So I’m one of the few (thousand) who have been called up to the ranks of the Massive Action Game (MAG) beta trial and as far as I can tell, I’ve not signed a non-disclosure agreement, so I thought I would share my initial impressions of this much hyped game.

Before we go any further, it is incredibly important to understand that as this game is an unfinished product, much could change between now and release. The purpose of beta testing is to find faults, bugs and glitches before release. Also, the beta version launches with no help or instructional documentation, so most of what I have experienced is through trial and error.

MAG is a first person shooter, exclusive to the Playstation 3 that should be deploying sometime in early 2010. The “Massive” part of the name refers to the fact that games can have up to 256 players in the same battle at any one time. The game itself is set in the near future where three military factions are at each others throat. Each faction comes from a different point on the rainbow of modern warfare. S.V.E.R represent the rag-tag, almost guerrilla-style warriors who fight with whatever weaponry they have available. Raven are the guys with the shiny, state-of-the art, shoot your eyebrows off without collateral damage, type weaponry. The final corner of this warring triangle is Valor, who represent the middle ground.

You start off by picking your faction and going through a small “create your character” section, that lets you adjust some basic character features. Once created, you can choose your weapons/gear pack (called loadout) before each battle. This loadout will determine the type of role you will play be it medic, sniper, etc. The more you play the game, the more experience points you gain. These experience points unlock important abilities and character facets. These can be managed through the “Barracks” menu option before deployment. Overall, the presentation is quite slick and clear.

So, what about the “Action”? Well, there seems to be plenty of it. Because there are so many people in the one battle, it becomes very clear, very quickly that structure and order are required to be successful. The game has a chain of command. Each faction has an Officer in Charge, who has, under him, four platoon leaders. These platoon leaders each command a group of four squad leaders who in turn bark orders to their team of eight grunts. Wow, that’s some hierarchical chain. But that is exactly where the strength of MAG seems to lie. If you want a run-and-gun, Rambo-esque shooter, I don’t think this will be for you. If you want a more tactical shooter, the early signs points to something that will tick that box in a big way.

There look to be different game types available in the full version but the beta currently only allows the “Acquisition” game type. In this one faction must steal two transport vehicles from the other. Simples no? Well, not quite. You, as a lowly soldier may get nowhere near these vehicles. In fact, what I’ve discovered is that its actually a good idea to forget all about them. The chain of command is key. The Officer in charge will specify tasks for his platoon leaders designed at achieving the ultimate objective. For example, Platoon leader A may be tasked with taking out the anti-aircraft defences, whilst Platoon Leader B is given the objective of taking down the front gate. Platoon leader A will ask Squad Leader 1 and 2 to approach the AA guns from opposite sides, whilst Squad Leader 3 and 4 provide sniper and heavy weapons cover. Squad Leader 1 may ask you to run around in a circle like a headless chicken drawing the enemy fire whist the other 7 squad members sneak up and kill the defending forces. Phew. That’s just one way of laying out how this game looks like it wants to be played. Yes, you can run around on your own shooting people, but you will progress much quicker and achieve more by sticking with your squad and obeying orders.

I love the theory behind this game and the general gameplay is heading in the right direction. I have some small reservations though. The on-screen display that shows you current objectives can be a little confusing at times. If you have a vocal squad leader, its not a problem though as they will tell you exactly what they expect. There are a couple of other areas I’d like to see tidied up as well but that’s what you should expect in a beta. This game is a way off completion but everything I’ve seen so far suggests that this could be a really well executed strategic FPS. It does rely on people following the chain of command though, so consider that before making your purchase in the New Year.

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