'Chromehounds': Slow but Sure

Japanese game maker From Software has specialized in Mech combat games like the "Armored Core" franchise for years. For the uninitiated, Mechs are hulking ground weapons controlled by a pilot and armed to the hilt with machine guns, flame throwers and missiles. In this game, the Mechs are called Hounds.

Set in an alternate version of the present day, "Chromehounds" separates itself from traditional Mech games that are often placed in a distant future. In the game world, three warring factions (the United States, Soviet Union and the Middle East) are battling for a region called Neroimus. The game offers six single-player story lines from the perspective of various combat types, such as commander and heavy gunner. The 10 hours of gameplay serve mostly as a tutorial for the meat of the game -- the persistent online world battle on Xbox Live. (If you don't subscribe to Xbox Live, don't buy this game.)

The game's battlefield, which refreshes after about two months, allows three teams of up to six players per side to battle on huge landscapes. Players that form a team must communicate during battle and use military tactics to win.

Although the idea of large vehicles battling in a huge world with no monthly subscription fee sounds great, the gameplay is extremely slow. By going for a simulation of realism, this game lacks the arcade feel of Mech Assault games on Xbox. The Hounds, which come in numerous designs, including treads, hovercraft and bipeds, are slow-moving. While Mech combat fans won't mind, casual and mainstream gamers will probably get bored. That's a shame, because the intuitive controls are a breeze to learn. And the Xbox 360 high-definition graphics are breathtaking (even if the landscapes are rather barren). There's also great depth in the customization of Hounds from weapons down to multiple layers of paint. Newcomers will want to rent these Hounds before buying.

-- John Gaudiosi

Chromehounds Teen; Xbox 360 ($60) Sega/From Software