Chromehounds is a well done and creative game with just a few shortcomings.
If you’ve never played mech combat before, then you’re like me. Basically, it’s using some kind of supped up combat vehicle to participate in mechanized warfare. But, we’re not talking about simple tanks and hummers. This is almost robotic warfare in a sense, except that your character is inside the machine your fighting with. I imagine many in this genre are similar in that you can customize your ACV (armored combat vehicle). However, in Chromhounds, you can really build your ACV from the ground up. You can choose the base (legs, wheels, tracks, hovercraft), your cockpit, weapons, generators, communication devices and pretty much anything else you can imagine. For a guy who likes to tinker with things and construct things, I really enjoy that aspect of the game. It’s fun to try different combinations, especially because different pieces are awarded with each stage of the game you complete.
As far as graphics go, Chromehounds looks very nice. The overall atmosphere is well done, the vehicles look great and the detail is impressive. Some pieces are kind of simple looking, but the lighting effects are really well done and the weather conditions are realistic and don’t affect performance at all. Some missions are night and extremely dark, but even there, the detail is well done. It’s not as good looking as, say Tomb Raider or PGR, but it’s definitely a 360 game and looks great.
The audio in Chromehounds is pretty good as well. The music is dramatic and pretty repetitive, but not annoying. The voice talent is decent. Some are better than others. That can get a little annoying because you hear the same things over and over again on certain levels. Also, I wish there was a away to shut off the subtitles. They get in the way a lot when they show up. As far as sound effects go, Chromehounds does a nice job. The sound of bullets rattling off of your armor and shells exploding at your midsection is really quite realistic (I could imagine). The launch of rockets and other weapons firing is also very cool. Still, not the best I’ve heard, but good. To me, when an explosion rattles the room like it does in Burnout Revenge of Call of Duty 2, that’s impressive. This is good, but not that good.
Online Mode (updated 8/23/06): I had trouble getting into the online mode at first because it's not all the user-friendly. Some instructions and maybe a "wizard" to get you acquainted with all the online features would probably be nice. But, I have to say that after finding a fun bunch of guys to play in a squad with, I'm having a real blast! Playing online, in a simulated war is an experience like I haven't had in any other game on any other console. I usually shy away from online gaming because I'm not as good as a lot of people. But, getting paired up with a group on your level really makes a difference. The additional weapons and parts available online add a whole new dimension to the game. If you're afraid of online gaming, Chrome Hounds may help you get over that fear.
Ok, so what are my complaints? First off, the single player mission could be a bit longer. It was good. It varied pretty well from mission to mission. But, it didn’t take too long to beat. Some more bonus missions, especially against the “mystery black hounds” would have been more fun. I will say that the difficulty was just right. It wasn’t tough to learn, but was certainly challenging at times, especially if you’re trying to get the highest rank available.
My second complain is that lack of a split screen mode. This is the kind of game I would love to play with my nephews when they visit, but it’s not available. I know there’s a lot of detail in the game that may make it difficult, but, other games pull it off. I would like to see a at least a few co-cop missions for two to four people on split-screen.
All in all, Chromehounds is a worthy game of the 360 and more fun than I would have imagined. I’ve been addicted to this for a while, and the online mode makes it even harder to put down. Originally, I got frustrated with the online mode and didn't see much value in this game long-term. Now that I'm into the online version, I may never stop playing. I will just ask this of Sega and From software: for the next installment of this game, provide split screen and co-op missions, and make the online world easier to figure out, and this game could be the best ever.