Massive Action Fail
I thought the developers of MAG had a good idea in mind when they designed this game. I mean, putting 256 players in a single FPS match seems like an epic idea - and on paper, it is. the extent in which they made the game fit 256 people in a match and have it NOT lag like a Modern Warfare 2 blew my mind. It also relies heavily on squad communication and organization.
in MAG, you choose between 3 factions or PMC's and stick with them for the rest of your career (lvl 60 - where you can 'prestige' and start over with a different faction). The three factions include Raven, Valor, and SVER, all with different character skins and weapon load outs.
There are four different match types found in MAG. Suppression is a Team Deathmatch within your own faction, Sabotage is similar to Domination found in MW2. These first two 64 player matches are accessible from the begining after you complete the tutorial. as you gain more levels you unlock Acquisition, a 128 player match where the objective is to infiltrate enemy territory, steal a vehicle, and return to base with it while the opposing team defends. And finally the 256 player match called Domination (not to be confused with the one in MW2) where the goal is to seize objective points long enough to win. those maps are strewn with strategically placed targets such where one can spawn, resupply, and control mounted turrets. there are also points with sensor arrays that allow squad/platoon leaders to call in mortar strikes and vehicles.
But thats where the shining glory of MAG comes to an end.
Because of the day and age we live in, Teamwork is not among the forethoughts of many players. It can be very difficult to have some stranger listen to you and do what you tell them in person, so you can imagine what it would be like to try to give orders out to a squad with your mini headset. Im not saying you cant find a group of people that wont work together (thank you clans) but they are rare. The core of this game relies on that teamwork aspect, and when it fails, you will find yourself on the side of a long and frustrating fight which will end in your imminent loss.
The graphics in this game are not spectacular either. this is mostly due to the servers having to support so many players without lag. it might have not been a let down if played on the PS2, but with PS3 and blueray technology, the game looks tacky and old. The menus are plain and dull, charactor customization and weapon loadouts are limited, and the meager maps you play on quickly become old. you will find yourself runnning the same maps over and over again grinding experience to get to your next level to unlock a mediocre upgrade (if any). the weapons you start out with are painstakingly inaccurate that it can be very difficult to kill someone. until you get some better upgrades (which involve getting experience by killing someone..see where im going here?), you will be a very frustrated player.
the spawn mechanism in this game is also poor. there are no squad spawns so every time you die, you will be sent back to your base (or nearest base depending on match type), wait for the respawn timer to hit zero, and have to walk all the way back to where you were.
This game may appeal to some, but it just wasnt my cup of tea. i mean shooting peoples faces off is fun with 256 people but it loses its appeal after so long. and i havent even begun to talk about the grenade spam and all the other things people do on online shooters. you can just imagine.
overall i'd give this game a 6.5
it was a good effort at something more but people just arent ready to work together. kill death ratio is just too important to kids right now. i liked what it tried to do- making huge battles. but everything else about it was mediocre, especially with good leading titles out there like Call of Duty, Halo, and Battlefield.