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This thread has been linked to the game 'MAG'.
I haven't been on here since my last win, might as well post a review to show that I still look around lol.
MAG is an acronym for Massive Action Game and it is just that but also much much more, it is a breakthrough in the FPS genre for console gaming.
It was in the pipeline for 2/3 years, first shown at E3 but it didn’t impress me, I dismissed it, the graphics looked poor, 256 players would = massive amounts of lag and make it near unplayable, it looked like a flash in the pan idea but I was wrong. Hidden behind closed doors private betas were in full swing constantly changing the game, testing the servers, more importantly testing the players.
Step forward the public beta which was a hit and a miss, the public players automatically honed in on the graphics and many dropped it for this reason alone, sometimes the servers were offline forcing you to play at specific times, glitches and bugs were present I even had problems with my player and had to delete him twice just to play but then again it’s a beta it will have problems and we are the testers finding the problems so Zipper can look back at the statistics and rectify the problems.
Now it’s out of the beta stages and being sold to the public and it is where I will review the graphics/sound effects/gameplay/learning curve and replay value as well as other features like presentation and the game modes.
Presentation (4/5)
When you 1st load up the game a short film will play with a few action set pieces then its onto the character selection screen to choose what your player will look like and what accent he will speak in and finally what PMC you will fight for.
There is 3 PMC’s to choose from which are Valor, Raven and SVER with each faction having a different background and looking different from one another.
From then on you are ‘connected’ to your PMC network where you are presented with different options such as the Armory where you can set up your loadouts with various guns and weapons, deploy menu where you can enter the queue for the various game modes. Community tab where you can see your list of friends/clan members and who is on MAG or in game and give you the option to group up on jump in with them. Barracks contains your skill tree where you can purchase skills/weapons with your hard earned skill points or have a look at your stats/medals/ribbons that you have achieved over your playing career, also this is where the training level is but you can only do it once and after completion of the level you will earn 1 skill point then when you vet you will automatically have 1 skill point instead of having to do the level again. Options to alter in game sounds and mic levels the usual settings but no controller config.
It’s all presented nicely and is clear enough to see and easy to use.
Graphics (3/5)
I gave this rating because the graphics are okay, they are nowhere near like BC2/KZ2 but with the number of players they can’t be, 256 players with lovely graphics would hinder the frame rate and basically make the game unplayable. Sure if you get close enough to the plants you can see the pixels but it’s all good, shiny surfaces means you can interact with the object and the major structures/gates/fences/houses/environments are detailed enough.
Sound (4/5)
You hear a swish of a knife but it wasn’t you in fact it was enemy missing so you turn around and blow his head off with your 12 gauge, sometimes you need that level of sound but then again in MAG it is rarely used but it’s good to have when you do need it since in most cases there is mortar strikes going off and bombing runs not to mention the sound of gunfire from your team and the enemy. You can hear the APC's engines and bullets flying past your head and each gun does have its own particular sound and then there is the other players character voices that your hear after you heal them or if they use their codec. The overall sound is perfect for MAG, even if you’re not in the thick of the battle you can still hear the distant sounds of bombs being dropped somewhere else thus making you realize the battle is still being waged
Game modes (4/5)
4 game modes with 3 being against another PMC with each mode upping the difficulty by adding extra objectives and assets to complete/destroy.
Suppression (32v32) being the mode where you get used to the aiming and killing of the enemy, an in-house PMC TDM.
Sabotage (32v32) where it gives you simple objectives to complete.
Acquisition (64v64) is where it steps it up and you are introduced to new structures and where you learn what you can do as SL/PL.
MAG’s showpiece is Domination (128v128), 2 factions 256 players spread across 4 platoons but the problem is that it did advertise 256players but most players will want to see all 256players on their screen, but you can see all the players it’s just that you have to travel around the map to do so since they are split into 4 platoons (32v32) but you can still travel to the other side of the map to help out your fellow players. You are also introduced to the OIC role where you take command and try to lead your team to victory.
Out of the 3 modes it can get stale but you also fight for contracts which award different perks which will affect the mode, so for example the Sabotage contract rewards the holders with an extra 5% XP bonus for each contract held so if Valor hold 2 contracts they get 10% while Raven gets 5% for holding their contract and SVER gets nothing for having no contracts.
Gameplay (5/5)
It’s the meat and potato of any game and it’s especially more important in MAG than any other game due to the lack of a single player mode for it is online only so it has to be able to carry itself and it does.
MAG may only have 3 game modes in which to test your skills/leadership skills/teamwork against another PMC but it’s what role you decide to play. To win any of the modes you need a healthy mixture of the different types of players available, you can be a Sniper and cover important assets from a distance or pick of the enemy down a well known enemy route, the Direct Action class is in the thick of it mowing down the enemy as they guard the objectives, Field Support are the players who will make sure the assets get back up if they are taken down. These are just a few of the classes available and you don’t have to play that way, you can mix and match your skills and weapons as long as you have the points and available cc in your loadouts.
