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If you play MechAssault™, and you're not on Xbox Live®, you have my deepest sympathies.MechAssault is surpassed only by Counter-Strike™ for Xbox as the game that makes Xbox Live a must-must-must-have. Leap into a fray against multiple enemies on a faraway world, piloting your multi-ton armored machine of ultimate destruction.
Good times.
But, lo and behold, those good times just got even better. If you have Xbox Live, you can now download more content than you can shake an autocannon at. There are new worlds for you to pound across and new 'Mechs, just for starters. Let’s have a look at these downloads and examine what the designers had to say about ‘em.
The sleek, stealthy Raven …
New ‘Mechs
Raven
"A light scout BattleMech able to get in quick and unnoticed."
And, they're not kidding. The Raven is indeed a mover, but it carries all of the expected vulnerabilities of speed—mainly light armor and a diminished capacity to soak up loads of damage. It is equipped with a spiffy little piece of technology, though: a cloaking shield. By pressing down on the thumbstick, you can flip on the 'Mech's invisibility screen and literally disappear. If you decide to open fire with lasers, you're still pretty easy to spot, so I recommend using less traceable weapons (like autocannons or missiles) while you're cloaked. And, make sure you keep moving. 
… has a double-strength NullSig that lasts a long time.
Loki
"A surprisingly fast BattleMech for its size, complete with stealth capabilities."
The Loki shares the Raven's stealth technology, but it’s a little bigger, tougher, and therefore, not as fast. Of all the new 'Mechs, I enjoy the Loki the most, as it provides a nice balanced package of weapons, armor, and tricks.
Hellbringer
"This 'Mech packs considerable firepower with its new flamer weapon."
You can't say anything bad about a 'Mech with a flamethrower mounted on it. That's just cool … unless you're standing in front of it, of course. In which case, it's hot, and you should keep your mouth shut.
Corvus
"A small and fast little sucker that's hard to hit."
I didn't get a chance to play the Corvus very much, but in the matches where I was up against one, I have to agree that it's very hard to hit. However, it’s not so hard to kill, if you can tag it.
New Maps
Rock Solid
"This not-so-stable asteroid has been hotly contested for its vast wealth of minerals."
I love this map. The rocky terrain pushes up high into the sky, with crags and cliffs above. These features are almost all destructible, meaning you can take aim at the cliffs above your opponent and send an avalanche of tons of rock crashing down on his 'Mech. 
Hell's Kitchen ishot.
Hell’s Kitchen
"Deep in the heart of this wasteland is the vital Word of Blake pumping station. Hell's Kitchen is what they call it, and it's easy to see why."
Yeah, no kidding. Hell's Kitchen features no less than actual fountains of gushing molten rock. The battle zone is a large-scale smelting facility, with huge pools of molten material and several industrial complexes. If you get too close to the pools of liquid rock, you'll immediately see your heat begin to rise, so watch out for those areas. (Although, there’s no harm in trying to lure your opponents into them.) If you have superior ranged weapons, it's a great barrier to keep the enemy at a distance.
Demolition Town
"This dense urban environment provides tight quarters for rampaging 'Mechs. Elevated bridges connect the upper city sections."
Demolition Town is a lot of fun after the large open-area wasteland maps. The city is cramped, so you're likely to come around a corner to find a surprise, and there's always someplace for your opponent to duck and cover. Nearly all combat is going to take place at close range when you’re on the ground. Fortunately, there are also elevated highways that you can use to get a higher vantage point. But, these bridges are not indestructible, so you'll have to watch out. A few well-placed rounds from your opponent can send a span of highway (and you along with it) crashing down into the city below. This can also be used for an ambush. Simply weaken a section until it's almost ready to collapse and then wait until your opponent walks under it before delivering the fatal blow to the structure.
This article hasn’t even begun to go into all of the free downloadable content that's available for MechAssault, so do yourself a favor … get online and check it out! By Shane Marshall |
