Exteel

Panoramica

"Exteel" è uno sparatutto online pieno di adrenalina e combattimenti frenetici che vi offre il pieno controllo e la personalizzazione di un Mechanaught - un gigantesco robot futuristico.

Caratteristiche

• Battaglia con azione immediata
• PVP frenetico
• Animazioni e grafica fantastiche
• Piena personalizzazione dei Mechanaughts

Review

Over the past five years the MMO Industry has grown considerably. Gone are the old days that would see an MMO developer huddled in the shadows of an exhibition like an ugly step-child. Now, some MMO developers and distributors have risen through the ranks to become household names the likes of SquareSoft and Blizzard. One such distributor, is NCSoft.

This is mostly because NCSoft are responsible for releasing some of the best games the MMO genre has to offer - classics like the fantasy PvP goliath Lineage 2, the sci-fi shooter Tabula Rasa, and the anime-inspired Exteel. Although each of the games released under the NCSoft banner are entirely different in style and play to the next, one thing always remains the same - the quality.

Neon Genesis fans, eat your heart out.
Drawing its roots from mech-style anime the likes of Neon Genesis Evangelion and Gundam Wing, Exteel puts you in control of a Mechanaught - a giant futuristic robot - and gives you full customisation of almost every aspect. Exteel begins with you choosing your Call Sign - or the name of the Pilot inside your Mechanaught - and puts you in control of your first Mechanaught seconds later. Unlike other mech-inspired games that I won't mention here, Exteel begins by having you complete an in-depth tutorial followed by a series of moderately challenging missions designed to familiarise players with a variety of weapons and play styles.

The Tutorial guides players through the different functions of their Mechanaught seamlessly by fist showing a demonstration before allowing the player to complete the task themselves. This covers the basic actions used in online play such as simple movement, boosting and strafing, and combat tactics. Once completed, players have the opportunity to complete several different missions demonstrating the effectiveness of all available weapon types. Successful completion of these missions awards players with both a weapon of that category, and some credits to purchase new equipment later in the game.

Power Systems Online!
After completing the training missions, you'll be thrust head-first into the main lobby screen of Exteel, with access to every part of the game. The place you'll want to be visiting first is the Store to spend some of the credits you earned in training, then the Hangar, where you can begin making chances to your Mechanaught. Once in the hangar, a plethora of options are available to you - everything from customising the individual body parts of your Mech (Head, Core, Arms Legs, etc) to choosing which weapons to bring with you. Weapons range from short-range SMG's, Swords and Shields - to the longer range rifles, cannons and rockets. The best part is choosing the combination that best suits your play style, and as almost every weapon can be combined with another - the options are near endless.

The Skillz to pay the Billz.
Combine a Sword and SMG for a deadly close range fighter, or mix a shotgun with a rifle to be effective from all ranges. The choice is yours to make, and a range of different skills are available to compliment those choices. Skills are purchased much like everything else using either credits earned through battle or NCcoins purchased online - but will only work if the corresponding weapon types match the skills requirements. For example, combining a Lance with an SMG will give you access to a skill that allows your mech to impale an opponent at close range, lift them up into the air, and drill them repeatedly with the SMG while you hold them in the air. Almost every combination of weapons has their own skill attached, and all are equally impressive.

Into the Fray!
After you've finished customising your mech it's time to put it to the test in battle, and fortunately it's in battle that Exteel shows its true colours. Battles really are as fast-paced and furious as they come - and depend highly on the skill of the Pilot. Play is room-based, so to begin you must create your own room and style it to your liking, or join another players already existing game. If you choose to create your own there is a wealth of game options and maps available to suit the desires of almost all types of gamers. Everything from Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch to King of the Hill and Capture the Flag has been included - alongside the co-operative alternative Last Chaos, that will see players working together to defend their base against an onslaught of NPC enemies.

The controls are simple to get the hang of too, although you can see the difference between the new players and those with more experience. The only negative aspect of note is the lock-on system, which works by only allowing players to hit an enemy if they have first locked on to the target. This usually means that your bullets will fly right through an enemy leaving them unscathed unless you have acquired a lock first. It simply doesn't seem to make much sense - although the lock-on system works well for the most part and it rarely affects gameplay.

I choose you, Mechanaught!
Graphically, Exteel is also ahead of the pack. The visuals and animations in Exteel are top notch and both the Mechanaughts and environments look and feel exactly as they should - smooth, fast, and awesome.

There's not a great deal more to say about Exteel than what has already been said - it's a truly fantastic MMO Shooter that succeeds in all the right places without becoming over-complicated. 4/5 Exteel - mission accomplished.