The story which the gamer is thrown into allows for tons of replayability, as FROM has provided a total of six story paths to battle your way through. Each path will have the same consequence in the main bulk of the story, but it allows for some much sought after variation when playing through numerous times. The six paths each have an individually set RT (Role Type) and allow the player to try different strategies across the battlefield by letting them use all the mechs in the game. The RTs are defined by the type of mech the player will be controlling, and all have their advantages and disadvantages. The Gunner and Heavy Gunner are your brawn of the HOUNDS, with both being able to show off exquisite and amazingly satisfactory weaponry when charging down the enemy. The Scout is able to span a larger area much quicker than any other mech, and what it lacks in destructive force, it makes up for by using its incredible speed to leave any potential threats in the dust. The Tactics Commander is the brain of the whole tactical scheme whilst pinned down in battle. The HOUND used is able to withstand ludicrous amounts of damage and has a built-in map planning system to make those split second decisions even more seamless. Other RTs include the self explanatory Sniper and Soldier, as well as the Defender who has extra reinforced armor and helps to protect acquired bases. It is all about choice with Chromehounds, and by allowing you to make your own decisions, the game really gives you a sense of control and achievement as you lumber through the story.
Unique?
While the RTs are set out for you to pick using the default option, early in the game it becomes clear that customizing your HOUND in order to increase its capabilities on the forefront is vital to your success. You can do practically anything to your HOUND as you progress towards the later levels. Each has a total of eight customizable parts, and picking the right equipment and suiting it to the right place is key. A Heavy Gunner, for example, needs heavy weaponry in order to maintain efficiency, but can be balanced out by giving it a set of more mobile ‘mech legs.’ Likewise, Scouts need to be lightning-quick while on reconnaissance duty, and so a slender frame is needed to help it out.
You aren’t just limited to customizing parts, either. You can apply up to eight separate layers with different decals and custom art pieces to give your mech that extra unique look. You can also add a different color to your mech, and this isn’t restricted either. If you want a bright purple mech, you can have it. The customization I found was very similar to Capcom’s Steel Battalion, as it allowed you to crop and resize any artwork you wanted. Not only this, but you can actually layer different designs over, so be on the lookout for some very cool custom decals after playing around. Emblems were thankfully also available to be tampered with, and can be customized entirely depending on your preference.
This guy is about to get smoked....
The whole story, while slightly bottomless in places, was entertaining in my view. Missions are a very strong point of the game and really set the scene for just how tactically efficient this new war is. Although many were the same ‘move from point A to be point B’ scenarios, they allow you to branch off into any direction you liked, thanks to the massive scale of the game world. AI was also a very vocal strong point in the missions you’ll participate in; credit goes to FROM for making them very intelligent. Not only would they cover and flank successfully and cohesively with each other, but as Tactic’s Commander, they would listen intently and follow important guidelines without a hitch. When it came to the battle itself, none of the clumsiness of fellow mechs drifting in front of your line of fire was there, with each being aware of their surroundings.
If anything, the story mode was simply there to give you a taste, and act as a gateway to the online section of the game. Such is the amazing determination of FROM, as Chromehounds online counterpart is quite incredible and subsequently, brilliant fun. The majority of playing online revolves around continuing the Neroimus war, although you are also able to participate in the standard Free Battle mode. This mode provides you with an idea of the basic layout and feel the game has online, with up to 12 players being able to join in on the action, all trying to increase their ranking on the non-war leaderboard. It also awards money at the end of each battle, which can in turn be used to purchase new upgrades for your HOUND, as well as different decals and weaponry.
The game modes are both a mix of classic and new types, and all give a different feel to the online portion. Standard modes include Team Deathmatch, Capture The Flag, Survival and Deathmatch. FROM, however, has also incorporated their own unique modes, all of which are highly entertaining and give you a break from the sometimes stressful basic modes. These include objective based missions, such as causing as much damage as possible to an enemy’s base, holding onto a flag for as long as possible, and wasting entire teams with the help of unlimited ammunition.
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