MAG

10 Review to this product

• 

  Facedefy
  January 27th, 2010 on 12:10 am

  Rating

  MAG attempts to bring up to 256 players together in single, objective-based missions. It does this very well, although it comes at the cost of a bit of polish here and there. Don’t let that steer you away, though. The game has a great sense of teamwork and a vast skill tree that keeps you pushing to that next level to improve your character. The shooting is, arguably, a little less impressive than games like Modern Warfare 2, but I am personally finding it much more rewarding to kill someone in this game. If you like playing the role of medic, camping out behind the scenes as the sniper, or taking your chances solo in the front lines, this game will help you do those things, and more. It’s a very fun game and I would recommend it to anyone that has become bored with the death match style gameplay of other FPS games.
• 

  J. Wactor
  January 27th, 2010 on 5:15 am

  Rating

  SUMMARY OF GAME -

  Sony did it; they took a first person shooter (FPS) and they reestablished the limits of console gaming: 256 players on one map, upgradeable classes, and Squad/Platoon/Company Leader slots with skills and abilities such as UAV Recon, mortar bombardments, and more all available on your PS3. THIS IS A MULTIPLAYER GAME ONLY; the game is built to furnish online matches, so you will not find a rich history or backstory. What you WILL find is intense battles waged on epic scales, in huge maps. If you feel insignificant in the face of a 256 player match, this should not deter you from buying this game; you can engage in 32, 64, and 128 player matches.

  If you’re a computer gamer, this isn’t a shocking new frontier; dedicated servers allow you to wage intense battles on various titles, but you’ll rarely break the thresholds of 64 players/map.

  Those that play/played the computer game `Planetside’ will have a lot to reminisce about. Picking one of three factions, you forever tie your character’s allegiance by blood and bond to one team. Fly their flag proudly, because you can only maintain one character and allegiance at a time; this is actually a sensible idea. Its purpose is to help deter traitors from infiltrating opposing teams to sabotage other teams’ stats/battles. The wins and losses of each round have larger implications, as you vie for military contracts, which in turn give you XP bonuses and ability cooldowns during actual matches.

  - A RESPONSE TO CRITICS

  I have not had any trouble with the service on my PS3; Sony managed to work the kinks out since the January beta test, and it’s a lot more stable than it was before. In this, I believe other reviewers were too quick to register their complaints. Other critics cite 30 second respawns as a huge drawback; this is misleading. Typical respawns are 20 seconds unless an enemy has utilized a blockad perk, which pushes respawns to 30 seconds, but there is also a quick spawn perk that reduces respawn to 10 seconds.

  The size of the map will make it frustrating if you’re the run-and-gun commando type. You have to rely on your teamates; the medic class to revive you where you die, but if you can’t wait you can “bleed out” and respawn at the spawn point, which isn’t always too far from the main objective. Tank spawns, airborn drops, and helo spawns often offer you the opportunity to spawn close to the action if coordinated as a team.

  - ACTUAL GAMEPLAY

  IMPORTANT NOTE: Your first couple of matches will seem frustrating and single dimensional; the only map that you can access at level one is a simple deathmatch game. There are no gimmicks, perks, objectives, or teamwork that will give you the justification that this is an amazing game. I will admit that had I not played the beta and known that locked maps hold all the content to this game, that sour taste in the back of my throat would’ve turned me to publish an early review about how lackluster this game is. GIVE IT TIME; all the maps and are unlocked upon you reaching level 8; that’s where the real fun begins.

  Clever map and ability tactics and objecives will require you to Destroy/Repair various structures that are essential to utilizing vital mission perks like infantry airborn drops, mortar bombardments, UAV recon. The ability to combat these perks will lie solely on how effective your squad can protect/repair your anti-aircraft batteries.

  You have the freedom to move ignore your squad leader and wander far from your spawn point and across the vast maps in order to assist other squads in attacking/defending specific objectives; however, it is to your benefit that you remain within the objectives and waypoints of your leader, as it gives XP bonuses and unit perks such as running faster or being able to take more damage.

  As an avid FPS, I thoroughly enjoy this game; I encourage you to try it out yourself if you are interested in a game that requires teamwork and communication.

