Chromehounds

"An exceptional, but atypical, strategic mech action game."

First, I must say that if I was to rate the game based on how much enjoyment I have gotten out of it, it would be a 10/10. The reason it gets an 8/10 though is because a 10/10 would be misleading as this is not definitely not a game for everyone. I will elaborate on this later

Chromehounds is definitely a step apart from most mech games, such as the Armored Core series. It stresses a more modern approach to mechs rather than the futuristic approach most mech games take. As such, the mechs do not fly across the screen at 300 mph and are actually very slow and cumbersome, much like you'd expect a mech to behave if they existed in the modern day. Some will find this realism to detract from the game and make it more boring, and others will find it to add more strategy to the game, it really depends on what kind of player you are.

To further make this game set apart from others, there is the fact that this game is mostly based around multiplayer rather than singleplayer. The singleplayer campaign is pretty rough and mostly is only a tutorial to help you get your feet wet with the game. If you don't have xboxlive, you will not enjoy this game and will not even be able to get every part to build your mech.

The game achieves what it sets out to achieve very well; customization is well thought out, the online war is fun and engaging and doesn't feel tacked on or gimmicky at all, the mech action is slow but strategic and thoughtful and teamplay is absolutely crucial. At the same time though, not all gamers will enjoy these things, because the game is a bit more difficult to just pick up and play than most action games, and the fact that to get all you want out of the game requires you not only to go online but also to join a squad, which are ingame clans. Also, the lack of a crosshair in third person (Except for the camera which some have much difficulty using) will absolutely kill the game for some less skilled gamers.

The graphics on the game are beautiful, and although background scenery might be a bit bland, it does get the job done, and there are varied enough environments that it doesn't quite get stale. Some of the effects are amazing, and actually have gameplay implications; the sun will make it difficult to see if you face it, sometimes your mech will "smoke up" if it takes too much damage, and you can get your gun cameras destroyed leaving only static, all of which are very cool little effects. My only complaints about the graphics are the building's "sinking" animations after you destroy them, which are sort of silly, and the fact that hounds do not leave wreckage after they are destroyed, but these are definitely not game killers.

The sound in the game gets the job done, but is nothing special. There really isn't much to comment on it.

Overall, if you are looking for a strategic action game with an emphasis on teamplay, and don't mind working at a slower pace, this is the game for you. If you are looking for a fast and furious game with little thinking involved, this game probably isn't for you.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/16/06