The skill tree is very important and does determine what class you are with what you spend your points on, now to earn points all you have to do is level up, each level is worth 1 skill point and the max is 60 skill points but even with 60 skill points you cannot pick the best items/perks you have to pick and choose and this balances the game, as does the loadouts which allow 3400cc with each weapon/item costing so many cc this is to keep a balance between a low level and a high level so the low level has a chance to kill with what he has available to him.
The leadership roles add greatly to the gameplay and can actually make you feel that you are part of an army moving together to achieve a common goal. There are 3 leadership roles which allow different actions.
• Squad leader – In charge of an 8 man group which can use airstrikes on defense/offense and issue FRAGO orders which wields extra XP as an incentive to get the objective completed.
• Platoon leader – In charge of 32 players/4 squads, also has airstrikes to use on defense/offense but also can speak to the squad leaders/OIC or broadcast an entire message to the whole platoon.
• Officer in Charge – In charge of 128 players/4 platoons/16 squads, has no airstrikes but has tactical strikes which can influence the game such as increasing the enemy spawn counter or jamming the enemy command network thus preventing the enemy to use airstrikes/FRAGO orders, can speak to the 4 platoon leaders and the rest of the team by using broadcast.
Now the leaders can only do so much but it is up to the rest of the players to follow out the tactics but be warned not all leaders are good and some will issue bad advice/tactics, I’ve seen the OIC use his capabilities at the wrong times and it has cost us the match but I’ve also seen the opposite happen with the OIC issuing tactics in which the team follows out while using his capabilities at the correct times and the latter happens more so when the leaders have mics so they can organize their tactics. For those players which do not have a mic there is codec which has a few simple voice commands like asking for backup or a repairman but it is no substitute for a mic.
The best part of the gameplay is the lack of lag, even in Domination there is next to little or no lag in most games and 256 players are involved in 1 match also lagswitches do not work and cheating is rare and in an online game that is amazing.
Learning Curve (2/5)
It’s a hard game to learn and to master and does require a fair amount of time put into it and the training level is a must as it does help you get off the mark and be able to do the basic actions, I would say at least 100hrs since it may take 50hrs just to reach the level cap but also to test out the different weapons/items/playstyles, find out which leadership roles do what/when to use your abilities/how to attack/defend each platoon on every map and that is not including if you decide to vet to another PMC which can easily be another 50hrs or decide to hunt for medals/ribbons and trophies.
Replay Value (5/5)
As I write this I have clocked up over 2000 games in over 800hours and vetted 10times since retail but I still haven’t experienced all of MAG and with that amount of time put into the game many of you should be wondering how I haven’t explored all that MAG has to offer.
I have limited myself on MAG, I have only played as Valor and vetted back to Valor, I didn’t even bother to try out SVER or Raven simply because I didn’t want to, I liked Valor and decided to stay loyal.
With each vet I used a different playstyle and tried out all the weapons/items and perks and stuck with that particular style until I found certain styles that suited me.
If you are a bit of a trophy hunter then that will also take quite a few hours of your time since some of the medals/ribbons are hard to get in game and some of the trophies require you to get more than 1 ribbon or a collection of them.
I also gave myself challenges like when the 1st DLC was released we had a double XP weekend so I tried to vet as many times as I could during that time.
Playing in a clan or with likeminded players will double your enjoyment even if you’re losing, you can still have a laugh and joke around or help each other out with tips and tricks and share your best moments in the game or real life.
I do firmly believe that if you the player do not alter anything then you may get bored, you have a lot to go through and even though you will play the same maps many times you can always mix it up a bit.
Summary
I’ve tried to keep it short and sweet but the facts are I can’t, MAG is too massive to explain, and all comparisons to other FPS games are quite useless.
But that’s the problem MAG isn’t trying to be like MW2/KZ2/BC2, you cannot have BC2 graphics with 256 players it’s a strain on what the PS3 can do and the frame rate would be hindered badly and the game would be barely playable.
The player count itself is another step away from the likes of MW2/KZ2/BC2, 256 players in one game mode it’s never been achieved in a console game until now and with increased player size means teamwork is more important, no longer can 1 player single handedly win the game for your team especially in the bigger game modes, that 1 ‘Rambo’ may do something well but if the team cannot capitalize on it then the team will not progress.
MAG is a hardcore FPS which requires a considerable amount of time to be put into it but the rewards are well worth the effort, even casual gamers will get a kick out of it after they have leveled up a bit.
To fully experience it you have to rent it or throw yourself in the deep end and buy it because talking about it does not do it justice, you have to see what MAG has accomplished by playing it and only then may you see the light and fully understand what I’m getting at.
