MechAssault is based on the BattleTech(tm) universe, which in turn is based on the old Battledroids/BattleMech(tm) universe. In this universe, ground warfare has evolved into small skirmishes fought between BattleMechs, which are basically upright tanks. BattleMechs, or simply "mechs" for short, are towering robotic creations encrusted with armor and bristling with weapons. These 'mechs are the key weapon in the game, and what gives MechAssault its unique flavor.

Gameplay

MechAssault is very simple to pick up and play, while a challenge to master, especially in multiplayer. The controls themselves are a very Halo-esque, with the left stick being your movement control, and the right stick controlling your aim/turret. An ingenious component of the MechAssault control scheme is that it allows your 'mech to be moving in one direction and aiming in another. This allows you to perform a fighting retreat, or perform more advanced strafing maneuvers while running like mad for the nearest powerup.

Weapons are controlled by the triggers and face buttons. The right trigger fires your currently selected weapon while the left allows you to quickly scroll through your three types of weapons; energy, projectile and ballistic. If you prefer, you can specifically select the type of weapon you want by just clicking the appropriate face button. For example, the B button can be used to select your on-board missile weapon, while the Y button selects your ballistic weaponry.

The weaponry available in MechAssault may seem simplistic at first, but when applied properly to the combat situation, it goes a long way to ensure you play more strategically than you would in most shooters. The ballistic weapons are fairly basic, ranging from the lightweight machine gun to the hard-hitting gauss rifle. While the machine gun is only useful for picking off annoying infantry and near-death 'mechs, the gauss gun not only rips through 'mechs, but can also knock down smaller 'mechs. Woe to the poor light 'mech that take a gauss slug at short range as he'll be fighting to stand erect again while the big 'mech continues to shred him in his pathetic state. Missiles vary by their range and striking power, with the Warhammer missile actually clinging to its intended victim (think plasma grenade from Halo) until its fuse burns out and it blows a hole in its target. Energy weapons ensure you play with a whole different set of tactics as most of them require a long time to charge yet do the most damage. You have to balance out the speed of recharging your weapon with its fire rate and the range to your target, so you really have to play MechAssault with serious strategy in mind. Mindless blasting will leave you lying on the ground in a heap of twisted scrap.

In MechAssault, heat is a deadly foe. Whenever you fire a weapon, use your jump jets, or stand too close to a heat source (such as lava) you're going to build up the heat level of your 'mech. Once your 'mech overheats, it loses its ability to fire weapons and becomes a big fat metallic target until it can cool down. Thankfully, all 'mechs have built-in cooling systems so once they stop shooting, they'll automatically start to cool down. Also, jumping into water will accelerate the cooling process (and show off the lovely graphical steam effect in the game). To make heat management even more tricky, the combat environment will play a part in your 'mech's heat levels. Cold worlds help you cool off more quickly, while desert battlefields make heat management a nightmare as your 'mech will cool down much more slowly than normal.

While each 'mech has variety of weapons, only certain 'mechs have defensive counter-measures (outside of running like crazy !). These counter-measures vary from AMS, a flare that draws incoming missiles away from you, to NullSig, which makes your 'mech hidden to radar and optically camouflaged so long as you don't move quickly. Only certain 'mechs (usually the smaller ones) have defensive measures, and since these measures must be charged up much like an energy weapon, you have to be sure to use them judiciously.

Some 'mechs are also equipped with jump jets, which allow limited flight capability. While jump jets are great for getting out of a tight spot, they need to recharge and should be used sparingly. One warning to those of you piloting 'mechs and using NullSig: jump jets will give away your position. It's also worth mentioning that in multiplayer games, jumping too high will make you everyone's target since you're so easy to spot.

During combat, 'mech weapons and armor can be repaired or supercharged through the use of salvage. Hidden throughout the levels (normally inside buildings) and left behind by destroyed 'mechs, salvage sits, waiting for you to grab it. There's a type of salvage for each weapon type (missile, ballistic and energy) and an armor salvage. While armor salvage repairs your armor, weapon salvage gooses up your weaponry a level. There are three levels of weapons, and once your weaponry hits level three, your enemies will know fear. Never pass up a chance to pick up salvage.

MechAssault comes with both a single-player campaign and a multiplayer mode. The single player campaign has your dropship landing on the planet of Helios with a mission to destroy the orbital guns being used to hold the rest of your invasion force at bay. The single-player mission is by no means as in-depth or immersive as Halo's was, but it's still very enjoyable and worth playing. Once you finish the campaign, you will be rewarded with two new 'mechs, the Ragnarok and the Ymir both of which are devastating. The Ymir, however, can only be played in multiplayer online games.

