Review:
Massive Action Game (MAG) for the PS3

Last week I managed to get my hands on MAG (Massive Action Game) for the PS3. As most gamers will already know, MAG is, for lack of a better term, an MMOFPS. The main attraction of the game is simply the amount of players waging a war over the internet it can manage – 256, split onto two teams of 128 players. However, MAG also offers a surprisingly tactical experience, as it is the players who direct the flow of battle in order to achieve their team’s objectives.

Who, What, Where and Why

OK, so let’s deal with the basic background to the world in which this game is set. Following the declaration of war peace, enforced by a piece of legislation which limited the power of the military to operate beyond its country’s borders, PMCs (Private Military Companies) have risen to the fore as the most effective means of waging warfare. Three of these PMCs have grown into transnational businesses, with lucrative deals funding them, enticing more soldiers into their ranks. These three PMCs form the factions of MAG:

• Raven – A company compromised of western European soldiers, armed with the latest high-tech gear and weaponry. This translates into the game with their weapons having a slight edge in accuracy.
• Valor – Closest to today’s military forces, this company is formed from US, British and Mexican special forces. Their weapons balance accuracy and power.
• S.V.E.R. – The people’s army, filled with soldiers from Russia and the Middle East. They have the most low-tech aesthetic out of all the factions, and their weapons have an edge in power.

These PMCs wage a secret war against each other in a conflict known as the “Shadow War”, trying to cause enough damage to their competitors to force them to raise their operating prices to make up for losses. This leads to the victorious PMC gaining more funding by offering a lower price for their services than their competitors. In the game this translates to contracts, awards given out to each faction depending upon their performance, with associated benefits (such as increased leadership range or faster cool down periods for commander abilities). The battles in the game occur in each faction’s territory – South America, Alaska and the Middle East for Raven, Valor and S.V.E.R respectively. The map’s reflect this, though more on them later.