MAG is an acronym for Massive Action Game and it is just that but also much much more, it is a breakthrough in the FPS genre for console gaming.
It was in the pipeline for 2/3 years, first shown at E3 but it didn’t impress me, I dismissed it, the graphics looked poor, 256 players would = massive amounts of lag and make it near unplayable, it looked like a flash in the pan idea but I was wrong. Hidden behind closed doors private betas were in full swing constantly changing the game, testing the servers, more importantly testing the players.
Step forward the public beta which was a hit and a miss, the public players automatically honed in on the graphics and many dropped it for this reason alone, sometimes the servers were offline forcing you to play at specific times, glitches and bugs were present I even had problems with my player and had to delete him twice just to play but then again it’s a beta it will have problems and we are the testers finding the problems so Zipper can look back at the statistics and rectify the problems.
Now it’s out of the beta stages and being sold to the public and it is where I will review the graphics/sound effects/gameplay/learning curve and replay value as well as other features like presentation and the game modes.
Presentation (4/5)
When you 1st load up the game a short film will play with a few action set pieces then its onto the character selection screen to choose what your player will look like and what accent he will speak in and finally what PMC you will fight for.
There is 3 PMC’s to choose from which are Valor, Raven and SVER with each faction having a different background and looking different from one another.
From then on you are ‘connected’ to your PMC network where you are presented with different options such as the Armory where you can set up your loadouts with various guns and weapons, deploy menu where you can enter the queue for the various game modes. Community tab where you can see your list of friends/clan members and who is on MAG or in game and give you the option to group up on jump in with them. Barracks contains your skill tree where you can purchase skills/weapons with your hard earned skill points or have a look at your stats/medals/ribbons that you have achieved over your playing career, also this is where the training level is but you can only do it once and after completion of the level you will earn 1 skill point then when you vet you will automatically have 1 skill point instead of having to do the level again. Options to alter in game sounds and mic levels the usual settings but no controller config.
It’s all presented nicely and is clear enough to see and easy to use.
Graphics (3/5)
I gave this rating because the graphics are okay, they are nowhere near like BC2/KZ2 but with the number of players they can’t be, 256 players with lovely graphics would hinder the frame rate and basically make the game unplayable. Sure if you get close enough to the plants you can see the pixels but it’s all good, shiny surfaces means you can interact with the object and the major structures/gates/fences/houses/environments are detailed enough.
Sound (4/5)
You hear a swish of a knife but it wasn’t you in fact it was enemy missing so you turn around and blow his head off with your 12 gauge, sometimes you need that level of sound but then again in MAG it is rarely used but it’s good to have when you do need it since in most cases there is mortar strikes going off and bombing runs not to mention the sound of gunfire from your team and the enemy. You can hear the APC's engines and bullets flying past your head and each gun does have its own particular sound and then there is the other players character voices that your hear after you heal them or if they use their codec. The overall sound is perfect for MAG, even if you’re not in the thick of the battle you can still hear the distant sounds of bombs being dropped somewhere else thus making you realize the battle is still being waged
Game modes (4/5)
4 game modes with 3 being against another PMC with each mode upping the difficulty by adding extra objectives and assets to complete/destroy.
Suppression (32v32) being the mode where you get used to the aiming and killing of the enemy, an in-house PMC TDM.
Sabotage (32v32) where it gives you simple objectives to complete.
Acquisition (64v64) is where it steps it up and you are introduced to new structures and where you learn what you can do as SL/PL.
MAG’s showpiece is Domination (128v128), 2 factions 256 players spread across 4 platoons but the problem is that it did advertise 256players but most players will want to see all 256players on their screen, but you can see all the players it’s just that you have to travel around the map to do so since they are split into 4 platoons (32v32) but you can still travel to the other side of the map to help out your fellow players. You are also introduced to the OIC role where you take command and try to lead your team to victory.
Out of the 3 modes it can get stale but you also fight for contracts which award different perks which will affect the mode, so for example the Sabotage contract rewards the holders with an extra 5% XP bonus for each contract held so if Valor hold 2 contracts they get 10% while Raven gets 5% for holding their contract and SVER gets nothing for having no contracts.
Gameplay (5/5)
It’s the meat and potato of any game and it’s especially more important in MAG than any other game due to the lack of a single player mode for it is online only so it has to be able to carry itself and it does.
MAG may only have 3 game modes in which to test your skills/leadership skills/teamwork against another PMC but it’s what role you decide to play. To win any of the modes you need a healthy mixture of the different types of players available, you can be a Sniper and cover important assets from a distance or pick of the enemy down a well known enemy route, the Direct Action class is in the thick of it mowing down the enemy as they guard the objectives, Field Support are the players who will make sure the assets get back up if they are taken down. These are just a few of the classes available and you don’t have to play that way, you can mix and match your skills and weapons as long as you have the points and available cc in your loadouts.
