Nuke Your Pals Online
We tested the multiplayer aspect of this game, and are pleased to report that MechAssault on Xbox Live kicks major exhaust port. It's also a case of the more, the merrier (and messier). More players mean more complicated strategies, constantly changing short-term alliances, and bigger piles of rubble.
The new thirty-first century hulk-bots of Mechassault come standard with all of the accessories you've come to expect: guided missiles, lasers, jump jets, particle projection cannons, and even magnetically accelerated Gauss rifles (airbags are optional). Available 'Mechs include the tried-and-true Mad Cat, the hulking, sometimes-invisible Thor, and even the tiny, downright adorable Elemental. These metal gear-grinders can take advantage of the many power-ups scattered across the terrain, and even be modified on the fly (provided you can find a handy armaments factory to exploit). The environments range from barren deserts to blizzard-struck ice fields to crowded riverside cities. Are your opponents lying in ambush behind that 20-story skyscraper? Shoot holes in the lower levels to reveal their position, or better still, drop the whole building on them. Bringing down tons of falling concrete and steel to deliver a knockout punch is not only effective, it's even more satisfying than lighting them up with missiles. Also, few things are more satisfying than watching someone go to all the trouble of jump-jetting to the top of a structure, and then blowing it out from under them as they land (take my word for it…when I pulled off this little gem, I heard my foe's anguished cry echoing all the way down the hall). Of course, this approach should be used with caution—while lurking in a swirling blizzard, I brought an entire mountain of ice down on my head with two well-placed laser blasts.
With several 'Mechs prowling the war-torn terrain, it's crucial to pay attention. Weather conditions, man-made structures, and the landscape can hide your opponents until they lock on, and then you're in for some pain. Of course, these obstacles can also camouflage you, but pay close attention to the HUD radar and watch your back. The perfect spot for an ambush might also be the perfect spot to be ambushed if you lose track of your opponents and let them sneak up on you. Dodging around corners or jetting erratically can also defeat an incoming guided weapon. Missiles might follow as you bob and weave, but they have trouble with zig-zagging targets, especially ones that take effective cover.
Multiplayer on Xbox Live melds the variety of a first-person shooter like Halo®: Combat Evolved with the high-tech vehicular combat of a game like, er, Halo. We were only able to sample the carnage and mayhem of almost a dozen 'Mechs stomping around in a winner-take-all Deathmatch, but MechAssault has all the other game types you'd expect—Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, and the like—and also includes more 'Mech-friendly modes like base-building. By Wendell Scott |