  + Brilliant Leadership Roles and Elements For Communicating Objectives To Your Squad/Platoon/Company
  
  + Class and Leadership Leveling And Responsibilies Make Teamwork Essential

  - Mechanics of Melee Attacks Are Clumsy
  
  - Turret Controls And Vision Are Frustrating
  
  - Player Names Above In-Game Characters Are Small; Size 8 Font At Best, Making It Difficult To Follow Leaders
• 

  Scott Pedersen
  January 27th, 2010 on 10:03 am

  Rating

  When you decide to play MAG, you need to clear your mind of all the impressions you have a what an FPS game is. I think one of the biggest reasons for people not enjoying the game is their preconceptions of the FPS genre through games such as COD: Modern Warfare 2 and others. If you are looking for a game where you can reign supreme and claim “I was in the TOP 3 of all the players” or want to hear a narrator yelling “Multikill!” as you fend off the entire enemy force by jumping erratically and using power-ups, then this is not the game for you. This game is realistic. It shoves up to 256 players onto the same map into brutal combat. You will not be a hero, you will not be “God-like”, you will be an everyday grunt just trying to push the line forward and claim a small piece of victory. This is the ultimate war game. I don’t think you will find a game closer to real war than this. It is the new evolution of FPS games. It is strictly multi-player. There is no single player, there are no bots. Its you vs. a living breathing human every time. This is war. This is what it means to be a soldier. Try it if you dare.
• 

  L. Hale
  January 31st, 2010 on 2:08 pm

  Rating

  Other reviewers have said that there is no communication and/or teamwork that actually happens in this game. That is simply not true. At times, I’ve been the only person in my squad with a mic. Even then, the teamwork and cooperation in the game is immense.

  Just yesterday (while playing MAG), I turned a corner, only to meet a group of six enemies. They immediately killed me, and as I respawned, I told my team mates to throw a grenade around the corner. Right away, one of my comrades perfectly arched the explosive around the corner. The enemies were all killed, and we were able to proceed on our way. The teamwork here is very apparent, and I was the only one with a mic.

  MAG’s game modes are very complex and well thought out. Each time I play, there is something new. I commend Zipper for the flawless controls. Also, throughout my 7+ hours of play, I’ve never experienced any sort of lag. If you have, it is because of your internet connection, not because of the servers themselves. Although the game is more fun when 5-6 people have mics, it is not even close to totally unplayable without them, as some reviewers have so blatantly stated. If you aren’t having much fun with the game, do yourself a favor and go purchase a mic.

  One complaint I have with the game is the fairness of some of the maps. My faction is Raven, and 1/2 of our Aquisition map is near impossible to defend. There are countless ways for the opposition to get past us, without our noticing. They are able to beat us every time, even if the other half of the map is perfectly defended. The developers need to work on balancing out issues like these. All three factions should have equal defense maps. Otherwise, one faction will be heavily disadvantaged in a certain mode, as Raven is now. Additionally, I think Zipper should add to some of the gun classes. The machine gun class seems to be lacking. Also, it is a bit confusing that the assault class goes to Tier 5, while the machine gun class is limited to Tier 3. However, both of these complaints are easily fixable through updates, and they are not game-breaking problems.

  To wrap up, MAG is an imperative addition to any PS3 user’s collection. The factions are, for the most part, balanced and equally fun to be a part of. The maps and weapons are well designed, and teamwork is always apparent. If you have not bought/tried this game, I recommend you do so.
• 

  Jason Demlein
  January 31st, 2010 on 11:29 pm

  Rating

  For those who have not had a chance to play the beta and are on the fence about buying this…hopefully this will help. I know lots of people try to compare this to call of duty, throw that out the window. The graphics are not as good and to be honest, the shooting doesn’t feel as tight as call of duty. The game can be a little confusing when you first start. But if you give it some time, you will have a firm grasp on what you should be doing. Also, for those you do not have internet access….this is an online only game. There is absolutely no single player content.

  I believe a mic is a necessity to truly enjoy this game. I played in several games where no one had a mic but me, and my team got ruined. Then I joined another game when a bunch of people were playing with mics and we dominated. It’s all about communication.

  You gain experience with pretty much everything you do in the game. From killing the enemy, to rebuilding structures, to healing and reviving teammates, and completing objectives. This all builds into the very deep leveling up system. Each level you move up, you receive a point to use to pick either an attachment for a gun, a “perk” such as quicker reload or better accuracy or more health, or to purchase new guns. And once you reach a high enough level, you can become a squad leader, and eventually a platoon leader. I have not had a chance to experience either of these, so I cannot comment on that. I will come back and write something about it when I get the chance. I’m at a high enough level, but I have yet to be chosen as a squad leader.