The skill tree is very important and does determine what class you are with what you spend your points on, now to earn points all you have to do is level up, each level is worth 1 skill point and the max is 60 skill points but even with 60 skill points you cannot pick the best items/perks you have to pick and choose and this balances the game, as does the loadouts which allow 3400cc with each weapon/item costing so many cc this is to keep a balance between a low level and a high level so the low level has a chance to kill with what he has available to him.
The leadership roles add greatly to the gameplay and can actually make you feel that you are part of an army moving together to achieve a common goal. There are 3 leadership roles which allow different actions.
• Squad leader – In charge of an 8 man group which can use airstrikes on defense/offense and issue FRAGO orders which wields extra XP as an incentive to get the objective completed.
• Platoon leader – In charge of 32 players/4 squads, also has airstrikes to use on defense/offense but also can speak to the squad leaders/OIC or broadcast an entire message to the whole platoon.
• Officer in Charge – In charge of 128 players/4 platoons/16 squads, has no airstrikes but has tactical strikes which can influence the game such as increasing the enemy spawn counter or jamming the enemy command network thus preventing the enemy to use airstrikes/FRAGO orders, can speak to the 4 platoon leaders and the rest of the team by using broadcast.
Now the leaders can only do so much but it is up to the rest of the players to follow out the tactics but be warned not all leaders are good and some will issue bad advice/tactics, I’ve seen the OIC use his capabilities at the wrong times and it has cost us the match but I’ve also seen the opposite happen with the OIC issuing tactics in which the team follows out while using his capabilities at the correct times and the latter happens more so when the leaders have mics so they can organize their tactics. For those players which do not have a mic there is codec which has a few simple voice commands like asking for backup or a repairman but it is no substitute for a mic.
The best part of the gameplay is the lack of lag, even in Domination there is next to little or no lag in most games and 256 players are involved in 1 match also lagswitches do not work and cheating is rare and in an online game that is amazing.
Learning Curve (2/5)
It’s a hard game to learn and to master and does require a fair amount of time put into it and the training level is a must as it does help you get off the mark and be able to do the basic actions, I would say at least 100hrs since it may take 50hrs just to reach the level cap but also to test out the different weapons/items/playstyles, find out which leadership roles do what/when to use your abilities/how to attack/defend each platoon on every map and that is not including if you decide to vet to another PMC which can easily be another 50hrs or decide to hunt for medals/ribbons and trophies.
Replay Value (5/5)
As I write this I have clocked up over 2000 games in over 800hours and vetted 10times since retail but I still haven’t experienced all of MAG and with that amount of time put into the game many of you should be wondering how I haven’t explored all that MAG has to offer.
I have limited myself on MAG, I have only played as Valor and vetted back to Valor, I didn’t even bother to try out SVER or Raven simply because I didn’t want to, I liked Valor and decided to stay loyal.
With each vet I used a different playstyle and tried out all the weapons/items and perks and stuck with that particular style until I found certain styles that suited me.
If you are a bit of a trophy hunter then that will also take quite a few hours of your time since some of the medals/ribbons are hard to get in game and some of the trophies require you to get more than 1 ribbon or a collection of them.
I also gave myself challenges like when the 1st DLC was released we had a double XP weekend so I tried to vet as many times as I could during that time.
Playing in a clan or with likeminded players will double your enjoyment even if you’re losing, you can still have a laugh and joke around or help each other out with tips and tricks and share your best moments in the game or real life.
I do firmly believe that if you the player do not alter anything then you may get bored, you have a lot to go through and even though you will play the same maps many times you can always mix it up a bit.
Summary
I’ve tried to keep it short and sweet but the facts are I can’t, MAG is too massive to explain, and all comparisons to other FPS games are quite useless.
But that’s the problem MAG isn’t trying to be like MW2/KZ2/BC2, you cannot have BC2 graphics with 256 players it’s a strain on what the PS3 can do and the frame rate would be hindered badly and the game would be barely playable.
The player count itself is another step away from the likes of MW2/KZ2/BC2, 256 players in one game mode it’s never been achieved in a console game until now and with increased player size means teamwork is more important, no longer can 1 player single handedly win the game for your team especially in the bigger game modes, that 1 ‘Rambo’ may do something well but if the team cannot capitalize on it then the team will not progress.
MAG is a hardcore FPS which requires a considerable amount of time to be put into it but the rewards are well worth the effort, even casual gamers will get a kick out of it after they have leveled up a bit.
To fully experience it you have to rent it or throw yourself in the deep end and buy it because talking about it does not do it justice, you have to see what MAG has accomplished by playing it and only then may you see the light and fully understand what I’m getting at.
