MAG Review: Do You Trust The Guy Next To You?
Quick Summary
Pros:
* Huge Maps
* Teamwork is Required to Win
* Good Leveling/Upgrading System
* Runs Smooth for 256 Players
Cons:
* Teamwork is Required to Win
* Graphical Pop-In
About MAG: Massive Action Game
Available Platforms PS3
Genre 1st Person Online-Only Shooter
ESRB Rating T for Teen
Release Date January 26, 2010
Publisher/Developer Sony Computer Entertainment/Zipper Interactive
View article images hereStory: 8 / 10
The backstory in MAG interestingly sets the stage for your conquests. The game takes place a few decades in the future and in this time wars are fought by Private Military Companies, PMC's. There are three PMC's, S.V.E.R, Valor, and Raven. S.V.E.R. is the scrappy, ragtag group located in Russia, Valor is made up of soldiers similar to the U.S. Marine and Raven is the high-tech faction from Europe. Each faction has different equipment sets and these sets impact your character and his abilities, so choose wisely! You can only select one PMC to secure military contracts for, so it is important that you do a little research before you get started. Right now S.V.E.R. is somewhat overpowering, but a patch is coming down the pipes to fix the slight imbalances between factions.
Gameplay: 9 / 10
Online-only games are completely hinged upon the gameplay and fortunately for Zipper, this is where MAG shines. MAG is a massive online shooter that is based upon teamwork and strategy. Each player is placed in a squad of 8. These squads make up platoons of 32 and then two groups of 64. There are a handful of game modes and each has a different player maximum, so if you decide 256 players is too much for you to handle at first, you can work your way up to that point. In fact, the game requires you to unlock larger game modes during your first couple of levels.
Communication is everything, so make sure you have a mic! Each squad can talk amongst themselves, but only the squad leader can speak to other squad leaders and only the platoon leader can talk to the officers in charge. With the right people in these positions, the game will run like a giant chess match; each squad making strategical moves and securing the most advantageous points. It is when these positions are not occupied by the right people or when the people can't effectively communicate - that things get dicey. Don't panic if you do not have a mic, however, because there is a good menu for selecting commands and calling in air strikes and the like. Luckily for the team, if it just isn't working - players can be voted from the game and a new leader is appointed.
Overall, if you are a team player and you encourage others to be, you will be successful on the battlefield.
Graphics: 7 / 10
For a game sporting such massive landscapes, MAG does some impressive things, but it also suffers from predictable problems. MAG's textures are well rendered and makes your surrounding seem real and authentic. Each map is packed with crumbling buildings, trenches, bridges, and many other additions that make the war zone believable. Unfortunately what MAG does well hurts the game in the long run.
Each map is rendering so many environmental textures, such that environment pop-in plague the game. While it doesn't hinder the gameplay all that much (since things popping in are often very far away), it still takes away from reality that the game is trying to create.
Sound: 8 / 10
MAG has fantastic sound effects. Zipper understood that when creating massive scale battles, the sound would be key in making the game feel real. The THX surround sound in the game does just that, it sits you right there on the front lines. The gunshots and explosions sound authentic as well as their distance from you. Unique sounds, like air raid sirens, also add something special to each fight.
As I talked about in the gameplay section, the communication is key, which sets up the only real flaw in the sound. You basically have to listen to the other players on your team to be successful. So if you have an annoying kid as a squad leader and if he knows what he's doing, it would kill your squad to vote him out. This can be rough, but at the end of the day it's better to have a leader that can tell you what to do than one that can't.
Challenge/Replay Value: 9 / 10
MAG has a steep learning curve, and coming from the makers of the PS2 SOCOM series, this is no surprise. Nevertheless, this is not a bad thing. After you play for some time, it is interesting to see the evolution of your gameplay. First you look at things in a very personal way: "How can I help my squad?" Quickly, it turns into: "What does my squad have to do to be successful?" Then eventually: "What does my faction have to do to conquer the map?" The picture you see grows and grows. MAG supports a long list of upgrades and 60 levels. It also has a huge amount of trophies that take a lot of hard work to obtain.
Obviously, not everyone will be able to see the battlefield as well as others, so among other reasons - this game is not for everyone. If you are looking for a game like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and you loved going 150-25 on shipment, this probably is not for you. I personally found that repetitive and boring, so I came to MAG. Having great personal statistics don't decide battles. In fact, no single personal performance will even dent your opponent. MAG does a great job balancing teamwork, communication, and strategy into a massive first person shooter.
I personally love the game. If you are looking for a challenge and enjoy games that yield a sense of achievement, you will love MAG too.
Overall Score: 8 / 10
MAG Review: Do You Trust The Guy Next To You?
By: gamepodunk
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