| MechAssault
is a game in which you pilot a BattleMech and try to eliminate
all of the “Word of Blake” followers. The BattleMechs
differ in armor, speed, weapons, and size. The smaller ones
have Jumps Jets, which enable you to hover for a brief amount
of time. There are three different types of weapons. There are
the Energy Weapons, Ballistic Weapons, and Missile Weapons.
They all have their own advantages and disadvantages, so I could
not say that one is better than the others are.
The
campaign mode is the single player part of the game and you
go through an assortment of levels completing objectives as
you go. One of my favorite qualities of the game is that just
about everything in all of the different environments you
encounter can be destroyed. In the end, you fight the “Word
of Blake’s” secret weapon-a mech called the Ragnarok
which is extremely slow, but its powerful Volcano gun can
be matched by no other. It also has a temporary shield that
you can use repeatedly every few seconds.
Now
for the multiplayer, which is easily the best part of the
game. If don’t have Xbox Live you will miss out on this
part of the game because it is the best with eight people.
You could always use the system link feature, but since you
can only have two people per system, it’s hardly worth
it. Because of that, I would definitely get Xbox Live if you
don’t already have it. There are even more of a variety
of Mechs online, and if you have beaten the game in single
player, you are allowed to use the Ragnarok, which those who
haven’t beaten the game can’t do. There are only
4-5 levels and game types, but in the very near future, you
will be able to download more free.
The
graphics in this game are quite pleasing to the eye. The explosions
are very real and when things do explode, it is obvious the
environment around them is also affected. Trees catch on fire,
rocks and ice fly, and buildings come tumbling down. It all
adds to the game, making you feel like the events taking place
are real. The snow and water also are done quite nicely. The
water slows you down when you walk in it, and the snow gathers
on the outside of you mech when it’s snowing.
The
sound is a decent effort, but I wouldn’t say it is wonderful.
The explosions sound rather real and the soundtrack is of
the hard rock genre, which fits the game well.
I
can’t find much of anything wrong with the control of
the game. The 40-foot-high, 100-ton beasts are a little sluggish,
but that is because they are 40-feet-high, 100-ton beasts.
The
plot of the single player mission-based game is probably the
worst part of the game. The missions seem like the same objectives
repeatedly in just about every level. However, it does have
some variety because you do use different mechs and the weather
does change periodically.
Overall,
this game isn't that great on single player, but playing online
is a totally different story. One of the best things about
the game is that you can play multiplayer even when you are
the only one on your Xbox thanks to Xbox Live. Also, the downloading
of new maps, game types, and mechs is a great addition to
the game.
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