgeous, completely destructible environmental features.
Get downloading already!
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