By Kenny Barto
MAG, otherwise known as Massive Action Game, is the latest and greatest video game released exclusively for the Playstation 3. It has broken all boundaries in terms of online gameplay, being the first to feature a 256-player battlefield.
With this game, first impressions are everything, and I must say I wasn’t too happy that I had to sit there and run through a required training. However, once that is done, you can jump right into 64 player battlefields that will get you ready for the real thing. Once you get into the battlefields, you notice one important thing, and that is absolutely zero lag, and completely smooth gameplay.
Now, if you’re a Call of Duty fan, this game will take some getting used to. Switching weapons is different, you don’t have to “cook” your frag grenades, and you definitely can’t run around and just kill people. This game requires large amounts of strategy, and it’s definitely recommended that you have a microphone to work with your teammates. In all cases, you have an objective that varies depending on the gameplay.
The game is set in 2025, when defense expenses have become so high, countries have cut their military to the bare minimum, and each country in the world is required to stay within their own borders, forcing everyone to be at peace. However, three private military companies Valor, Raven, and S.V.E.R. are fighting for defense contracts so they can help countries still fight their wars without breaking international rules.
The weapons used depends on which of the three companies you choose. According to GamersGuideToLife.com, S.V.E.R. has the most variety at 17 total, then Raven at 10 and Valor at 6. When you are first positioned against players in MAG, you will definitely notice that the game is utilizing somewhat realistic kill-zones. Basically, if you shoot someone in the leg, they will not die, but if you shoot someone in the chest or head, they will go down much easier. Recoil is extremely realistic, and takes some practice to control it. One downside that I noticed was the lack of camoflauge while sniping. Even if you don’t move, and are not shooting, people will still find you somehow and pick you off.
The large-scale battlefields that hold 128 or 256 players are absolutely insane. Personally, I don’t recommend trying them until you’ve gotten practice on the 64-player scale, or you will not have fun.
All in all, this game is fun to play, but is not the perfect game by any means. It needs some work, which will hopefully be solved now that the game has been released for a few weeks. That being said, I encourage anyone who likes first person shooters, or massive multiplayer games to give MAG a try. I would give this game an overall score of 8.2/10.
