Chromehounds

"A very amazing mech game."

When I first heard of this game I was exited for it as it seemed to be a great mech game and after I got it I still agree with that. While if you look at reviews given by gaming sites, they all seem to say it is a mediocre game but I have to disagree. While the single-player of this game is somewhat lacking and may get boring quickly the multiplayer it where it shines.

The Singleplayer of the game is mainly made for the purpose to unlock parts which you can later use online.

Gameplay - 10/10 (If you have Xbox Live, if not it may be a little less)

The gameplay of Chromehounds is amazing in many aspects. At first you must create your hound from hundreds of parts which you either unlock from the single-player mode or buy from the online mode's shop. The customization in this game is also just simply amazing. You can completely customize your hound to make it yours. You can use many different parts from the cockpit, different legs for movement (such as tank treads, quad-legs, bipedal, inverse, hover, and even wheels), generators, weapons, etc...

You will most likely spend much time just playing around in the garage trying to create the perfect hound for you. The depth of the customization is also great as you the legs you choose each have their own weight limit, all the parts have their own energy requirements, each different part also has it's own separate heath in which they all can separately be destroyed in battle if hit. After you create your hound you can even paint it the colors you want and then add decals to it.

The singleplayer of the game is not that much as the missions are somewhat short but it still it fun and it's main purpose is to unlock parts for the online mode.

On xbox live is where Chromehounds really shines. It is set up as a war scenario with three countries, the Republic of Morskoj, the Democratic Republic of Tarakia, and the Kingdom of Sal Kar which each have their own strengths and weaknesses. When you first go online you choose which one of this countries you want to fight for and then you join them in the war. The wars are also ongoing. When they end with either a victory from one of the countries or the two-month period expires a new war will start allowing everyone to play it again giving a chance for the other nations to win.

When in the war you must create or join a squad which is a group of people which you fight with for your country. To enter the war you either search for missions to fight other humans or launch one out of the many battlefields on the online map and either fight the computer or other humans.

If you don't feel like playing with your squad or can't find one during the time you can also just do the free battles which are just battles such as deathmatch or survival with people from any nation which don't effect the war but they also don't give you any money, they are just for fun.

Graphics - 10/10
The graphics for this game are also very good. The hounds and it's parts are greatly detailed. The explosions in the game looks very nice and almost realistic along with the lighting which is also very good. Also the landscapes are all fairly detailed. About the only thing that could even be bad about them would be the way the buildings collapse. They all just sort of fall into the ground creating a pile of rubble but that is only a very minor thing.

Controls - 10/10
The controls for this game are very easy to use. You should find you quickly how easy it actually is to control your hound. You use the left control stick to turn you cockpit around and look different directions while you use the other one to move the legs of your hound. The right button allows you to switch between the different weapons you have equipped on it. If you push the right stick in you some in with your weapon and you can always keep your hand on the stick due to the fact that you don't use the A,B,X, or Y buttons during the game.

Overall - 10/10
I am giving Chromehounds a 10/10 due to the fact it is an amazing game. If you have xbox live and like mech games this game is a definite must get for you. Also with its online war the game offers countless hours of replayability.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/24/06