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MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf

Score: 85%
ESRB: Teen
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Developer: Day 1 Studios
Media: DVD/1
Players: 1 - 12
Genre: Action

Graphics & Sound:

Fast-paced action and robust multiplayer options helped to make MechAssault one of the early stars at the launch of the Xbox Live service. Even today, nearly two years after the original’s release, the game still stands up to other multiplayer heavy-hitters in flat out fun factor. What it lacked, however, was a strong single-player experience. Like so many other games built for online play, the single-player experience fell flat and failed to keep non-Live subscribers hooked. The game’s follow-up, MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf, attempts to offer a slightly deeper single-player game, while still catering mainly to online play.

Unless you’re looking at the two games side-by-side, it’s hard to tell the difference between Lone Wolf and its predecessor. Much of the game looks unchanged visually with most of the upgrades coming in as special effects and details. Mechs look just a little cleaner and still move with a fluid, lumbering grace. Explosions look just as nice and still offer the satisfying pyrotechnics of simply blowing up everything in your path, from buildings to trees to other mechs. Part of what makes Lone Wolf’s visual presentation so strong is how it handles scale. Moving from a four-story mech into a tank or VTOL brings a change in perspective. What looks like a football field in the cockpit of a mech can feel like a few city blocks while on foot.

I’ve never been too hot on songs with lyrics in action games or even in action movies. To some extent, Lone Wolf has managed to quell the dislike just a little. During two key battles in the game, which are probably two of the most intense battles I’ve ever played through, licensed tracks boom out of nowhere, pushing the action even further. Korn and Papa Roach supply two tracks for the game and, without giving too much away, make for a great experience. The rest of the sound is high quality, although the voice talent feels a little stiff at times. I’m still not sure if it’s the actors or the dialog, but things never gelled for me.


Gameplay:

MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf offers the same action-based mech action as the original. Unlike other games in the big-robot genre, where managing the nuts and bolts of your mech is just as much a part of the game as the actual combat, Lone Wolf sticks strictly to the action. Lone Wolf’s big contribution to the MechAssault series is the option of leaving your mech. Sometimes you’ll have to set traps or sneak around on foot while other times you’ll have to jump into tanks, VTOLS, and other mechs. Another addition is the Battlearmor, which is essentially a small, personal mech. Battlearmor introduces Lone Wolf’s other contribution -- the option of stealing other mechs. While wearing armor, you can attach yourself to other mechs, hack into their systems, and expel the other pilot, allowing you to hijack the mech for your own. The feature comes into play a few times during the single-player game, but makes for a wild time while playing online.

The single-player game is better than the original, but still doesn’t offer the replay factor non-Live subscribers are looking for. Action is hot blooded and non-stop, but way too short. The story isn’t the best either and eventually boils down to a predictable planet-hop. Online gamers, however, will find hours of enjoyment after they’re done with the single-player game (if they even bother to give it a look, that is).

Once online, Lone Wolf offers all of the game’s original play modes as well as a few new ones. These include standards like Capture the Flag and Deathmatches in both team and single-player flavors. Players can also take part in Grinder, which is a non-stop battle with other mechs, Last Man Standing, and Base War options. As with MechAssault, online action is a blast and well worth the price of Live.

Conquest is the biggest addition to Lone Wolf’s online repertoire. In Conquest, players pledge allegiance to a house and enter a giant, ongoing battle for control of the galaxy. Once aligned with a house, players fight it out for control of planets by launching attacks on enemy controlled planets or helping to defend your house’s holdings. The state of the galaxy is constantly changing and offers new challenges every time you log into the game. As ambitious as the mode is, it has hit a few snags -- mainly with too many players joining one clan or another, leaving other houses outnumbered. This was a big problem at launch, but in the past few weeks, it has seemed to correct itself.


Difficulty:

Getting back to the single-player game, part of what drags it down is that some encounters have no end. Instead of filling the game with different challenges, much of the game is filled with near-endless swarms of enemies. Progression isn’t because of increased A.I., but instead it sticks to the archaic formula of adding more and more stuff to deal with at one time. By the time you get to the game’s climax, you’re fighting multiple mechs at a time while legions of tanks endlessly ping you to death and helicopters swarm you like gnats. The concept isn’t limited to levels, but boss fights as well. Beyond the first boss fight, which is an exhilarating experience, battles are uninspired and generic. One encounter pits you against an endless swarm of spider mechs. The fight is okay after the first two waves, but beyond that it feels like a lame attempt to add artificial length. The same goes for the final boss, who is the textbook definition of cheap. I expected a challenge, but like most battles, it feels too long and drawn out to be any fun.

Game Mechanics:

The underlying mechanics remain the same in MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf. Controls are once again set up just like an FPS. The left stick moves your Mech and the R stick rotates the torso. If your Mech is equipped with jump jets or defensive weapons, pressing the sticks will activate them. Weapon selection is handled in one of two ways.

Each weapon is identified by a color: yellow, red, and blue. It just so happens that there are yellow, red, and blue buttons on the Xbox controller. Pressing each of these buttons arms the corresponding weapon. For those heated battle moments, you can also quickly cycle through your weapons by pressing the L-trigger. Firing weapons is as easy as pressing the R-trigger, but it is important to note that some weapons have reload and charge times associated with them.

Hacking into mechs offers a unique mini-game of sorts. After jacking in, a small dial and timer pop up which treat you to a game of Simon. You have to match the button presses before time runs out. Success nets you a new mech while failure will leave you stunned for a bit. During the online campaign, hacking isn’t too pressure-filled, yet while online, mastery of the system is usually what stands between you and victory.

Overall, Lone Wolf is a great game, at least if you’re an online gamer. The single-player game is good for a weekend rental, but offers little replay value once you’ve completed the short experience. If you’re a Live gamer, there’s no reason you shouldn’t take a look at Lone Wolf.


-Starscream, GameVortex Communications
AKA Ricky Tucker

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