MAG – PS3 Review

Reviewed by Liam Pritchard on February 14, 2010

MAG - PS3 Review  | read this item

First off, let’s get one thing clear; Massive Action Game, or ‘MAG’ for short, is an online only experience. There’s no second rate single player campaign here – just epic online action. So, if you’re not signed up to PSN or simply don’t enjoy online gaming, you can just go ahead and stop reading……….now.

Ok, for those of you still there, MAG is a new breed of online console shooter, with developer Zipper attempting to bring the kind of huge player numbers usually associated exclusively with PC gaming onto PS3. The obvious question is; have they achieved this aim? The simple answer is – Yes. With up to 256 players battling out at any one time with virtually no lag, Zipper have successfully delivered an online shooter with the stratospheric player numbers that many thought simply wouldn’t work on home consoles. The network code has proved solid as a rock for the entirety of my time with MAG, providing a very smooth, extremely stress free slice of online gaming.

The thing is, 256 players or not, with first class competition in the form of Modern Warfare 2 and Killzone 2, SCEA and Zipper had to deliver a solid game to go with those numbers if they had any chance of turning MAG into a serious long term contender to the PS3’s other big hitters. Luckily, that’s exactly what they have done. With a solid control scheme and impressive gameplay mechanics, MAG manages to get the basics just about spot on. Although not as polished as its obvious competitors and perhaps not quite as slick, when taking into account the kind of huge numbers on display here combined with the fact that it truly offers a unique experience to console gamers, MAG delivers on more than enough of its early promise to suggest that Zipper’s new IP could well be around for the long haul.

One of the key to MAG’s success is down to the fact that it makes you feel like part of a cause straight from the off. With the majority of online shooters aimed squarely towards individual glory, it’s refreshing to see MAG pushing for a more united front amongst its players. By only allowing you to have one player slot and forcing you to pick a single faction, one which you are forced to stick with until you reach level 60 (believe me, you’re not getting there any time soon), MAG immediately bestows a sense of camaraderie and responsibility to your chosen team, especially when set amidst the paper thin, but still successful backdrop of the Shadow War.

As soon as you start the game up, you will be subjected to three PR videos – one for each of the three warring factions. Although the differences between Raven, Valor and SVER may count for little once out on the battlefield, the continuity this choice creates gives MAG an immediately personal touch.

Once you’ve picked your team and created your character from the admittedly minor selection of customization options available at the start of the game, you are then led to the training grounds to learn the ropes. Although the basic controls will be easy enough to pick up for newcomers and FPS veterans alike, it’s the game modes that will provide the biggest learning curve for the majority of gamers. Sadly, whereas you can learn about each of MAG’s four game modes, you can’t partake in them under practice conditions. The opportunity to run through the levels and try out the objectives against bots or simply against other players with no XP at stake would have been a great help and is a disappointing omission.

Although the big draw of MAG was always its 256 player battles, you actually have to put in a little effort to get to them. While this may seem a little stingy on the surface, the drip fed process of supplying different game modes as you progress through your early levelling up provides the perfect introduction to the world of MAG. And that’s the thing with MAG; it’s the kind of game that’s going to really deliver for gamers who are willing to put in the time and effort to get the best out of it. Sure, it’s got enough going for it that it would be fun to just jump in and out of for a quick blast now and then, but MAG will definitely provide the most excitement for those willing to commit to it.

The first two modes available are Suppression and Sabotage. Sabotage, despite its fancy name is, for all intensive purposes a 64 player team deathmatch. Here you battle members of the same PMC (Private Military Contractor) as yourself in what is described as a live practice drill before you are sent out into the real world. Although these are supposedly played with practice rounds, it essentially plays out like any other large scale deathmatch, giving players the chance to hone their basic skills on the field while earning XP for the usual in game heroics – Kills, assists, revivals etc etc. Although only one map is available for this mode, it’s large scale gives players plenty of room to breathe while providing enough scenery to keep it fresh for quite some time. Still, like many of the other modes in MAG, a bit more variety would still be welcome (I’m 100% sure that more will be delivered via DLC in the not too distant future).