  Now lets talk about the actual combat part of the game. The controls can be confusing to start. R2 switches guns, L2 switches secondary weapons (grenades, med kits, etc), R1 shoots, and R3 is melee. I got used to it after just a few rounds. There is several different modes to choose from. All modes consist of attacking and defending objectives and points. I believe it chooses which team is attacking and defending at random, but it may play into the whole shadow war thing (someone can correct me if i’m wrong). There are vehicles you can drive, they handle pretty bad from the little time I used them. I have tried each mode, from the 64 person battle, to the 128 battle, to the big 256 battle. I have exprienced ZERO lag so far, which is amazing to me.

  I cant fully explain to you how hectic the big battles get. You need to experience it. But Imagine your squad of 8 with another squad of 8, defending the front gate of your base. While the other team is trying to breach the gate with two transport vehicles and 4 squads of 8 people each. Grenades going off everywhere, machine gun fire ripping off around you, and people yelling for medics! It is an amazing experience. And on top of that, wait until you or the other team knocks out the AA guns from the opposing team. And your team leaders start calling in airstrikes while you are running in or parachuting in. There is so much more I could write about this game and the experience I have had. If you have any questions about it, please leave a comment and I will try to respond. Hopefully this helped…enjoy people. Go Raven!!!
• 

  Brian
  February 2nd, 2010 on 3:40 am

  Rating

  The first time I popped this game in and started playing, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed. I was one of the people who’d been hoping for MW2 on a massive scale. MAG has a very different atmosphere, but after getting used to it, I really enjoyed myself.

  This IS NOT AN FPS! The game incorporates a large amount of strategy, and the strategy goes far beyond typical FPS games. Teamwork is essential to winning and earning XP. For example, a kill is 5 XP, and a resuscitation is 10 XP. That is unless your kill is near a targeted objective set by your surperiors. Then, your kill is worth 10 XP.

  Picture a combination of BF2 (Strategy/scale), BF Bad Company (Comparable Graphics), and MW2 (Upgrades to character as well as equipment). It’s a nice blend of all three.

  I Like:

  1. Massive battles.
  
  2. Squad, Platoon, and Company communication on the battlefield.
  
  3. Familiar controls.
  
  4. Teamwork.

  Don’t Like:

  1. Another game where humans can take 6 rounds to the chest…w/o dying. Patch this please! Historically, bullets/rocks/arrows/missles/etc. have always been a step ahead of armor. Why should one expect anything different 10-20 years from now?
  
  2. Stupid white lines trail all of your shots for EVERYONE to see.
  
  3. Computer controls the choppers. I want the player to fly, and an attack chopper would nice.
  
  4. I chose the “Valor” PMC…I you’re good please join us to help us out!

  Although there are some “don’t likes” that I’d really like to see changed, I can play this game the way it is and be VERY happy.
• 

  Nick F
  February 3rd, 2010 on 4:06 am

  Rating

  Lets get one thing straight right off the bat, I am a military first person shooter fan. Call of Duty MW, MW2, WAW, Battlefield MC, Bad Company, Americas Army, the Rainbow Six franchise- you name it, Ive played it. That being said, MAG IS ECSTASY ON A DISC!

  The main game people like to compare this to is MW2 even though they are completely different experiences. As a guy who patiently waited for MW2 on the midnight launch and missed many days of school thereafter, I feel I can give an unbiased opinion on mag while contrasting it to MW2.

