MAG - How does it shape up 3 weeks after release ?

A lot of gaming websites were critiscised for reviewing MAG too early due to the amount of time needed to rank up and learn the games depths. Well we have been playing it solidly for 3 weeks - so how does it shape up ?

In this edition of G4M.

1. MAG review.
2. What would happen if Microsoft had made...?
3. Why Kratos is the greatest video game character EVER.
4. Imported games - Blazblue & Demons Souls

[LiquifiedArt]

It'll be interesting to watch it evolve.

[morganfell]

I actually rate it somewhat higher. I think this is a remarkable first effort and if this is an indicator of future quality then we may finally have a web cast show for gamers that is worth the watching.

[Saaking]

Darn it, I still haven't bought it. Hopefully I'll be able to buy it sometime in April. I know that's a bit late, but March is packed.

[morganfell]

I am just getting things ready, waiting on the coffee to brew and some takeout to arrive and I'll be on it and Killzone 2 for the night.

[Foliage]

MAG is a brilliant game. You can't possibly understand how good it is until you've played it for a while.

It does every game mode incredibly well. It almost feels like a bunch of games in one. I've also never played a game that nailed teamplay like this one.

I highly encourage any PS3 owner to buy this game. To the 360 owners out there, well... sorry. I guess keep playing COD? :(

Join Raven! =D

[morganfell]

Join Raven is right. All the unskilled hawk to SVER.

[Nicaragua]

*Nicaragua blushes and hides his Sver badge

I think your probably right in that Sver had it easy at first but the other factions have gotten a lot better. Ive played a few matches tonight and on Sabotage attacking and defending Sver got whupped, not just beat - whupped.

I think after the next round of tweaks (sort out that LMG Zipper !) then we are gonna have a really well balanced game.

[nycredude]

Hey morganfell

Add me: nycredude if you want o play.

I am in a clan of about 20 [EAD].

[morganfell]

Sver and raven though have the easiest Sabotage targets to hit. Getting up the hill into Valor's base is a bastard run.

[Hellsvacancy]

Thumbs up

[TheBand1t]

Wasn't SVER handing Raven and Valor their asses?

Also, probably not gonna buy it. 60 bucks for a multiplayer only game isn't my thing.

[raztad]

MAG such an incredible game. So glad I decided to try the beta. Level 40 Raven. Rapid Assault. Raven is still the underdog but we are doing better in Sabotage and Acquisition is our land. Resistance is futile against a well coordinated team.

[xTruthx]

Can I add necry, morgan, raz & hells to my psn list :O ?!

[Nicaragua]

Anyone who plays in a UK-ish timezone can add me. Im not on much during the week but i tend to hammer it at weekends.

Currently playing in Sver btw

[gamingisnotacrime]

Give it a rent, if you dont like it then fine you will save your money. But if you like it you will get addicted, like thinking startegies on your way home type of addicted. The game is really really good

[MerkinMax]

Then came the bashing of Microsoft. A show for gamers caters to gamers not fanboys and these two come off as fanboys.

[kneon]

I understand some people are put off by MAG being online only. But I've already put in almost 60 hours, which is more than I get out of most single player games. So purely from a value for money perspective it's well worth it.

As for the game itself I'm thoroughly addicted. You never know how each game is going to go. Sometimes it's so easy you'd swear half the enemy are hiding in their base, while other times you can barely make it past the front gate.

[heroprotagonist]

More like games4 PS3 fanboys. The whole video was so damn biased.

Let's see we have:
Gushing over MAG
Jabs at Halo 3
Hyping Kratos as the best video game character ever

Yep, sounds exactly like what you would hear from any PS3 fanboy on this site.

I could have enjoyed it if they weren't so biased and at least made an attempt at impartiality.

[kwicksandz]

ignore the previous posters, sver still have it easy.

the acq and domination maps have by far the best bunker placement of any faction and their guns are widely seen as the best.

like others have said im worried about the huge amount of LMG spammers in the current game. No reason to choose the assault rifle when you have a 100 bullet clip machine gun thats just as accurate!

hope they encourage more players to repair as well. either increase the points gathered by repairing or decrease the cost of the repair tool.

[Foliage]

It's just the plain truth. Kratos is one of the most badass characters ever, and MAG is a very solid game. You just can't handle the fact that something positive can be said about the PS3 without it being a lie and biased.

As for not liking Halo, I know many 360 fans that hate Halo. They are avid 360 fans. Making a jab at a game doesn't automatically mean you hate everything about the platform it appears on...