With Suppression providing a basic entry level game mode, Sabotage is set up to deliver an introduction to what you can expect from the larger scale game modes unlocked once you reach the required level. Although the player cap here is still at only 64 (only!?), Sabotage still provides a hint of the team work needed to succeed in MAG. Each PMC team of thirty-two is split into four 8 man squads with their own unique objectives. It’s here that you really learn the importance of a) teamwork and b) picking up a solid headset. The objective here is for two teams to take out point A and the two to go for point B, with both needing to be captured before you can attempt to capture match winning point C. With the other two teams success imperative to your own, it’s here that you begin to feel the effect of Zipper’s grand plan for MAG. With you and your team holding strong at position A, it’s a truly exciting experience holding off waves of attack as you decide between keeping your team together or splitting off to help at the other position before finally coming together in one mass attack on position C. Be it on offence or defence, MAG provides a continual sense of excitement – especially when played with other likeminded gamers.

While you can always come back to these modes (I find myself returning to Sabotage on a regular basis), once you reach level 4, you are then invited to step up to 128 player matches via Acquisition. This mode sees more in the way of defending and attacking, only this time with a greater emphasis placed upon leadership roles. These roles, like the game modes are delivered as you progress through the game and allow those in control to not only set the game plan for their squad, but by communicating with other squad leaders, to help plan the entirety of the battle ahead. Rather than just capturing or defending locations, Acquisition tasks each PMC with either defending or stealing two high priority vehicles.

Once you reach level 8, it is then you can finally get involved with the epic 256 player battles that Zipper promised – and yes, they’re worth the wait. Although potentially overwhelming, given the way you are eased into the game, by time you unlock the Domination game mode, you feel fully prepared for the epic battles ahead.

Domination tasks each team of 128 with controlling eight areas across the suitably massive levels. With an even greater emphasis on leadership and the importance of squad leaders, Domination finally delivers the true extent of Zipper’s ambitions. With each player on the field suitably trained up by this point, it is amazing how well players and squads come together via solid communication and a shared goal. Happily, these battles also aren’t as chaotic as one might fear. The action feels pleasingly spread out without ever feeling sparse or empty.

As great as these game modes are, it was always important that Zipper provided players with incentives to keep coming back to MAG, especially given the relatively low number of maps available.  As it is, player progression plays a huge part in MAG’s overriding structure. Be it unlocking new load out spots, weaponry, clothing or skills, it seems you always have something to aim for while playing MAG. Back in the Armory, which you can visit before each battle, you can modify your character via the 3 load out slots available. By having these slots available at the touch of a button, MAG encourages the player to experiment with different styles of play on the run, allowing a unique and natural progression of your inventory and abilities as you advance through the game.

For a game that plays host to up to 256 players at a time, all with very little in the way of lag, it’s surprising just how good looking MAG actually is. Although not in the same league as some of the other big names in the genre, MAG nevertheless provides a collection of solid and aesthetically pleasing battlefields that certainly deliver in sheer scope and size like few other games can. It is also blessed with a very clean front end that is both easy on the eyes and extremely practical. Sure, there are some clipping issues, a few muddy texture here and there and the occasional awkward animation, but all in all, MAG’s looks certainly don’t disappoint. The audio is also solid, with music kept to a minimal for dramatic effect and weaponry and explosions all having the kind of pleasing weight you would hope for without distracting from all the essential player chatter.

With an extremely solid structure and a near faultless network code, Zipper have successfully delivered on their promise of a massive action game. From its solid controls, crisp, user-friendly menus and huge array of customization options to its emphasis towards player progression and large scale teamwork, MAG might just become the serious contender to the genre heavyweights that Zipper and SCEA hoped it would be.  It may be lacking a bit of variety at the moment and it certainly requires commitment to get the best from it, but put in the man hours, play the way it should be played and MAG is capable of providing some absolutely magical moments. If nothing else, MAG certainly provides an online experience quite unlike anything else currently available on the home console market.

Tags: First Person Shooter, fps, MAG, Massive Action Game, Online, Playstation, PlayStation 3, PS3 Review, SCEA, Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment of America, Zipper, Zipper Interactive