Nice review :) The bullet point sections are copied from another site, but besides that, thanks for posting :D
I haven't been on here since my last win, might as well post a review to show that I still look around lol.
MAG is an acronym for Massive Action Game and it is just that but also much much more, it is a breakthrough in the FPS genre for console gaming.
It was in the pipeline for 2/3 years, first shown at E3 but it didn’t impress me, I dismissed it, the graphics looked poor, 256 players would = massive amounts of lag and make it near unplayable, it looked like a flash in the pan idea but I was wrong. Hidden behind closed doors private betas were in full swing constantly changing the game, testing the servers, more importantly testing the players.
Step forward the public beta which was a hit and a miss, the public players automatically honed in on the graphics and many dropped it for this reason alone, sometimes the servers were offline forcing you to play at specific times, glitches and bugs were present I even had problems with my player and had to delete him twice just to play but then again it’s a beta it will have problems and we are the testers finding the problems so Zipper can look back at the statistics and rectify the problems.
Now it’s out of the beta stages and being sold to the public and it is where I will review the graphics/sound effects/gameplay/learning curve and replay value as well as other features like presentation and the game modes.
Presentation (4/5)
When you 1st load up the game a short film will play with a few action set pieces then its onto the character selection screen to choose what your player will look like and what accent he will speak in and finally what PMC you will fight for.
There is 3 PMC’s to choose from which are Valor, Raven and SVER with each faction having a different background and looking different from one another.
From then on you are ‘connected’ to your PMC network where you are presented with different options such as the Armory where you can set up your loadouts with various guns and weapons, deploy menu where you can enter the queue for the various game modes. Community tab where you can see your list of friends/clan members and who is on MAG or in game and give you the option to group up on jump in with them. Barracks contains your skill tree where you can purchase skills/weapons with your hard earned skill points or have a look at your stats/medals/ribbons that you have achieved over your playing career, also this is where the training level is but you can only do it once and after completion of the level you will earn 1 skill point then when you vet you will automatically have 1 skill point instead of having to do the level again. Options to alter in game sounds and mic levels the usual settings but no controller config.
It’s all presented nicely and is clear enough to see and easy to use.
Graphics (3/5)
I gave this rating because the graphics are okay, they are nowhere near like BC2/KZ2 but with the number of players they can’t be, 256 players with lovely graphics would hinder the frame rate and basically make the game unplayable. Sure if you get close enough to the plants you can see the pixels but it’s all good, shiny surfaces means you can interact with the object and the major structures/gates/fences/houses/environments are detailed enough.
Sound (4/5)
You hear a swish of a knife but it wasn’t you in fact it was enemy missing so you turn around and blow his head off with your 12 gauge, sometimes you need that level of sound but then again in MAG it is rarely used but it’s good to have when you do need it since in most cases there is mortar strikes going off and bombing runs not to mention the sound of gunfire from your team and the enemy. You can hear the APC's engines and bullets flying past your head and each gun does have its own particular sound and then there is the other players character voices that your hear after you heal them or if they use their codec. The overall sound is perfect for MAG, even if you’re not in the thick of the battle you can still hear the distant sounds of bombs being dropped somewhere else thus making you realize the battle is still being waged
Game modes (4/5)
4 game modes with 3 being against another PMC with each mode upping the difficulty by adding extra objectives and assets to complete/destroy.
Suppression (32v32) being the mode where you get used to the aiming and killing of the enemy, an in-house PMC TDM.
Sabotage (32v32) where it gives you simple objectives to complete.
Acquisition (64v64) is where it steps it up and you are introduced to new structures and where you learn what you can do as SL/PL.
MAG’s showpiece is Domination (128v128), 2 factions 256 players spread across 4 platoons but the problem is that it did advertise 256players but most players will want to see all 256players on their screen, but you can see all the players it’s just that you have to travel around the map to do so since they are split into 4 platoons (32v32) but you can still travel to the other side of the map to help out your fellow players. You are also introduced to the OIC role where you take command and try to lead your team to victory.
Out of the 3 modes it can get stale but you also fight for contracts which award different perks which will affect the mode, so for example the Sabotage contract rewards the holders with an extra 5% XP bonus for each contract held so if Valor hold 2 contracts they get 10% while Raven gets 5% for holding their contract and SVER gets nothing for having no contracts.
Gameplay (5/5)
It’s the meat and potato of any game and it’s especially more important in MAG than any other game due to the lack of a single player mode for it is online only so it has to be able to carry itself and it does.
MAG may only have 3 game modes in which to test your skills/leadership skills/teamwork against another PMC but it’s what role you decide to play. To win any of the modes you need a healthy mixture of the different types of players available, you can be a Sniper and cover important assets from a distance or pick of the enemy down a well known enemy route, the Direct Action class is in the thick of it mowing down the enemy as they guard the objectives, Field Support are the players who will make sure the assets get back up if they are taken down. These are just a few of the classes available and you don’t have to play that way, you can mix and match your skills and weapons as long as you have the points and available cc in your loadouts.
