Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 6-7 of 7 | | « PREV | | |
 Good fun, but lacking in some areas October 1, 2006
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Everyone should stop talking about this as compared to the Xbox version. Sure, they share some concepts, units, etc, but Phantom War was built from the ground up for the DS, so it shouldn't be looked at as a port.
As a whole, it's pretty fun. There are some moments that'll have you pulling your hair out, especially those missions that require you to hack other units (groan), and being forced to start some missions in completely underpowered units, but overall, it is enjoyable.
Graphics and sound are what you'd expect for a game with this much "stuff" going on (lots of units on screen, plenty of action, and huge environments), far from stellar, but this is the DS, not a full-sized console, so I give the developers some leeway as they had to work with the limitations of the platform.
In the end, it's a good game, though a bit short and frustrating at times. It's most sinful omission is the lack of Internet multiplayer, which stinks, becuase honestly, how many DS owners do you know who'll come over to your house with copies of this game just to play over the regular (non-Internet) DS multiplayer?
 Alpha assault, this is bravo cadet. We've got bandits. September 18, 2006
20 out of 21 found this review helpful
Mechassault for Nintendo DS is a simplified version of its bigger console brothers. That doesn't stop this game from packing a punch of its own. Yes, the controls have been streamlined, and the game is less of a simulator and more of an arcade romp - yet somehow, it doesn't feel like an arcade.
Missions in Mechwarrior/Battletech games have always been mostly linear, and this game is no exception. You're thrown from one dramatic predicament into another, with different goals to accomplish. Professional voice actors who communicate with you along the way add to the sense of urgency and being there to the missions. I must reach the HPG relay no matter the cost !
What I like about this game is that it has a little more depth than one would expect from someone doing a "lighthearted" 3D game for Nintendo DS. The huds differ for different mechs, the crosshairs change shape when you switch weapons, jumping jets are implemented, and when you're really low on energy, your Mech starts to sparkle electricity and limp, in an uncanny resemblance to the damaged Mech in the opening scene of Mechwarrior II.
But enough about cosmetics. The depth goes a little further than that. For example, this is what happened during one of the missions -
I was making my way through enemy resistance when I stumbled upon a powered-down Mech, which, I could tell, had stronger (and cooler-looking) weaponry. I made my character hop out of my Mech and hop into the new one. It powered up, and soon I was dodging enemy fire and using terrain for cover. However, they kept hitting me and I kept missing, which eventually resulted in my Mech sparkling, limping and emitting high-pitched beeping noises.
Where in another game I would be dead, in this game I limped back to my old Mech, jumped out of the near-dead one, went back in and finished off the enemy vehicles.
HACKING mechs and computers- this is another part that most games get wrong. Usually hacking is implemented as a minigame, and this one is no exception. However, the minigame moves at a hyper speed, and later on becomes more complex, which adds a degree of exhilaration as the time limit starts to run out and the beeps run closer and closer together until either you're removed from the system, or you "got in".
Some missions involve you getting very close to a bigger mech, while taking heavy fire, hitting a button to climb on it and then hack it so you can take control of it.
Overall, Mechassault DS delivers an engrossing portable gaming experience. It may be small, but it thinks big. I'm looking forward to playing more of this game.
|
