MAG: Massive AWESOME Game

Those of you who have read this blog recently will be aware of my fixation with the new video game MAG. Those of you who know me in person will have been unfortunate enough to endure my ramblings or even have been forced into playing it. Having been near over a month since I received it I figured I'd use my settling down from the intense playing to write a detailed review whilst I'm still buzzing off it's awesomeness.

The title itself doesn't mean anything in particular: originally it was to be titled Massive Action Game, and sometimes the developers refer to this title. It is called so because using a new server architecture it can successfully support online battles of up to 256 players, divided up into ranks and directed by various leaders- there is a huge emphasis on teamwork. There are four game types, the first two consisting of a platoon on each side, a platoon being composed of four 8-man squads - that's 64 players total. The next game type holds two platoons on each side, totaling 128 players altogether. The final mode, lasting an immense half-hour long, contains four platoons on each side and supports the game's selling point: chaotic 256-player combat. When you start a game you are given the choice to choose one of the three factions to serve - each is totally different in aesthetics and weapon style, so essentially there are three different games.

I began my game with the rag-tag guerilla army S.V.E.R. - whose style is closely reminiscent of games like Army of Two. Playing as S.V.E.R. you are given old, russian and chinese-style weaponry which are mostly rusted-out and often spray-painted with some insignia. S.V.E.R. focus purely on power, and your bullets don't often find their target, though they pack a punch when they do. Their levels are dusty and arid, and range from barren mountains to decrepit towns. There's this strong sense of brotherhood within the army - the idea is that they are an army of the oppressed and downtrodden, rising up and fighting back with whatever means necessary - even guns that are taped together and wearing sports gear for armor.

Next on the agenda was Valor. Situated in Alaska and composed of Brits, Yankees and Mexicans, their typical G.I. Joe appearance and attitude appeals mostly to the sorts of people who watch Band of Brothers and play Modern Warfare. Playing as Valor you find yourself defending mountainous shanty-towns that make you feel like you're in a Lumberjack's wild west. One major problem with the army is the lone wolfs - it is argued that Valor's stealthy commando gear is top-notch, and attracting all the MW2 players you are essentially stuck with an army of twats who firmly believe in spray-n-pray tactics and all try to go Rambo - inevitably failing. Despite being dominantly composed of these idiots, they are by no means short of decent players and are my personal preference.

Finally, Raven. A pan-European industry, they are the most aesthetically appealing - slick, clean and metallic in appearance, they slide in and out of the shadows and scenery like a deadly wind. They appear as basically Spec-Ops Space-Marine-Ninjas, their focus being on accuracy in their weaponry and their efficient use of it. Their performance is balanced - host to some of the greatest players I've seen in the game, and hands down some of the most enragingly brainless too.

The leveling system in MAG rewards you the more you level up - you are given skill points with each level that are used to upgrade your equipment and increase your skills, and every now and then you receive an raise in rank and qualifications. You are also given five loadouts to do with as you please, and they can be swapped between before spawns. This leads to completely personalized gameplay - be it a sniper/medic or a commando/engineer, you can fuse military roles to form your perfect combination. Once you reach level 60 you are given the option to "vet" over to any of the three factions back at level 1 receiving experience bonuses, offering decent replay value. An issue people raised is that the in-game lag would be awful - hardly. The game generally runs flawlessly, save for the occasional lagging bullet and the even less occasional connectivity issue, though nothing distracts from the fun.

During one game, I rested atop an ocean freighter in a dock and gazed in awe at the sight before me - the chaotic expanse of the battlefield, warehouses, fuel tanks and buildings erupting with bullets and explosions, mortar strikes raining from the sky like armageddon. No first-person-shooter game has ever captured that same feeling of expanse, made you feel like you're contributing to an immense, fully-functioning army. MAG has revolutionized shooters and set a standard for all to work towards.