The skill tree is very important and does determine what class you are with what you spend your points on, now to earn points all you have to do is level up, each level is worth 1 skill point and the max is 60 skill points but even with 60 skill points you cannot pick the best items/perks you have to pick and choose and this balances the game, as does the loadouts which allow 3400cc with each weapon/item costing so many cc this is to keep a balance between a low level and a high level so the low level has a chance to kill with what he has available to him.
The leadership roles add greatly to the gameplay and can actually make you feel that you are part of an army moving together to achieve a common goal. There are 3 leadership roles which allow different actions.
• Squad leader – In charge of an 8 man group which can use airstrikes on defense/offense and issue FRAGO orders which wields extra XP as an incentive to get the objective completed.
• Platoon leader – In charge of 32 players/4 squads, also has airstrikes to use on defense/offense but also can speak to the squad leaders/OIC or broadcast an entire message to the whole platoon.
• Officer in Charge – In charge of 128 players/4 platoons/16 squads, has no airstrikes but has tactical strikes which can influence the game such as increasing the enemy spawn counter or jamming the enemy command network thus preventing the enemy to use airstrikes/FRAGO orders, can speak to the 4 platoon leaders and the rest of the team by using broadcast.
Now the leaders can only do so much but it is up to the rest of the players to follow out the tactics but be warned not all leaders are good and some will issue bad advice/tactics, I’ve seen the OIC use his capabilities at the wrong times and it has cost us the match but I’ve also seen the opposite happen with the OIC issuing tactics in which the team follows out while using his capabilities at the correct times and the latter happens more so when the leaders have mics so they can organize their tactics. For those players which do not have a mic there is codec which has a few simple voice commands like asking for backup or a repairman but it is no substitute for a mic.
The best part of the gameplay is the lack of lag, even in Domination there is next to little or no lag in most games and 256 players are involved in 1 match also lagswitches do not work and cheating is rare and in an online game that is amazing.
Learning Curve (2/5)
It’s a hard game to learn and to master and does require a fair amount of time put into it and the training level is a must as it does help you get off the mark and be able to do the basic actions, I would say at least 100hrs since it may take 50hrs just to reach the level cap but also to test out the different weapons/items/playstyles, find out which leadership roles do what/when to use your abilities/how to attack/defend each platoon on every map and that is not including if you decide to vet to another PMC which can easily be another 50hrs or decide to hunt for medals/ribbons and trophies.
Replay Value (5/5)
As I write this I have clocked up over 2000 games in over 800hours and vetted 10times since retail but I still haven’t experienced all of MAG and with that amount of time put into the game many of you should be wondering how I haven’t explored all that MAG has to offer.
I have limited myself on MAG, I have only played as Valor and vetted back to Valor, I didn’t even bother to try out SVER or Raven simply because I didn’t want to, I liked Valor and decided to stay loyal.
With each vet I used a different playstyle and tried out all the weapons/items and perks and stuck with that particular style until I found certain styles that suited me.
If you are a bit of a trophy hunter then that will also take quite a few hours of your time since some of the medals/ribbons are hard to get in game and some of the trophies require you to get more than 1 ribbon or a collection of them.
I also gave myself challenges like when the 1st DLC was released we had a double XP weekend so I tried to vet as many times as I could during that time.
Playing in a clan or with likeminded players will double your enjoyment even if you’re losing, you can still have a laugh and joke around or help each other out with tips and tricks and share your best moments in the game or real life.
I do firmly believe that if you the player do not alter anything then you may get bored, you have a lot to go through and even though you will play the same maps many times you can always mix it up a bit.
Summary
I’ve tried to keep it short and sweet but the facts are I can’t, MAG is too massive to explain, and all comparisons to other FPS games are quite useless.
But that’s the problem MAG isn’t trying to be like MW2/KZ2/BC2, you cannot have BC2 graphics with 256 players it’s a strain on what the PS3 can do and the frame rate would be hindered badly and the game would be barely playable.
The player count itself is another step away from the likes of MW2/KZ2/BC2, 256 players in one game mode it’s never been achieved in a console game until now and with increased player size means teamwork is more important, no longer can 1 player single handedly win the game for your team especially in the bigger game modes, that 1 ‘Rambo’ may do something well but if the team cannot capitalize on it then the team will not progress.
MAG is a hardcore FPS which requires a considerable amount of time to be put into it but the rewards are well worth the effort, even casual gamers will get a kick out of it after they have leveled up a bit.
To fully experience it you have to rent it or throw yourself in the deep end and buy it because talking about it does not do it justice, you have to see what MAG has accomplished by playing it and only then may you see the light and fully understand what I’m getting at.
