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| Chromehounds Review | // review |
| Review by Ben Furfie. Slow. Painfully slow. When developers From Software proclaimed that this would be the ultimate in mech simulators we thought it was just another line of PR spin, the like which we hear all the time. Oh how wrong we were. Just as you'd expect these metal beasts move like, well, a milk float, they do. We want to love this game. The action is so unique and fun. The graphics, well they're so good they'll make your eyes bleed and as for the sound: well the agonising screams as your mech stands on another five soldiers in priceless… not that we're psychotic or anything... honest. Basically the game is equivalent to one big training mission. After you prove your ability to drive the mech, you'll be thrown into training for the various types of mech. Each of them cover a different tactic on the battlefield, defence, attack, scouting etc. While it might seem strange for the entire game to be structured like a huge training mission it makes sense when you realise that the majority of where you'll play is online. Fighting huge online battles is perhaps the most interesting aspect of the game. You'll be fighting against other players in missions where you either are defending or attacking. Another aspect of the game that will undoubtedly draw in plenty of mech enthusiasts is the ability to create custom mechs. The amount of options are so varied that even online where you are likely to run into plenty of people, you remain unlikely to see a combination the same as what you have. Thankfully the incredibly slow speed is somewhat offset by the graphics. Ok so we can't deny that they aren't a little sparse, but for what there is it's a visual treat. Some of the earlier levels such as the ones where you are proceeding in the forests looking for rebels are particularly stunning. Positions are given away by the slightest movement in the tree line thanks to someone's tank hitting a tree while repositioning. You can feel the panic in enemy towns as you approach and see the minute soldiers and civilians running round in sheer fear at the sight of your mech on the hill. It's the little details that make this game so satisfying to look at. Sound is another area where the game excels, but it is also where there is a fundamental flaw. You see, while at news0r's offices we are lucky enough to have a fully equipped set up with 40" HDTV and 5.1 sound surround, we appreciate not everyone does. Although the game does look nicer in HDTV it's not really anything more than a luxury in this game. Sound on the other hand isn't. With 5.1 installed its easy to realise another mech has snuck up behind you so that you have enough time to turn around and react. Without it you'll still hear someone coming but you'll lose the valuable few seconds advantage. It's also helpful for when you have you have to eliminate all enemy resistance in the area. It's amazing when you realise the slightest movement in the forest can be picked up by the mech's sensors giving you a vital hint as to where more resistance fighters might be, such as in a heavily wooded area. Chromehounds most definitely is the 'ultimate combat war vehicle' simulator. However, this isn't necessarily a good thing in the same way that Microsoft Flight Simulator is the ultimate plane-flying simulator. It should be oh so appetising and tasty but invariably you either love it or you hate it. We flirted with both sides throughout thanks to the occasional moments of sheer joy when you get to demolish entire towns with your mech, and then the otherwise constant drudgery of the excruciatingly slow speed of movement. Sometime we got the feeling we could have got out and walked faster. | |
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