MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf

The Basics:
Platform: Xbox
Developer: Microsoft
Price: $49.99 (2/1/2005)
ESRB rating: T (Teen)

Summary: Pilot 35+ tons of steel through one battle after the next.

Note: A violent, but relatively bloodless game that has players pilot giant mechs (see description below) through a variety of battles. Players can participate in a relatively short single-player campaign, or opt for a variety of multi-player options. Its entertainment value is somewhat limited, but will really appeal to pre-teens/teens who like big explosions and futuristic weapons.

Further Breakdown:

Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Best for ages: 13+
Playability: Very good. Easy to use controls make it a quick game to pick up.
Graphics: Very good. Not the best, but special effects are top notch.
Entertainment value: Good. Short story mode. Strong multi-player support.
Educational value: None
Reading Level: 5+
KidScore Rating

Ages 3-7: Red
Ages 8-12: Yellow
Ages 13-17: Green
Violence Amount: Red
Fear: Green
Illegal/harmful: Green
Language: Green
Nudity: Green
Sex: Green

Review:
There are some who like to fight with medieval weaponry-swords and catapults. Others may like to take their opponent down with a stream of martial arts moves. And different still, are those who like to be the general-fighting with strategy from a distant HQ. MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf will please none of these people. Strategy is limited, weapons are decidedly futuristic, and while some would argue mechs are graceful in their own special way, they certainly are not light on their feet-the most petite being a hefty 35 tons. For those who are not as familiar with the world of "mechs", a brief description: picture one of those two-legged, robotic-looking walkers from the movie Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and you basically have a mech. Mechs are not robots, they have a human pilot (that's the player's role) who sits in them and tells them where to go, much like a walking tank.

Naturally for most boys (and some girls as well) there is a certain appeal to driving 35+ tons of steel around in order to make some big explosions. And that is pretty much what drives this game-a lot of explosions, big explosions-ones that make it seem like the TV might rattle its way off the stand. Many 8th graders could write a more engaging storyline, and while there are some tactics to mech fighting, it is not exactly a game of chess.

The campaign, or single-player story mode, is rather short. As stated before, the storyline is far from adventurous-rarely straying from the stuff of a low-budget sci-fi movie. The cut scenes that attempt to pull it all together primarily exist as a vehicle to explain how the player gets from one battle to the next. In many ways, the game is designed for multi-player action-to appeal to an online community of gamers who calibrated their Autocannons and saddled up their mechanical steeds in the first MechAssault game. These players form "clans" and rage non-stop battles to see who is top dog (or wolf) via Xbox Live (a broadband, online gaming community).

On the plus side for kids, it is not exactly a gory game. There is little actual blood to spill, since most battles are entirely fought while inside machines. Instead, fallen mechs leave behind a pile of "salvage"-parts that are used to upgrade and repair the player's mech. However, there is still some blood, and plenty of battles make this game far from peaceable.

In conclusion, MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf isn't the worst game out there for kids, nor is it the best. Its entertainment value lies primarily on special effects and the "coolness" factor of driving a big machine around, and while it isn't going to teach kids how to read, it isn't going to completely corrupt them either.