MAG is an acronym for Massive Action Game and it is just that but also much much more, it is a breakthrough in the FPS genre for console gaming.
It was in the pipeline for 2/3 years, first shown at E3 but it didn’t impress me, I dismissed it, the graphics looked poor, 256 players would = massive amounts of lag and make it near unplayable, it looked like a flash in the pan idea but I was wrong. Hidden behind closed doors private betas were in full swing constantly changing the game, testing the servers, more importantly testing the players.
Step forward the public beta which was a hit and a miss, the public players automatically honed in on the graphics and many dropped it for this reason alone, sometimes the servers were offline forcing you to play at specific times, glitches and bugs were present I even had problems with my player and had to delete him twice just to play but then again it’s a beta it will have problems and we are the testers finding the problems so Zipper can look back at the statistics and rectify the problems.
Now it’s out of the beta stages and being sold to the public and it is where I will review the graphics/sound effects/gameplay/learning curve and replay value as well as other features like presentation and the game modes.
Presentation (4/5)
When you 1st load up the game a short film will play with a few action set pieces then its onto the character selection screen to choose what your player will look like and what accent he will speak in and finally what PMC you will fight for.
There is 3 PMC’s to choose from which are Valor, Raven and SVER with each faction having a different background and looking different from one another.
From then on you are ‘connected’ to your PMC network where you are presented with different options such as the Armory where you can set up your loadouts with various guns and weapons, deploy menu where you can enter the queue for the various game modes. Community tab where you can see your list of friends/clan members and who is on MAG or in game and give you the option to group up on jump in with them. Barracks contains your skill tree where you can purchase skills/weapons with your hard earned skill points or have a look at your stats/medals/ribbons that you have achieved over your playing career, also this is where the training level is but you can only do it once and after completion of the level you will earn 1 skill point then when you vet you will automatically have 1 skill point instead of having to do the level again. Options to alter in game sounds and mic levels the usual settings but no controller config.
It’s all presented nicely and is clear enough to see and easy to use.
Graphics (3/5)
I gave this rating because the graphics are okay, they are nowhere near like BC2/KZ2 but with the number of players they can’t be, 256 players with lovely graphics would hinder the frame rate and basically make the game unplayable. Sure if you get close enough to the plants you can see the pixels but it’s all good, shiny surfaces means you can interact with the object and the major structures/gates/fences/houses/environments are detailed enough.
Sound (4/5)
You hear a swish of a knife but it wasn’t you in fact it was enemy missing so you turn around and blow his head off with your 12 gauge, sometimes you need that level of sound but then again in MAG it is rarely used but it’s good to have when you do need it since in most cases there is mortar strikes going off and bombing runs not to mention the sound of gunfire from your team and the enemy. You can hear the APC's engines and bullets flying past your head and each gun does have its own particular sound and then there is the other players character voices that your hear after you heal them or if they use their codec. The overall sound is perfect for MAG, even if you’re not in the thick of the battle you can still hear the distant sounds of bombs being dropped somewhere else thus making you realize the battle is still being waged
Game modes (4/5)
4 game modes with 3 being against another PMC with each mode upping the difficulty by adding extra objectives and assets to complete/destroy.
Suppression (32v32) being the mode where you get used to the aiming and killing of the enemy, an in-house PMC TDM.
Sabotage (32v32) where it gives you simple objectives to complete.
Acquisition (64v64) is where it steps it up and you are introduced to new structures and where you learn what you can do as SL/PL.
MAG’s showpiece is Domination (128v128), 2 factions 256 players spread across 4 platoons but the problem is that it did advertise 256players but most players will want to see all 256players on their screen, but you can see all the players it’s just that you have to travel around the map to do so since they are split into 4 platoons (32v32) but you can still travel to the other side of the map to help out your fellow players. You are also introduced to the OIC role where you take command and try to lead your team to victory.
Out of the 3 modes it can get stale but you also fight for contracts which award different perks which will affect the mode, so for example the Sabotage contract rewards the holders with an extra 5% XP bonus for each contract held so if Valor hold 2 contracts they get 10% while Raven gets 5% for holding their contract and SVER gets nothing for having no contracts.
Gameplay (5/5)
It’s the meat and potato of any game and it’s especially more important in MAG than any other game due to the lack of a single player mode for it is online only so it has to be able to carry itself and it does.
MAG may only have 3 game modes in which to test your skills/leadership skills/teamwork against another PMC but it’s what role you decide to play. To win any of the modes you need a healthy mixture of the different types of players available, you can be a Sniper and cover important assets from a distance or pick of the enemy down a well known enemy route, the Direct Action class is in the thick of it mowing down the enemy as they guard the objectives, Field Support are the players who will make sure the assets get back up if they are taken down. These are just a few of the classes available and you don’t have to play that way, you can mix and match your skills and weapons as long as you have the points and available cc in your loadouts.
