MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf

MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf
Developer(s)	Day 1 Studios
Publisher(s)	Microsoft Game Studios
Series	MechWarrior
Platform(s)	Xbox
Release date(s)	NA December 28, 2004 JP January 1, 2005 PAL February 4, 2005
Genre(s)	Mecha
Mode(s)	Single-player Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: T OFLC: M PEGI: 12+
Media/distribution	DVD

MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf is a 2004 video game developed by Day 1 Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios exclusively for the Xbox console. It is the sequel to 2002's MechAssault and is set in the BattleTech universe. Lone Wolf is backward compatible for the Xbox 360.

Plot

There is a new armor suit called the BattleArmor. After many searches, Major Natalia "Nat" Kerensky decides to base their testing operations in Dante City on the Planet Dante, using the blackmarketeers as a cover. One evening, as Foster and the Mechwarrior (player) are returning to their workshop, mysterious craft enter the Dante airspace and a Stiletto battlemech lands on the ground and starts searching for them. They successfully evade the Stiletto and make it back to the workshop, where Nat instructs the player to suit up in the BattleArmor and stop the invaders. After this, you see an image of hundreds of dropships entering the atmosphere. Mysteriously, one of these is shot down by the others. After fighting your way to the crash site, you meet up with a strange new MechWarrior by the name of Alera, a space pirate with a jumpship named the "Jessabelle". Later, the Mechwarrior must escape an enemy port, and steals an enemy tank from 3 soldiers. An APC then comes out and follows the Mechwarrior on his way. The tank must go through two scans to advance the level, but however, the "Passenger Scan" warns the enemies that it is a trick, and the player must escape the port with a tank. Later the player is able to get an Owens battlemech. During the final mission of the game the player kills the giant battlemech that uses all five of the data cores and Alera dies to save the player and the team.

Gameplay

The game is notable as allowing the player to control a variety of vehicles other than mechs. These vehicles include tanks, powered armor,turrets, and VTOLs. The game also allows the player to leave their vehicle and plant explosives or roam around as a human/pilot. An interesting aspect of the game is the ability to "hitch" rides on friendly mechs and VTOLs, while wearing a powered armor. It is also possible to do the same to enemy mechs and attempt a 'neurohack', with the result of ejecting the pilot and taking over his mech if successful.

Multiplayer

MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf's multiplayer consists mainly of an OptiMatch feature where games of a certain type are shown. It also has a Conquest mode that was very popular at the beginning of the game's life but due to flaws in the design the Conquest mode quickly died down in popularity. Due to the high level of teamwork required, many clans enjoy competing on third party ladders such as Gamebattles.

Limited edition

Limited Edition came with everything the standard version had except that the limited edition had a bonus disc that included new maps for multiplayer and a behind the scenes video of the making of MechAssault 2.^[1]

Development

Reception

GameSpot rated the game 7.9/10, citing good visual effects, and overall good gameplay, specifically praising the multiplayer portion of the game, but also citing several drawbacks including repetitiveness in the singleplayer campaign, along with poor voice acting and "uninspired terrain graphics".^[2] IGN awarded the game 8.9/10, also citing good gameplay^[3], especially the multiplayer portion of the game. Concerns included the lacking appeal of the singleplayer campaign, and bad environmental graphics.^[4]

References

1. ^ "Mech Assault 2 Limited Edition". Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Mech-Assault-2-Limited-Xbox/dp/B0006I5FLU. Retrieved 2009-03-17. 
2. ^ http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/mechassault2/review.html
3. ^ http://xbox.ign.com/articles/575/575195p4.html
4. ^ http://xbox.ign.com/articles/575/575195p4.html

External links

• MechAssault 2:Lone Wolf Official Game Detail Page