MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf (Xbox)

Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Day 1
Genre: Third-Person Action
Release Date: December 28, 2004

By Ryan O' Donnell | Oct. 14, 2004

Microsoft and Day 1 reveal the latest online gameplay mode coming to the extremely promising sequel.

The enjoyable, new conquest mode should be the premiere way to enjoy MechAssault 2 online; great graphics, gameplay greatly improved over predecessor; tons of options. Single-player may not be able to hold up to the quality of multiplayer; control could be tighter; with a release so near to Halo 2, hopefully gamers won' t forget to check it out!

I have been lucky enough to play MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf on several occasions over the past year, and each time I' ve come away quite impressed. It' s clear that developer Day 1 Studios was not content to rest on its laurels following the release of the first game in the series, as Lone Wolf significantly improves on what was already quite a compelling game.

Now, rather than simply choosing a mech to control, players will actually command a human pilot who is able to enter a number of different vehicles including the airborne V-TOL transport ship and a tank capable of a number of different stealth maneuvers and attacks; the latest allows the vehicle to knock down enemy mechs. The pilot can also don a suit of battle armor which will allow the player to scale walls and jet around the map using rocket-pack-assisted leaps. To those following Lone Wolf' s development, this should all be old news. Thankfully, I' ve got some new info which should more than appease fans.

During a visit to our offices yesterday afternoon, Day 1 president, Denny Thorley, was keen to show off the company' s latest development related to MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf: " conquest" mode. Put simply, this component significantly increases the value of the game' s online functionality. Upon entering the conquest mode lobby, players will be presented with a galactic map displaying all of the planets in the region.

Gamers wishing to compete in conquest mode matches will first find it necessary to ally themselves with one of the several " Houses" vying for control of the galaxy. Each House is represented by a home planet which is set on the outer border of the galactic map; these, thankfully, can never be taken by another House. All of the planets sitting between those exclusively controlled by the mentioned groups can be occupied by any of the different Houses; though, who is in control of a planet is determined by the number of times any of the Houses have been victorious in battles upon it. The number of wins needed to take a planet is not set in stone, which gives the developers the chance to tweak the balance of conquest mode even after the product has shipped.

In general, however, planets that lie closer to the home worlds will be more difficult to conquer than those that sit in the center of the galaxy. Though, it may seem a bit complex at first, this mode should prove essential to keeping online gameplay fresh by promoting teamwork and forcing players to compete in a number of different types of matches.

During the demo I took part in yesterday, I joined House Kurita for a number of battles. Prior to entering a game, players are given access to a number of different statistics that pertain to their House' s standing in the galactic struggle; I' ve been told that this information will be available in real-time on the web, as well. Our House was in control of about 27 percent of the galaxy when I was handed the controller for the first time. A quick glance at the map revealed the planets held by each house, and also those which are currently in contention. I chose one of the planets that my House was fighting for. The type of battle, available crafts, and map are determined by which planet is chosen as the battlefield. As such, I was able to create a team deathmatch bout with up to six players per side. (12 is the maximum number of players allowed in any MechAssault 2 match.)

After planet selection, I was tossed into a three-dimensional lobby where my pilot was represented onscreen by a detailed in-game avatar ... a sexy one, to be sure. As more players entered the game, their characters, too, were represented in the lobby. As we were playing on Xbox Live, full voice chat support was enabled, though it was almost as entertaining to use one of the character' s several emotes to communicate with the other players. Day 1 Studios had to push hard to get the 3D lobbies included in Lone Wolf, as Live games tend to be quite standard in their interfaces; I find this implementation to be rather intriguing, if simply because it' s different and fits the game' s theme nicely. Kudos, Day 1.

The battle itself was as action-packed as any I' ve experienced in MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf. I found myself attempting to try out all of the different mechs on the map, though the players I was competing against (likely testers from Day 1 and Microsoft) were far more skilled than I. One member of the opposing team had positioned himself in a mounted turret high up on a hill overlooking the valley where I was attempting to do battle. The particular gun in question was capable of firing missiles that the player could control from a first-person perspective. His teammates simply kept me busy in their mechs while he fired away without a worry. Before long, though, I' d caught on to his little scheme and found myself a suit of battle armor. I called to a friendly V-TOL through my headset and grabbed the bottom of the craft as he flew overhead for a quick ride up to the turret. While attached to a V-TOL, the battle armor is fully powered-up; this made it easy to take down my foe and seat myself in the turret to do some damage of my own.

The following match took place on a different planet, and thus had a different set of rules and win conditions. The battle was a simple capture the flag game, but players were suited up in battle armor from the get-go, as no other vehicles were positioned on the map -- though adventurous players could locate a hidden Elemental to control if they happened to locate it. Because battle armor is more maneuverable than a standard mech, the action is much more fast paced in a match like this. Like the previous map, this urban environment contained a POV missile turret that both teams fought for control of. I found myself relying heavily on the pilot bomb, which can only be planted while on foot. While the danger of removing one' s battle armor is great, there is something quite fulfilling about watching several enemies die a surprising death when one of these proximity explosives is laid next to the flag they' re scrambling to grab.

After a second battle, our House had taken control of the planet on which we were battling. 33 percent of the galaxy was ours. And had the demo been longer, I wouldn' t have stopped until I was part of the group holding the majority of the real estate, I assure you. But alas, I too must wait for the game' s full release to spend more time with the conquest mode. At least I have a good idea of what I' ll be doing late this December … while on vacation. With any luck, I' ll see some of you there. I plan to destroy you!

Though we didn' t get to see it first hand, Day 1 also mentioned a new feature of assault class mechs known as Alpha Strike. To initiate this devastating attack, the player must first have all three weapons powered up completely. At that point, players can initiate the attack which is a single shot kill to any enemy. The downside to using it is that all power-ups will be drained completely and the heat gauge will be maxed out. But, if a confrontation is proving to be too intense, this may be the best way to end it. It' s hard to determine just how useful the technique will be until we get a chance to use it firsthand, of course.

All in all, MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf is shaping up into not only a worthy follow-up to its predecessor, but also one of the most developed Xbox Live titles scheduled to hit before the year' s end. Along with Halo 2, Microsoft' s Live line-up is proving to be rather formidable; the other consoles will not be able to compete in the online space this season, given the fact that Gran Turismo 4 has lost it' s online mode. More importantly, PC players will likely even be a bit jealous of what Xbox owners will be experiencing come December. Call me excited. It wouldn' t be a lie.