The skill tree is very important and does determine what class you are with what you spend your points on, now to earn points all you have to do is level up, each level is worth 1 skill point and the max is 60 skill points but even with 60 skill points you cannot pick the best items/perks you have to pick and choose and this balances the game, as does the loadouts which allow 3400cc with each weapon/item costing so many cc this is to keep a balance between a low level and a high level so the low level has a chance to kill with what he has available to him.
The leadership roles add greatly to the gameplay and can actually make you feel that you are part of an army moving together to achieve a common goal. There are 3 leadership roles which allow different actions.
• Squad leader – In charge of an 8 man group which can use airstrikes on defense/offense and issue FRAGO orders which wields extra XP as an incentive to get the objective completed.
• Platoon leader – In charge of 32 players/4 squads, also has airstrikes to use on defense/offense but also can speak to the squad leaders/OIC or broadcast an entire message to the whole platoon.
• Officer in Charge – In charge of 128 players/4 platoons/16 squads, has no airstrikes but has tactical strikes which can influence the game such as increasing the enemy spawn counter or jamming the enemy command network thus preventing the enemy to use airstrikes/FRAGO orders, can speak to the 4 platoon leaders and the rest of the team by using broadcast.
Now the leaders can only do so much but it is up to the rest of the players to follow out the tactics but be warned not all leaders are good and some will issue bad advice/tactics, I’ve seen the OIC use his capabilities at the wrong times and it has cost us the match but I’ve also seen the opposite happen with the OIC issuing tactics in which the team follows out while using his capabilities at the correct times and the latter happens more so when the leaders have mics so they can organize their tactics. For those players which do not have a mic there is codec which has a few simple voice commands like asking for backup or a repairman but it is no substitute for a mic.
The best part of the gameplay is the lack of lag, even in Domination there is next to little or no lag in most games and 256 players are involved in 1 match also lagswitches do not work and cheating is rare and in an online game that is amazing.
Learning Curve (2/5)
It’s a hard game to learn and to master and does require a fair amount of time put into it and the training level is a must as it does help you get off the mark and be able to do the basic actions, I would say at least 100hrs since it may take 50hrs just to reach the level cap but also to test out the different weapons/items/playstyles, find out which leadership roles do what/when to use your abilities/how to attack/defend each platoon on every map and that is not including if you decide to vet to another PMC which can easily be another 50hrs or decide to hunt for medals/ribbons and trophies.
Replay Value (5/5)
As I write this I have clocked up over 2000 games in over 800hours and vetted 10times since retail but I still haven’t experienced all of MAG and with that amount of time put into the game many of you should be wondering how I haven’t explored all that MAG has to offer.
I have limited myself on MAG, I have only played as Valor and vetted back to Valor, I didn’t even bother to try out SVER or Raven simply because I didn’t want to, I liked Valor and decided to stay loyal.
With each vet I used a different playstyle and tried out all the weapons/items and perks and stuck with that particular style until I found certain styles that suited me.
If you are a bit of a trophy hunter then that will also take quite a few hours of your time since some of the medals/ribbons are hard to get in game and some of the trophies require you to get more than 1 ribbon or a collection of them.
I also gave myself challenges like when the 1st DLC was released we had a double XP weekend so I tried to vet as many times as I could during that time.
Playing in a clan or with likeminded players will double your enjoyment even if you’re losing, you can still have a laugh and joke around or help each other out with tips and tricks and share your best moments in the game or real life.
I do firmly believe that if you the player do not alter anything then you may get bored, you have a lot to go through and even though you will play the same maps many times you can always mix it up a bit.
Summary
I’ve tried to keep it short and sweet but the facts are I can’t, MAG is too massive to explain, and all comparisons to other FPS games are quite useless.
But that’s the problem MAG isn’t trying to be like MW2/KZ2/BC2, you cannot have BC2 graphics with 256 players it’s a strain on what the PS3 can do and the frame rate would be hindered badly and the game would be barely playable.
The player count itself is another step away from the likes of MW2/KZ2/BC2, 256 players in one game mode it’s never been achieved in a console game until now and with increased player size means teamwork is more important, no longer can 1 player single handedly win the game for your team especially in the bigger game modes, that 1 ‘Rambo’ may do something well but if the team cannot capitalize on it then the team will not progress.
MAG is a hardcore FPS which requires a considerable amount of time to be put into it but the rewards are well worth the effort, even casual gamers will get a kick out of it after they have leveled up a bit.
To fully experience it you have to rent it or throw yourself in the deep end and buy it because talking about it does not do it justice, you have to see what MAG has accomplished by playing it and only then may you see the light and fully understand what I’m getting at.