Customisation and online play
ChromeHounds also allows for a fair degree of customisation to the vehicles, such as adding new weapon mods, COM upgrades, or even changing the positioning of the cockpits. The modifications don’t stop there; you can also makeover the look of the machine through the use of skin mods and items that are picked up in missions. This degree of personalisation is something that seems to be creeping into games more and more these days, but it’s a welcome addition and a rest from the hectic battles.
Mission are graded based on the a number of factors, the accuracy of hits, damage taken, and the amount of time it has taken you to complete the objective. The higher the grade, the bigger the reward will be. These unlockables come in the form of the parts needed to upgrade your mechs.
The main bulk of the missions involve attacking or defending a certain area. The map provides an instant reference to your teammates locations through a grid that marks out positions like H6 or F4. The map is well laid out and even a novice map-reader will find it simple and easy to understand. In the single player mode you’ll often receive communications from other friendly vehicles stating their positions. By looking at the map you can then determine the best course of action - whether you want to flank the enemy or dive straight into the firing line, the map helps you to make a tactical decision based on your teammates positions.
Click for larger imageGraphically ChromeHounds isn’t as great as I'd expected. The initial cut scene bodes well, with photo realistic environments, fancy explosions, and supremely detailed mechs, but the levels that I played were fairly bland. The ‘Hounds’ are by far the highlight, the metal shimmers when it catches the light and every nut and bolt appears to be have been manually applied, but the environments are dreary. Huge landscapes spread as far as the eye can see, but there’s a fair bit of repetition in the design. Once you’ve seen one section of snowbound mountain or barren grassland you’ve seen them all – I would like to stress that I haven’t played the full game though!
Click for larger imageThe explosions are, for the most part, visually exciting, but occasionally buildings don’t blow up in the spectacular way that many will crave – most buildings tend to fall in a heap rather than exploding in different directions.
Despite the slightly disappointing graphics, which are apparently significantly enhanced in HD, ChromeHounds is a great deal of fun and has enough variety in it to keep you ploughing through the single player campaign right till the end. Whilst Mech fans may be unimpressed with the simplicity of the controls, the beauty of the tactical play really comes into force in online multiplayer mode. This mode supports co-operative and competitive campaigns for up to 12 players at once. The persistent online war zone should make for an immersive experience, where communication will be the key to success.
Chromehounds is due for release on the 12th July on Xbox 360.
