E3 2006
First Look Preview
Developed by FromSoftware,
SEGA’s Chromehounds is set to be the first mech combat game released for the
Xbox 360 (exclusively, no less), and SEGA’s coming out with guns blazing. The
game will offer players robust online options, loads of action and excellent
next-gen graphics. Mech fans, take note: Chromehounds launches this July.
The story in Chromehounds
follows three superpower nations all fighting each other and vying for world
domination. You must set up an allegiance with one of the three nations and
command a giant metal mech, called “Hounds” in this game, through campaigns
within the game, utilizing strategy as well as reflexes to emerge victorious.
Chromehounds is a squad-based
mech game, meaning that you must coordinate with other units around the
battlefield in order to win your fights. You have six different vehicle types to
choose from: Scout, Soldier, Sniper, Defender, Heavy Gunner and Tactics
Commander. Each of them operates in the way that a soldier in the war zone
would, with the Tactics Commander as the leader, Sniper taking out bad guys from
afar, and so on.
While the game will have a
pretty compelling single-player mode, the place that it will really shine will
be the online mode. Chromehounds will offer play for up to 20 players on one map
with six players to a clan. Also, the game will feature a persistent online
universe, with a ranking system to keep things interesting in the long haul.
Another great element is the
countless ways that you can customize your mech.
You can customize your Hound in millions of
different ways, changing the weaponry, treads, cockpit design and even adding
"Memphis Belle" style icons on the sides of your vehicle.
The graphics in Chromehounds
are very impressive and mark a good example of what the Xbox 360 can do
visually. The Hounds each have their own unique look about them and are
extremely detailed. The environments also look quite clean and have a great
sense of atmosphere about them. Plus, the environments are destructible and you
can decimate basically anything that you see within the game.
Chromehounds is shaping up to be a very impressive mech game that will translate
nicely in Xbox Live and Microsoft’s next-gen philosophy with a persistent online
experience and deep squad-based combat.
