PS3: MAG

[swfwebmaster]

MAG has a free trial with the PSN store. The demo provides the full game up to level 8.

Here are some of the features to the MAG game:

- Play Station 3 only
- To be released on 26 Jan 2010
- 256 players
- 8-man squads
- 3 security contractor factions
- Time setting is near-future in the year 2025
- Integrated VoIP
- Ranking system
- Character customization
- Command structure
- Special assets
- Vehicles

[swfwebmaster]

Video Gamer
MAG Review
29 JAN 2010
by Wesley Yin-Poole

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: Put simply, MAG is an impressive technical achievement and a great idea, but it has been poorly executed. Hardly anything is explained.

Now, here are some positive aspects:

256 players sounds like chaos, and so it often proves. Zipper's way of managing that chaos is to divide players up into squads, platoons and companies. Eight players make up a squad; four squads form a platoon and four platoons form a company. This is the way it's done in real life, apparently. Ooh-Rah.

Each squad has unique objectives, as well as secondary objectives set by the OIC (the player who assumes command of the entire company). But you can dabble in MAG's leadership system at lower levels, by taking charge of a squad and, later, a platoon. The abilities that are available to those who lead make them pretty important on the battlefield., but none are more key than issuing FRAGO commands, which grant experience point bonuses to squad members who complete them.

It's a cool set up – certainly unique - and a perfect fit for the kind of sprawling, almost MMO-style game MAG is. The Leadership system in particular sets MAG apart from its peers: Modern Warfare 2 and the upcoming Battlefield Bad Company 2. The idea of leading an entire company, coordinating mass scale assaults on enemy defences via private chat channels and the like, is something we haven't really seen supported properly in an online FPS. This is MAG's strength.

Zipper will, of course, cry "COMMUNICATION!". MAG's all about communication, you see. It's not a game for lone wolves; the John Rambo types you often get in Halo. The game is best played when people are talking to each other on microphones, calling for revives, letting downed players know revives are coming, announcing FRAGO commands and generally all heading in the same direction.

The reality of the situation, however, is that most players aren't using headsets.
Again, there are a few simple tweaks Zipper might have implemented that would have made MAG more enjoyable for the headset-less or the clan-less. Why not have your squad leader clearly identifiable, for example, so you can quickly and easily see where he or she is and make sure you're there, too, enjoying the FRAGO bonuses?

Leadership system



Squad Leader


Platoon Leader


Commanding Officer


Load-out

[swfwebmaster]

MAG is a massively multiplayer online first-person shooter that is unique in a variety of ways. A PS3 exclusive, MAG allows up to 256 players aligned with different private military corporations (PMCs) to battle each other at the same time across a global battlefield. Within this persistent game world players engage in campaign and mission play that elevates their character from the ranks of a lowly grunt, all the way up through the intricate command structure of the in-game officer corp. Along the way players players experience in-depth character customization, a robust leveling system and large-scale MMO shooter gameplay that makes MAG a game not to be missed by fans of the shooter genre.



Key Features

Massive Action – 256 real players online
Command Structure – Take charge squad, platoon, or even the commander
Factions – Three distinct Private Military Corporations (PMCs)

Private Military Corporations (PMCs)
Bound by the terms of the terms of the Millennium Accord, which prevents defense forces from crossing borders, nations with the MAG game world turn to the services of Private Military Corporations (PMCs) to secure interests abroad. The leading PMCs compete for contracts across the globe. Each of these maintains its own battlefield philosophy and approach to military operations.


Raven
Based in Vienna, Austria, Raven Industries, GmbH provides specialized military services using precise, cutting-edge equipment and advanced tactical coordination.


S.V.E.R. (Seryi Volk Executive Response)
Based in Grozny, in the Chechen Republic. Unconventional in their look and a fierce fighting style, S.V.E.R operative consist of former soldiers and private citizen, some with rumored criminal backgrounds.


Valor
Based in the Alaskan wilderness. Founded by former US Army officers, Valor Company, Inc. offers an experienced team of veterans drawn from US, British and Mexican forces.

