MAG - The Basics

The game that many said was not possible on a console, a game that had lofty ambitions, but wouldn’t make it onto the PS3 intact… MAG… the highly ambitious FPS that boasted the largest amount of players on a single map, 256 to be exact… and i’ll be the first to admit that i didn’t think the guys at Zipper interactive could pull it off, but they seem to have done it with ease! And let me tell you right now, it works without a hitch. Its a sight to behold looking at 2 platoons going head to head in a fight to the death.



MAG is an online game only, so don’t be expecting a campaign to ease you into the combat. You have a single tutorial level to get to grips of the controls, and then your on your own soldier! You will start off in maps with 64 players for a while until you rank up. You need to unlock the 128 and 256 player matches over time (takes a while to unlock 256) This is done by gaining exp points from kills, assists etc. I suppose this is so you’ve got enough experience before your thrown into the deep end, its abit daunting at first having so many people gunning for your blood. You unlock weapon upgrades ala MW2, from scopes to grips to grenade launchers,its pretty much what you expect from the genre. The idea of the game is that each army has platoons within, and your all supposed to work together, if your comrade is shot, your there to help finish what he started then heal him and continue… Well the games i’ve been involved in, my team either ran the other way, or when they did stick together, if i was downed, my mate just ran over my wriggling body and let me bleed out! Hopefully over time as the newcomers dwindle, we’ll get the proper players that will play as its meant to be played.



The maps themselves are large enough to give you time to think when you spawn. but every map has a kill zone where for some reason everybody and his dog turns up for a good old slaughter. Sniper fire from guys hiding on a far off bridge/bush/window is as common as Waterford crystal. You then go to the re-spawn screen, and believe me, prepare to see this alot! Its just an overview of the map, fairly dull stuff to be honest. They really could have put in a kill cam or something to pass the time.The graphics are very good without being ground breaking. You’ll admire the scenery, the destroyed buildings, paratroopers dropping all over the place. It all looks nice but not jaw dropping. The sound effects are okay but again even with a decent sound system you wont be jumping off the seat from a grenade explosion.

What you got here is a game that doesn’t try to be anything its not, this is a massive war machine between 3 factions,Raven, a European hi-tec army, Valour, American soldiers that wouldn’t look out of place in “platoon” and then SVER, these are Al-queda cast off's that wouldn’t follow Bin Laden’s plans… You get no back story of why these factions are miffed at each other, your just given the option of which group to sign up with. And this is where i kinda have a problem with it. You have no motivation to carry out your orders, there is nothing to explain the consequences of failure. I know some will say that its the playability that counts, but for me i want to have some direction! I want to know i’m fighting to save my country from impending doom. Zipper have put together a game of a technical marvel, and while MAG is a very enjoyable game, its just missing something because of very little back story to whats going on.

If your a fan of FPS multiplayer there is alot to enjoy here.

MAG is available for PS3 now.

"Well the games i’ve been involved in, my team either ran the other way, or when they did stick together, if i was downed, my mate just ran over my wriggling body and let me bleed out!"
This never happens for me in S.V.E.R :/

Xanderth wrote:

"Well the games i’ve been involved in, my team either ran the other way, or when they did stick together, if i was downed, my mate just ran over my wriggling body and let me bleed out!"
This never happens for me in S.V.E.R :/

its cus sver is the best.