Exteel Preview

NCsoft has long been one of the top companies when it comes to gauging what players want in the massively multiplayer online genre, but that goes hand-in-hand with a willingness to take chances in MMO field.

Games like Guild Wars and Dungeon Runners have laid down some foundations for the down-and-dirty mech arena battle title Exteel.

On the surface, Exteel is a simple third-person shooter title. You have a humanoid mech, called an NxG, and you jump onto a team or go into a free-for-all arena. The game modes are of the basic modes found in most player-versus-player scenarios (capture the flag or territory control, deathmatch, team deathmatch, last stand). But what sets this apart is what players can do outside the game – namely use the credits earned to upgrade the mechs or buy skills.

Team Beam is the developer behind the title and it has crafted a quick-paced game full of the mech goodness gamers have come to enjoy. There is the ability to use a booster for a short bit, change out weapons from guns to sword and shield, plus you have four skill slots.

Weapons come in a wide range of styles. There are the SMG, rifles, shotguns, cannons and rockets. Melee weapons fall into the sword or spear categories. But you can also change out individual parts on the mechanaught. The head, core, arms, legs and booster are all replaceable.

Customization is the key, but to be able to afford to customize you have to fight and earn credits. And that is the main body of the game. The combat is fast pace and enjoyable. Switching out weapons does take a few seconds, so you can just go from ranged attacks to melee without so much as a thought. And when you get targeted and locked on, it can be tough to shake the locks.

Graphically Exteel will not overly challenge a machine. You can set up the resolution, but the system specs are not that high: Windows 2000 or XP, Pentium III or AMD 800 MHz processor, 256 megs of RAM, 1 gig of hard-drive space, 16-bit sound card and GeForce Series 4 video card.

You jump into a game by starting out in the lobby. A variety of games have been started, each in mech level and player capacity (16 players seems to be the top end). Pick a game, and you are in the battle. The battles have conditions of victory, which is either capturing the most enemy points or it is linked to team standing at the end of a time limit. When you die, you can respawn and rejoin the battle. How you do in the battle will determine team placement at the end of the fight, and points awarded.

The sound is solid, but nothing outstanding.

Exteel is an enjoyable bit of player-versus-player fun. Adding to the entertainment value is that it is free to download and play and will be that way once the testing phase is over.