In the near future, governments are supposedly at peace, but a shadow war, fought by private military corporations, is raging. You, along with a myriad of comrades and enemies alike — up to 256 in all — are dropped into this unprecedented war. To start off you must prove yourself as a member of your 8-man squad, fighting for one of the PMCs. With enough experience you may even become an elite fighter or earn the right to lead a squad, platoon or ultimately an entire army of players. Can you, will you follow orders? Either way your destiny and those of 255 other fighters awaits on the battlefield of MAG.

In MAG players take on the role of a member of a private military corporation (PMC), in a fictional Earth future. Like most MMO games, as well as some modern shooters, the ultimate goal of action is the leveling up of your character, in this case through success in combat against other factions made up of individual online players. At the initial level players choose the PMC they will be aligned with, the physical characteristics of their character, initial available weaponry, etc. and hit the battlefield with other squad members within a persistent online environment. Along the way you will utilize a diverse skill tree to develop your character's abilities and skills at tactics and weapons using experience points that are accumulated in campaign and mission play in the name of your faction. These points are given out in various increments for all manner of action, whether that be objective completion, or individual actions in combat. Once characters reach a certain level they are eligible to take on command duties. These duties range from leading an eight-man squad, all the way to overall command of more than 100 online players. Orders are communicated and strategy developed via voice chat and other functionality. Success in command positions allows for access to special "leadership bonuses" that not only can improve your abilities, but also in many cases, that of the individuals and units under your command.

[swfwebmaster]

27 JAN 2010
by B. Donnaloia

...To approach this game as a modern warfare 2, on a larger scale, is completely wrong.

This is a tactical, team based shooter. And the quality and depth of the game is completely based on working together.

Kids who hop into these games, just running towards objectives, getting shot down, and then complaining about respawn times, are the ones that make this game poor and contribute to negative public opinion.

As far as gameplay goes, Zipper Interactive have proven that they are experts, and MAG is a showcase example of this. However, the depth in strategy to this game, may also (in a wierd way) turn out to be MAGs main flaw, as relying on 128 like minded, intelligent players to enter a game, is near impossible. Instead, of slower paced, tactic based games. All I have seen so far, is games that are very much chaotic, and individuals running by themselves towards objectives, with absolutely no communication and teamwork.

Having said that, this is not really Zipper's flaw. Besides, a few graphical hitches, and awkward weapon selection buttons. The game is a technical masterpiece and a very much needed addition to the playstation catalog.

2 FEB 2010
by Nick F

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.

28 JAN 2010
by Sponge Ryan

MAG requires teamwork and communication, and for that, voice chat is a must-have. If you do not have a mic, you will not get nearly as much out of the game.

Graphics, sound, controls are all fine. The game doesn't exactly push boundaries in these areas, but it isn't lacking in them either.

If you put in the time, meet some friends, join a clan, etc., then you'll really won't find anything quite like MAG out there, and it is very satisfying. If, however, you prefer run-and-gun, lone-wolf-type experiences, then MAG probably isn't for you.

[tazimafied]

I actually own this one. It is a good game and I have enjoyed it so far. It's very fast paced and in your face. There are a few maps you can actually snipe on and quite a few hiding places where it takes a miracle to take someone out. It doesn't hold my attention like BF2, PR and BF3 but I still enjoy playing occationally.

[swfwebmaster]

[PhoenixKsE]

Too bad it's on the PS3. I doubt I'll ever have the extra cash to get one of those.

[psyco6]

I'm considering switching to this game.As are other pissed off BF4 players.

Rumor is the servers are being shutdown in January.

[psyco6]

Dec 8, 2013 16:01:52 GMT 1 psyco6 said:

I'm considering switching to this game.As are other pissed off BF4 players.

Rumor is the servers are being shutdown in January.

On Jan 28 2014 MAG,Socom4,Socom Confrontation servers will be shutdown.

[sfscriv]

That sucks