[ape007]

"mw2 sucks", there are many hopeless fanboys in this universe

compare last month mw2 npd sales after 3 months since it was released and mag launch month sales

xD

[Caffo01]

another kid who thinks sales mean quality..

[ChozenWoan]

My Raven clan has 63 members and all of them have mics. We work hard as a team and work hard to keep the other squads up on their feet. If you see someone with the [IA] tag, that stands for Intell Assasins and we make it happen. We have players from all over the world and timezones. You'll likely find at least 1-2 of us at all times, even on weekdays. Anyone playing Raven, feel free to add me as my PSNid is the same as it is here.

MAG without a mic and a clan is like a gun without bullets in a knife fight... sure you could get lucky and pistol whip em, but it's more fun to stop them in their tracks from a distance.

[silvacrest]

yeah....if sales mean quality what you just said would make sense

[execution17]

flocked straight to Raven, traded in my MW2 for it and all's i gotta say is i have no regrets because this game is fricken awesome, seemed meh during the training the once i got into a match i was just completely in the zone like nothing else mattered :P

PSN: Execution17 (noob in training ;))

[Chubear]

Oh, that was pretty damned good. Great review, great insight, great presentation - brilliant. One more gaming site by everyday gamers I'm book marking :D

[Method]

Chubear you must have some really unforgiving stalkers if you get disagrees for merely saying you're going to follow their website.

[trancefreak]

great show very funny btw

[Games4M - Rob]

Cheers guys, we are looking to get some interviews with UK based studios for future episodes so stay tuned.

Of course by getting interviews I mean we will sit outside media molecules office until they take pity on us.

[Foliage]

Head there around lunch, find out where they eat and stake the place out. lol

I find myself a lot more willing to talk about "work" when I'm at lunch. Even if it is NDA stuff I shouldn't be talking about.... oops.

[happy_gilmore]

hip hop horay-ho, hey-ho

[Pandamobile]

Well, at least it's not HHG.

[Games4M - Rob]

well thats something

[SixZeroFour]

i dunno...kinda hard to choose sides, cause like hhg, these guys are obvious sony fan(boys) as shown with ragging on halos master cheif and 360's rrod and praising mag and kratos

but as of now, i dont find them as bad as hhg, yet

EDIT: definitely more entertaining than hhg tho

[TIKUP]

That was a great show, keep it up boys.

Btw loving the prodigys song in it aswell :)

[Dutch Boogie]

Very good insight on MAG. Keep up the good work.

[BattleAxe]

Very good show! As far as HHG is concerned, he's doing his thing which I enjoy aswell.

[Anon7349]

I already like these guys A LOT more than any other reviewer/podcast about video games out there!

They're doing a great job. I can tell they really like games too.

They can speak their mind because they aren't a part of some big company either, they came out and said MW2 was sh!t. I'm proud of them for saying that.

MW2 is a horribly designed game.

I look forward to see more of them.

[Fragger2k8]

They can't like games too much if they can't at least appreciate what is on other consoles.

[Games4M - Rob]

Trust me, we like games - we just dont take them that seriously that we wont poke fun at them. And its not just the 360, we have plenty of things on the PS3 that we can and will be having a dig at. If we percieve something as ridiculous then thats what we will say.

Still i appreciate that you actually took the time to watch the video and form an opinion so your critiscism is very much welcomed.

[weazel]

Grow up mate. An excellent first effort, and a generally well balanced view - Hope there's a lot more guys. Good show.

[Ronster316]

It's annoying retailers thats for sure.

Theres so many 2nd hand copies on shelves right now and they don't have a prayer of ever reselling them.

Soon there will be so many 2nd hand copies that MAG will even have to muscle in on psp's limited shelf space within stores.

[weazel]

Sorry, I forgot to mention in my post above, but I think you're a c*nt.

Cheers.

Have fun dude.

[Fragger2k8]

It's pretty annoying that they show the games behind themselves on a green-screen, that is a very horrible way to do things. I also cannot stand those accents at all, and that shorter guy is pretty creepy, if you ask me..

The biggest thing that bothers me, though, is the fact that they're a bunch of retarded PS3 fanboys.

If these guys seriously want people to check out their site they're going to need to knock off the fanboy crap. If they don't, they're going to have an extremely small following.

[nycredude]

Says the guy with only 3 bubbles. Maybe you should start your own website if you're so smart.

I thought they were ok better than most stuff posted on N4g so whatever dude.