Speaking of multiplayer, this is where MechAssault really shines. With nearly lag-free online play available through Xbox Live, you'll be enjoying this game for many months to come. While you can play MechAssault through system link or split-screen, it's far more fun online with Live. I find myself loading up a Live game whenever I have a free moment, and every game is pure fun. The ability to play other gamers across the country (and soon, the world) while chatting with your teammates over the Xbox Communicator, takes MechAssault into the realm of greatness. The only problem with online play is the lobby system. Instead of using the fantastic lobby system employed by MotoGP, the developers cobbled together their own lackluster system for hooking up with others to play online. With very few optimatch options (you just choose minimum/maximum number of players and the type of game) it can be annoying to setup online games. Once you finish a game, you're booted out of that particular lobby, which means you won't get to play that same crew of players again, unless you find your own way to track each other down for a new game. Hopefully the lobby system will be issued in a future downloadable update.

The online game types are currently limited to Destruction (a kill-em-all game), Team Destruction, Last Man Standing, Team Last Man Standing, and finally Not It. There's also Grinder, which allows you to fight against AI enemies, which, while not nearly as smart as a human player, are a good warm- up before going online. Not It is something I have to recommend every player try, as it's a whole lot of fun. When a Not It game starts, one player is designated as "It" and everyone must hunt him down and kill him. The twist however, is that the It player is giving supercharged weapons and starts immediately with full health. His goal is to trash as many other 'mechs as possible until he's killed. Whoever kills the It player becomes the new It, and the cycle repeats until the time runs out.

Graphics

The graphics in MechAssault are a mixed bag with fantastic 'mech details but mediocre landscapes. The 'mechs themselves are great to look at with all the little details filled out. Blinking beacon lights, articulated joints and shiny cockpits really show off the graphical power of the Xbox. Mech explosions are especially lovely to look at since they occur in phases; with the 'mech's core overloading, then exploding in a nuclear firestorm. As your 'mech runs across the terrain, it will leave behind dust clouds and in soft soil or snow, it will leave gigantic footprints (which are a sure way to spot a NullSig 'mech).

While the 'mechs are great to look at, the environments themselves could use some work. Buildings look especially "flat" with very few reflections or distinguishing characteristics. Glass buildings,which explode in a glorious shower of glass, don't seem to reflect light at all, even in sunny weather. Grass is very flat and lifeless. The only environment that really shows off the Xbox's power is "Frosty", an arctic wasteland. In Frosty, you have the particle effect of falling snow mixed with breaking ice and collapsing ice walls.

Infantry and tanks are pretty dull to look at. They are very basic, and blasting them gives you a pretty boring explosion. Infantry, while good fun to squash under the feet of your 'mech, just doesn't look right. In death, they explode into a gigantic red cloud, about five times larger than the infantryman really was. Very strange to say the least.

Sound

MechAssault has it pretty well nailed when it comes to sound. The sounds of gunfire, explosions and 'mechs in motion is right on the money. The only real weakness with sound is the soundtrack itself, which, while adequate, could have been a lot better, or at least offered an option for you to use your custom Xbox soundtracks. The pseudo-heavy-metal tracks get tiring as you hear them again and again, it really would have been a nice option to use your Xbox soundtrack.

Replayability

The single-player campaign offers three levels of difficulty, but the only reason you'll play it through to completion is to unlock the two additional 'mechs. Once you have those two, you won't bother working through the campaign again. After all, MechAssault is so much better as a multiplayer game.

With split-screen and online options, the replayability of MechAssault is virtually limitless. Just go online, find a few buddies and play a round. Then switch up your 'mechs and try against another group. With all the available combinations of 'mechs and players, you'll be hard pressed to get bored with this game.

Overall, MechAssault is a great game in multiplayer, and a good one in single-player. The variety of 'mechs, weapons and defensive systems will keep you on your toes, while most of the graphics will keep you wide-eyed during gameplay. And if you need new opponents, just jump on Xbox Live and you'll have access to an almost limitless supply of opponents. While it's not about to dethrone Halo as the king of Xbox games any time soon, MechAssault is a worthwhile addition to your collection of shooting titles.

Editor's Note: DailyGame.net is working on a MechAssault multiplayer strategy guide that we hope to publish in late January 2003. Since users have requested a list of 'mechs, we have made one available here. Please note that this list is a rough outline, and will be cleaned up for inclusing in our final guide.