There’s no place like Chrome
One surefire way to capture a gamer’s
attention is to use mech, or giant robots, the combat
of which has long been a staple of many a video game. However, as of late,
there has been one subset of mech fighting that has
been startlingly absent in the gaming world, one that many players have been
craving for — the more methodically paced simulation, like the MechWarrior games of yore. Chromehounds seeks to fill that void, providing a more realistic style of mech fighting.
No instant gratification run-and-gun here: the titular
Hounds, the mechs you’ll be piloting, are slow,
heavy, and control more like old-fashioned tanks than the speedy running and
blasting mechs featured in other robot games. That
alone narrows the game’s appeal somewhat. But aside from that, Chromehounds brings some other interesting elements to the table. Single-player gameplay is deliberately shallow and short, because it
serves as training for the chief focus of Chromehounds, its multiplayer
options.
Players are treated to a persistent world in multiplayer,
where they choose one of three nations to join, form squads, buy parts to build
their own mechs, and then wage war on behalf of their
country. Battles are tracked over a two-month period to determine which nation
is coming out on top, sort of like an MMORPG. However, thanks to the deep
levels of customization when building mechs, the
learning curve is steep, and the interface isn’t exactly the most streamlined,
meaning players can spend more time building their mechs
and preparing for the battle than actually fighting.
Chromehounds is a niche title, but for those who make up the fighting-robot niche it
targets, the experience can be highly satisfying. Chromehounds is an Xbox 360
exclusive, and is rated T for Teen.
— Phillip Miner
This article appears in Aug 2-8, 2006.