[Fragger2k8]

Just so you know, the only reason I have 3 bubbles is because of the fanboys here. Most of the people who have 5 or more are fanboys of some kind, or just don't comment very much. Also, I only have the one account, I don't make multiples like everyone else seems to.

I never said they were completely horrible or anything, I certainly give them credit on this being their first uploaded video and trying to include humor, but with them being fanboys it just makes this whole thing unwatchable. I wouldn't care if they were 360 fanboys or PS3 fanboys, I couldn't watch them either way.

Just about anybody could do something like this, it doesn't take a genius. I have thought about it, to be honest, but I'm not the kind to be up in front of a camera. I'm more of a 'behind the scenes' sort of person.

If they cut the fanboy junk, or at least took jabs at all sides, then maybe I could watch these guys. Until then, though, I won't be checking out the site anymore.

[morganfell]

You see that is the problem. So many of these sites are like publishers that attempt to please all of the people all of the time. They think if they kiss all the backsides they will be fine. Nothing is further from the truth.

They are original, have an edge, and do not mince words. Did it ever cross your mind that in the midst of their jabs there was actual truth? Of course not. Now who is being one sided.

[Foliage]

So... everyone who disagrees with Fragger is a fanboy....

Sounds exactly like the words of a fanboy.

[emk2004]

the d9 and xbox360 skit was funny.

[spunnups]

Breathe by Prodigy was the $H!T back in the day!!!!!

On a side not I dig the show. I thought the MAG review was fair. Still an awesome game though.

[PietroDimeglio]

MAG is a great multiplayer game, especially for those who enjoy a more tactical style gameplay.
Peace guys.

[gamingisnotacrime]

Im like: "Sure"
but for me MAG is over the top fun. the action is intense, when the squad coordinates is amazing to see it all unfold, people talking, healing one another, telling enemy position, a great experience. Im an offline type of gamer, but MAG pull me right into the online action and for good.
7.5/10 is all right in terms of numbers for a review, but for me this game does not fit into the Reviews system. Is different, is amazing and each day im enjoying it more and more. If you have not tried MAG, i reccomend it. This is not for FPS junkie only, i im not into FPS and MAG has 88%of my gaming time.
Check the reviews on Amazon, 4/5 stars, and you will get an idea of the pros and cons MAG has to offer

[Games4M - Rob]

One thing we didnt manage to get done in time for this first episode was an explanation of what system we are going to use to give games review scores, its somthing we'll definatley clarify before the onslaught of games we will review in March.

Review scores seem to have been diluted a lot recently with games getting scores which they do not really deserve. For us 7.5 is a really great game - we think MAG is awesome but there is definite room for improvement. Im not talking about graphics or sound but little finishing touches that could elevate a solid game into something legendary. Linking 8 man parties into platoons, youtube support, being able to name your weapon loadouts....etc

[gamingisnotacrime]

Agreed. You did your job and i think the 7.5 is fair. The improvements you reccomend sound epic, nice. My point is that Im enjoying MAG a lot and that is difficult to put into words, which is why i reccomend fellow gamers to try out the game and see if they like it or not. Also the review system is ok for conventional games, although to be honest im having a hard time trusting many of the "major" sites on their reviews, but MAG is so different to everything else out there in consoles that a fair review like your does not represent how fun and awesome this game actually is.

[Sevir04]

Screw you all, SVER players are just more skilled than Raven and Valor, a good team will whoop any team from another faction so i dont see all the hate... /Rant..

Now as for this i cant wait to see the DLC that Zipper has for this game, new faction, new game type and 4 new maps for that new faction 1 new map for each of the other factions to support the new game type.. MAG is MAGnificent, and i cant wait to see how much this game evolves...

[gamingisnotacrime]

It has great pottential, lets hope zipper delivers, i know i am all for this game evolving

[morganfell]

If what you say is true then Zipper wouldn't be rebalancing the weapons...but the fact is they are because a more thorough test - the gamers - have shown there are issues.

[iceman06]

Let's not forget the 4 bunker "spread" on the Domination maps. I would suggest that all of these so-called "superior" SVER players spend some time with the other factions' weapons and then say the same thing. *L* Once they balance those weapons, it should get a bit easier to charge those maps in a more balanced (fair) manner and actually feel some success.

[madjedi]

@15 Seriously drop the sver has a ten foot c*ck attitude, it's not impressive, sver should own all 3 contracts with that kind of an attitude not just dom.

