More Multiplayer
Drenched in embarrassment I grabbed the manual and found that these over complicated menus, were easily navigated once you know how. The reason why I am relaying this story to you is that I’ve heard a number of people complain that there’s too much to do online and the menu system is confusing. It’s not in the slightest. A little bit of patience from the outset and a manual next to your side opens up the game’s possibilities and it soon becomes a rich, addictive experience.
Although the online community of Chrome Hounds is relatively new, it’s really what gives this game an added greatness. After only five minutes of playing an unranked ‘Free Battle’ I was invited tothe aforementioned clan. After playing just one round with them they talked me through how to equip and assemble my Hound correctly, trade, and amazingly, each of my teammates donated some money to me so that I could buy more parts. God bless the U.S.A!
Click for larger imageThe community spirit that I witnessed within a short period of entering a elaborate game such as Chrome Hounds, the entertaining strategy based gameplay, the awesome upgradeable mechs and the dynamic online real-time campaign, make it the best multiplayer team game that I’ve personally played on the Xbox 360 to date.
If you’ve unlocked mech parts in the single player campaign or have built extra Hounds offline, they can be transferred to online play. From the outset you’ll need to choose a one of the three countries you wish to represent; if you have a number of friends with the game, its worth checking with them to see which country they are affiliated with, otherwise it’s probably worth jumping into a ‘Free Battle’ and asking people if they want to set up a clan.
Click for larger imageFree Battle mode allows a maximum of 12 players, or you can just take on another mech in a head-to-head battle. Like all online games there’s the option to jump into a ranked or unranked match and then view your results on the world leaderboards. There are eight game modes available ranging from standard team death match mode to survival (or last man standing) mode. Fans of multiplayer games will be glad to hear that Capture the Flag and Keep the flag game modes are also featured. Joining games is simple and quick thanks to the recent patch that was made available and the lobby system is easy and simple to use, whether you’re the host or a standard player. Unlike a number of other Xbox live games, the lobbies on Chrome Hounds are an extremely social place to visit. You certainly won’t be rushed into a game and it provides an ideal opportunity to get tips and tactics for future games.
