Let's face it, everyone loves stomping around in a 50'
tall mechanized engine of destruction, spewing hot lead and hotter
plasma at their enemies. The primal human drive to see our enemies
vaporized in the glare of an exploding fusion reactor has made the
original MechAssault the most
popular game on Xbox Live—but its days as king of the hill
may be numbered. A very hard-hitting sequel is on the way, and it's
going to get your attention like a Star Adder assault 'Mech on a
bad hair day.
The developer of the MechAssault series, Day 1 Studios,
could have just produced a new single-player campaign, thrown in a
few multiplayer maps, and been done with it. Fortunately for us,
they weren't content to churn out a typical sequel. Of course
MechAssault 2 will feature new maps and 'Mechs, but that
is just the beginning of what it has to offer.
Pity the MechWarrior without a ride!
For one, there are new vehicles on the battlefield, which bring
exciting tactical options to multiplayer. The Rommel Mk. 2 tank
features a 'Mech class grav cannon and null-sig cloaking for
extreme stealth. Aircraft are even available to players now, in the
form of the Valkyrie VTOL. This agile craft is lightly armed and
armored, but it can deliver valuable salvage packs to allies on the
front lines—it can even airlift tanks to otherwise inaccessible
terrain.
BattleArmor hitching a ride on the VTOL.
As if that wasn't enough, you can change vehicles in the middle of
a mission. Hop out of your 'Mech and take the VTOL for a ride, or
trade that battered Mad Cat for an abandoned Atlas. You can even
hoof it around the combat zone in the new Battle Armor, if you
like, harassing the big 'Mechs with your long-range mortar and
superior mobility.
The face of MechAssault 2 multiplayer has changed greatly
as well. Of course there will be full split screen, system link,
and Xbox Live support, but the big news is the addition of
a galaxy-spanning metagame called "Conquest." Conquest will let
clans unite under the banners of the BattleTech universe's Great
Houses and battle for the control of dozens of star systems. If you
want to stick it to those House Davion pansies in the name of House
Kurita, this is your chance.
The basics of MechAssault 2 will be familiar to anyone who
has played the original; this is not a game that has forgotten its
roots. Old-time 'Mech jockeys will feel right at home in the
cockpit, but new features like vehicle switching and the Conquest
metagame will keep the game feeling fresh for quite a while.
Be on the lookout for our MechAssault 2 X-Factor, where
we'll take a closer look at multiplayer.