No one group has more skilled players than the other, not valor not raven nor sver, each group has good players and bad players. Oh please sver has the easiest maps to defend and their guns have already been proven to do the highest damage out of all 3 factions.

Talk your sh^t after you vet over twice, once to valor and once to raven without having unbalanced defensive maps and the highest damage weapons in your favor.

To the sver guys that don't act like this, thank you.

[PLAYSTATIONGENRATION]

I take them out easily...but there is a light balancing issue...took me a while and my KDR suffered for it

[morganfell]

The other thing to consider on these maps is the spawn locations of the defenders vs the locations of the objects they have to defend as well as how easy or difficult the approach to the objective is and finally the open or closed nature of the structures.

[MeatAbstract]

Nice! A game show based in Manchester!

Awesome job. Really enjoyed watching that.

Completely agree with what you say on MAG, I agree on the reasons as why Kratos is such an good character and pleasently suprised you imported Demon's Souls. That game is simply awesome.

[TheGuardianFID]

keep it up and I'll tune in!!! 8)

[waljaber]

i took them a lot of editing for sure O_O but they made it really nice.

[Games4M - Rob]

To the people who are saying we shouldnt make fun of the 360 and are not "real gamers" - you are all taking this console war thing waaaay too seriously.

The approach we have is similar to TV motoring program Top Gear. In Top Gear the presenters drive lots of cars and make fun of the crap ones - surely no-one is going to tell me that Jeremy Clarkson is not a "real motorist" just because he has an opinion on what he likes and what he dosnt ?

Well its the same with us. I like a lot of Xbox360 games and am really looking forward to Alan Wake but Halo is overrated, the Xbox360 does fail A LOT, and the Spartans do look like camp power rangers. Its not some malicous PR offensive, its light hearted comedy jibes and you can expect the same from future broadcasts.

Thanks again to those who supported the show !

[jerethdagryphon]

its a good show and if i knew how often you came out with one id addit into my what im watchingo nling guide

[CARRIERHASARRIVED]

Something you have to learn though, Expect heat if you're laughing at a game, not with a game. Especially anything with Halo slapped on it. I always laughed at the thought of Masterchief riding a motorcycle because he honestly does look like a well-protected motocross racer, while everything else is decked in out in bright colors with neon blood.. It's hard NOT to laugh at it. People who can't laugh at that kind of stuff are most definitely taking the whole "console war" too seriously...Or they've got a strange obsession with a fictional character that's beyond the point of fun (the reason so many people play games is to HAVE fun right?).

One of the best examples of being able to laugh at a game and love it was definitely from Silent Hill 1, I can never forget Dahlia Gillespie's "SEAL IT IN THE WOMB!" line. I can play through the whole game yelling that at monsters while I pound them with the emergency hammer. It's most fun when you're beating on the people with the fetus-lump things hanging off them. My point being, We all have favorite games. You have to have fun with the games in every way IMO. People shouldn't take offense to pointing out hillarious aspects of a character in a game. And if someone is actually writing off a game because MC might look like a motocross superstar, then they're obviously not having enough fun with games and might want to find another hobby.

[PLAYSTATIONGENRATION]

Being Raven is hard....but we fight on....

[CARRIERHASARRIVED]

I almost rolled on the floor when he said the part about growing a full-on beard, running outside and beating the sh!t out of someone, then borderline raping his gf. Although the rape part was a bit crude, it was fitting. Toooo fuunnny.

[djcosta]

dont listen to these id**ts..they dont know anything about gaming... ("amazing warzone" and the sound of the grenade sounds like my fart...)... useless fanboys...

[DannyVenom]

Jeez, not really sure where to start on this one.

We 'don't know anything about gaming'... I really can't even dignify that with an attempt.

Pretty sure the phrase 'amazing warzone' was never used, and we even criticised the grenades and gunfire saying they could be 'meatier'.

I guess that's where I am going to stop and click 'disagree'.

[KongRudi]

Nice reviews.

And also nice to see that someone else notices that the graphics of MAG are extremely good, for what's going on in the game, 256 different players on the same map.
Most professional websites complain about the graphics in the game, while they gave a free pass to games like Halo 3, ODST and Left 4 Dead, on the other platform, wich didn't have any obvious similar technical hurdles.

Will be interesting to see how future episodes shapes up.

[Half-Mafia]

another tom, d1ck and harry

[Half-Mafia]

another tom, dlck and harry

[Biggest]

SVER only owns Domination because that is the only game mode worth owning.

PSN ID: BiggC