Even more multiplayer & conclusion
The icing on the cake of the multiplayer experience is the ‘Neroimus War’. It’s an ongoing online war that you can participate in as a member of a squad for your affiliate country, where you’ll battle against the two other countries; in short it’s a huge scale Robot Wars, only these robots have some serious clout! Whenever your squad wins a battle you’re awarded funds so that you can buy even more stuff to ‘pimp up’ your Hound. The war continues when you are offline and once two nations have been annexed the Chrome Hounds server will be re-setting the war. Apparently the war is scheduled to reset every two months.
Click for larger imageIn the ‘Neroimus War’ the objective of the game is to destroy the enemy Hounds or obliterate the main headquarters. The user interface is well presented and all the necessary information is displayed. The in-game map clearly defines the enemy and friendly positions through the use of colour coding and a grid reference system. You can use any of the 6 mechs in the battle, providing you have one built of course, and it’s simply a matter balancing out your team so that you’re not flooded with just one role type. This is where the pre-game lobby really shows its worth. One of the role types, mentioned earlier, is the tactics commander who verbally orders the squad around. If you join a squad/clan you’ll find out who this is soon enough as he’ll be the one barking out the orders. Quite often I’ll hear him say, ‘Where the hell are you going!’, as I meander off into the distance. It’s the strategic gameplay and the feeling of working together as team that provides the most satisfaction in multiplayer mode- almost. Building a Chrome Hound from the ground up is even better.
You can buy parts from the online shop with the money that you’ve won from online battles, or like me, you can scrounge it from someone else. There’s also the option to trade parts with your fellow teammates and you’d be surprised how many people are desperate to get rid of some old parts, ideal if you’re a noob. Yes, the single player lets you build a Hound, but it’s much more fun to see how your handmade mech compares to others online. There are some mighty fine specimens out there, and it will only be a matter of time before you’ll be creating the same,
Click for larger imageThe online multiplayer mode also features missions so that you bolster your funds and updated news headlines informing you of current events in the Neroimus War. There’s also the option to donate money to your country as well as being able to view a real-time map of the whole region of Neroimus, so you can view how your country is doing against the other two regions.
The multiplayer experience is one that you’ll enjoy if you’re willing to invest the time. It’s not a pick up and play quick thrill, but a rewarding journey to your final destination, which when reached, is a place you’ll not want to leave in a hurry. In fact, what the hell am I doing still writing this review, I’m outta here, see you on Chrome Hounds.
Pros
Fluid control system
Great depth
Superb tactical play
Fantastic online dynamic campaign
Upgradeable mechs
Cons
Can be overwhelming at times
Although the single player campaign is great, it plays second fiddle to the immersive online war
HEXUS Awards
Chrome Hounds
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Chrome Hounds is available now , click the following links to order:Play.com
