Release Date: Jan 26, 2010
ESRB Rating: Teen
Genre: Modern First-Person Shooter
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Zipper Interactive
Available On: PS3

Rating is 3

Taken From

MAG features up to 256 people playing simultaneously, spread up amongst each side in 8-player squads. It has the tactical feel of a squad-based shooter combined with the epic scale of a massively-multiplayer environment. Player’s characters level up on a complex character advancement tree, and the game’s online presence drives an ongoing factional campaign where players battle for territory. MAG manages large scale battles by using a chain of command system, where some players control the actions of other players, and are controlled by another group of players, leading up the the highest ranked player, who can call in all manners of support (such as air strikes and troop drops). Players in squads (called grunts, who have control over no one) can either join up with their friends to form a squad or be put into one.

The Ranking system consists of low level soldiers, and when the player achieves veteran status they will be able to enter the leadership tree starting out as a squad leader. Squad leaders are charged with commanding 7 other individuals and are able to plot waypoints and call in UAVs. When the player has proven themselves as a competent squad leader they are promoted to platoon leaders, and players of this rank can issue commands to the 4 squads in their platoon. From platoon leader they then become Officer in Charge (OIC) capable of issuing commands to all 4 platoons also able to make mission dependent commands like air bombardments and precision strikes. Commands are able to be communicated through a separate private channel linked to other officers.

Each squad, platoon, and company have high-level objective to be achieved by them in battle, these being scripted by Zipper. During combat there are also secondary objectives that need to be achieved that can be issued by commanding officers.

Players are allowed a great amount of customization of their character, able to choose their soldier’s voice, face, and armor. Their is no class structure in MAG, but rather a kit creation system. A player is allowed to carry a primary weapon, sidearm, melee weapon, and three gear packs. Gear packs include smoke grenades, frag grenades, rocket launchers, repair kits, and med packs. The player can create and save three load-outs that they will be able to switch between when they spawn. This system allows players to change their tactics to a changing battlefield. Players gain more weapons, perks, and leadership points by gaining experience, which has been modified slightly. An issue that Zipper has addressed is the one where a player using certain load-outs, such as a sniper-like load-out, can only hope to just kill a ton of people to gain experience where as assault-type loaded players can destroy objective and such to gain their experience. To counteract this imbalanced system they get more experience, to sniper players in this case, when they kill enemies within the vicinity of objective allowing fellow squads a better chance at destroying the objective they all share.

News

MAG Beta - January 6, 2010

MAG Beta is now available.