Anyone else get this game? I just bought it for Xbox being a big fan of the original. And I havent even played single player yet im still lost in the coolness of multiplayer!
Its a great concept! 4 player(and only 4 player) online matches where 2 people play spies, 2 play mercenaries. The spies have to sneak past the mercenaries to get to certain points on the map and hack into some virus machines to prevent them from going off.(there are different variations of this though, e.g., one mission where the spies have to actually pick up the virus and bring it to a certain point instead of just hacking it)
The two sides play differently, the mercs being more of a 1st person shooter. They get proximity mines, frag grenades, combat rifle, and they can bum rush spies to stun them. They also have motion sensor vision, and electromagnetic vision goggles. Mercs have to protect the virus for a set amount of time, or kill the spies.
Spies on the other hand, have no way to kill a merc unless they sneak up on him, grab him, and break his neck. Spies get sticky cameras, flashbangs, smoke grenades, and spy bullets. Spy bullets are crazy fun cause when you tag a merc with them the merc shows up on your radar, and you can "listen in" on his chat communications that he has with his partner! Spies have the traditional Splinter Cell night vision and heat vision goggles. Spies have to sneak past the mercs to the objective of the mission.
So far the multiplayer has been a total blast. Being a spy is cool as hell, but being a merc has its own rush too. Spying is intense as it has the same feel of the single player game but against real live people. Mercs is neat because nothing is freakier than turning a corner in the dark with just a torchlight to see by only to catch a glimpse of a shadow run in front of you.
So far, the only real downside I have seen to the fun is that no one, and I mean NO ONE, wants to play a merc! Understandable, as it plays so much like every other first person shooter around. But it is really regrettable as even with that old first person feel, its brand new as you have to be careful when fighting a spy. Alot of factors have to be weighed.
For Example: You are chasing a spy and he turns a corner. Do you follow him for the kill? Or break off to protect the objective? Where is your team-mate right now? Is the spy trying to distract you? Or lead you into an ambush as the other spy sits lurking around the corner?
Much more to this, but im just trying to sum it up. As I havent given the single player a shot yet, I am going to hold off on putting up a Ragebringer rating quite yet. But I think its great so far!
P.S. The Xbox gamertag is Coggins. Look me up sometime.
"Suum Cuique" - Cicero
Just played all day. Quite a fun multiplayer experience, of course... nothing in comparison to Steel Battalion and it's 40 button controller. But anyway, it's a very nice change of pace from the deathmatch style of play with kids running around blowing each other up with rockets.
Once you learn how to play with the spies, it makes for some really fun times. Nothing like sneaking up behind a merc who is completely oblivious to your presence, and taking him hostage. It seems though that they took out the ability to use your pistol as a spy after you've taken a merc hostage.
The 4 player applies to Xbox live and I am pretty sure the PC version as well. There is only a MAX of 4 players, it keeps the game from turning into a counterstrike match, and keeps the mercs from dominating. But yes you can play 2 on 1, 1 on 1, or even 3 on 1 matchups.
Zolden - I had an experience like you as well, I was sneaking to a virus to hack into it, and a merc was sitting crouched in the dark. I snuck up behind him and smacked him on the head to knock him out. I started to hack the virus while he was sitting at my feet unconscious! And then, he came to just as I was finishing and was able to sprint out as he fired at me! Great great fun.
They have released a single player and multiplayer demo on the main site for PC which will have to do for me till I get a little extra cash to get the xbox version.
Arg - I just want to let you know I didn't mean multiplayer on the same console/screen, its only multiplayer over Xbox Live. Just wanted to clear myself up there.
I'm pickin' up what you're layin' down. Gonna check it out via Gamefly first just to make sure.. and to postpone buying it until I can actually afford it instead of pretend afford it
The PC multiplayer demo, and regular game is supposedly very buggy. On the demo, i'm getting crashes to desktop just trying to start the game up, other people who have bought the game are crashing when trying to get into a server. Seems very odd, supposedly my problem stems from my "old" card which doesn't support pixel shading. I've got a 64 MB GeForce 4 MX 420 which isn't supported. They seem to need high-end cards to get this to work.
I bought the game but also can't play. I crash to desktop every time. My video card is definitely out dated (Radeon 7500 64mb) but the demo ran nice and smooth; I didn't think I would have any problems.
Guess I learned the hard way, time to upgrade ye ol' video card.