  MAG clearly loses to MW2 in the sound and graphics department- it stands to reason that if you are attempting to run 256 people in one game, you are going to have to make a tradeoff. However, during the week I have been playing MAG, I have been dropped from a game only one time and experienced lag only one or twice. When playing MW2- I get dropped or lag at least 50% of the time. Its hilarious to me that MAG can run 256 people without issues but COD cant do 16 without having a s*** conniption. Although MAG is not without hiccups, it is far more polished than COD- for example, you wont get shot around corners, like in COD when you are standing in a doorway and see someone pop out to shoot at you and even though you step sideways and get out of the way of the bullets and the wall in front of you fills your screen, you watch the kill cam only to find you where killed by magic invisible rounds that were several feet away from you. This brings me to my next point, MAG is more realistic than MW2. I understand that no game is realistic to a certain degree but MW2 has you calling in nukes, getting sniped by 1887 shotguns, and people running around knifing and unstoppable(yep, thats real modern warfare)- not to mention MW2 has glitches galore such as when people were running around with the javelin and it would shoot automatically when they died killing everything in a 100yd radius. In MAG, you are a grunt, just as expendable as the guy next to you. My one complaint is MAG sometimes takes too many bullets to kill(headshots with an assault rifle sometimes take 2-3 shots). THis is more of an effort to balance the game, not a mistake- if everyone died with a realistic amount of bullets, everyone would be dead very quickly into the match and nobody would be defending the objectives making games very short and unsatisfying. Teamwork is also essential to MAG, if you dont communicate or plan with your squad/platoon, you will lose. End of story. This can be good and bad. Bad that internet anonymity often leads people to be d-bags and some people approach MAG with a lone wolf philosophy. Good because when your team works like a well oiled machine, there is no other gaming experience quite as satisfying and those who do have a team mentality often are the victors. Also, choosing your faction, unlocking new equip, and developing your character into a specialty (ie sniping, field support, medic, etc, and reaching) is just as deep and rewarding as MW2.

  The bottom line is this, if you are a lone wolf run and gun type of gamer or a call of duty fanboy, you always will be- this game wont change you or your opinion on tactical shooters. If you are willing to get past the subpar graphics and sound, then you will be rewarded with a really fun, challenging, and satisfying gameplay. MAG, to me, is a 5 star game and is essential to any shooter fans collection.

  S.V.E.R FOREVER!!!
• 

  J. Paxton
  February 8th, 2010 on 9:34 am

  Rating

  Simply put, if there is one reason to buy MAG, it is so you won’t have to spend money on additional FPS games until they too offer 256 players.

  The first time I played MAG, I was unimpressed. Once I gave it a decent shot (and reached level 8), I was blown away.

  As others have stated, this is not your typical FPS. The object of the game is not to rack up the most kills, or have the highest K/D (Kills per Death) ratio. Instead, the object is to win as a team by taking or holding numerous objectives.

  This is not easily seen until you advance in rank, as when you first load the game, you will only have two battle options available. “Suppression,” which is a typical “most kills” K/D team death match, and “Sabotage,” which plays similar to Battlefield Bad Company’s “Gold Rush” mode (and features only 3 static objectives).

  Once you reach level 8 (which is not a terribly difficult thing to do, as the early levels require minimal experience to reach), you unlike MAG’s flagship battle, “Domination.” 256 players fighting over a fluid front line with many, many objectives (from bunkers to AA guns to satellite dishes and mortars and home bases galore). The battlefield is much like a donut, and starts at the edges before eventually being pushed back towards the center. The closer you get to that center, the more enemies you face and the more intense the battle.

  All in all, it has been an amazing game. So good, in fact, that my wife and I have purchased an additional playstation 3 and T.V. so that we can play side by side. Before MAG, there was never a single game that could compel such an expensive decision.

  That being said, this is not a one-person-army shooter. To win a match requires you to place the team’s needs before your own, and to be somewhat selfless. You really do need to work for each other, and back each other up. A microphone and open mouth are not 100% necessary, but a “team-first” attitude and open ears are.

  People that played team sports on any competitive level will love this game (after the initial shock, anyway). People who have not, might not.
• 

  Jimmy Grimes
  February 20th, 2010 on 5:59 am

  Rating

  Most people who rated it 1 star didnt read or do enough reasearch or thinking. Most people who rated 1 star the reason was “They said 256 online, but they broke it up into 8 man groups”. Of coarse! Picture 256 people online all using mics! Insane. Crazy. They didnt buy the game. The game is awsome and even more to come. More weapons and armor to come wiht the next update. Most people on 1 star reviews are just 360 fanboys. Buy the game. Highly recomended.
• 

  Brittany Camp
  April 19th, 2010 on 7:29 pm

  Rating

  This game brings back fps multiplayer for me. no game has been able to hold the intensity every match and keep me coming back for more like mag. every match is ever evolving. multiple mini battles being waged on a vast map. choose your strategy, go for the bunker first or get take out the AAA so you can move your lines up. push back and repair your destroyed assets or fall back and defend the objective. each match you can evolve your tactics and make your way from run and gun tendencies taught by FPS juggernauts COD, Rainbow 6, ect (although i do enjoy them all) and begin fighting battles with your mind and not just your gun. no fps has held my attention so well since goldeneye for the n64.