Chromehounds is a well paced, psudo-mech sim. It is not for those who enjoy twitch based arcade mech games. Read on...
I hated Mechassault, it was an ok game in of its self. But, it was not a mech simulation by any stretch, it was an arcade action shooter. The teamwork was a joke and it relied heavily on a persons reflexes to win. In Chromehounds one man does not and will not make the difference, teamwork, tactics, and planning does.
Let me rephrase, if you will argue that Mechassault was a great example of a mech game, do not buy Chromehounds. You will not have the discipline nor patience for this game. If you love playing a lone wolf style of multi player, do not buy Chromehounds. If you cannot sit in one place without speaking or moving for one minute, do not buy Chromehounds. If you have to ponder the last sentence and only pause before thinking it has no bearing on a video game, do not buy Chromehounds.
Anyone left?
I thought so, lets move on.
I am enjoying Chromehounds alot. The single player is a good set of missions linked by a structured campaign. Alone, it is not all that great, but it is fun. Many have called the single player a tutorial of sorts and I will agree with them. The graphics are great, granted the terrain is not mind blowing, but I am not there to look at the ground. The sound ranges from solid to fantastic. The game play is almost like a simulation in the way the game actually plays. But, the controls and its layout are easy enough to make it feels vaguely close to a action game. The controls are fairly easy to pickup but it takes a while to learn the different types of hounds and how everything works. It is a hard mix to describe so I hope that explanation will do.
The game is slower paced than most, think driving a tank and you will get close. Understand that you will be sitting in the cockpit moving to your destination 40 to 60 percent of the time. This may sound boring, but for those of us who enjoyed Steel Battalion it is no big adjustment. The different classes make the game even better, but they are crucial for online play. The 6 different classes are soldier, sniper, defender, scout, heavy gunner, and tactics commander. Each one is unique to play and really makes the multi player game shine. The single player will take you through all of the classes in CH. If you finish the single player campaign before heading online you will find you will be better suited to help your squad. Speaking of online...
The multi player is what made the game for me. If you love team based games you will enjoy Chromhounds. This is where the travel time when heading to your destination starts to mean something. In MP you have time to talk to your squad and make plans. This is a big change to anyone used to just jumping into MP and start playing. But I believe it is a wonderful change. CH is a game that I can finally make plans and use tactics to win in a match. Just as important is the Garage, suffice it to say, WOW it is really deep.
Anyway on to my scores.
Fun (How much fun am I having): Tons
Graphics (As relates to how well they help or enhance the game): Wonderful
Sound (How well does the sound help the game): Dolby 5.1 is fantastic
Longevity (How long is it and will I play it more than once. Including Multi player): I might be done with it in 2008.
BS Curve (How much bad hype, comments, and reviews have I heard of or read and agree with): Not any.
Gamer Target (Who this game is best suited for): Battletech & Heavy Gear board gamers, wannabe mech pilots & mecha lovers (Thats me!), tank pilots, patient people
Similar games: Steel Battalion, Armored Core, Mechwarrior on the PC
Final Grade: A great team based mech psudo-simulation with the best MP on Xbox Live.