Massive Assault Network is the brand new expansion for the Massive Assault game.  For gamers that have never played Massive Assault, the premise of the game is simple; World Domination.  The basic story of the game revolves around two competing factions that are vying for control, the Free Nations Union (the protagonist) and the Phantom League (the antagonist).  It’s up to you to determine which side you will fight on and which side will win.

The game is set in a science fiction setting that takes place almost 100 years after the end of the third world war.  The Free Nations Union was the dominant political body of the world after WWIII ended.  While the Free Nations Union was in control earth experienced a new Golden Area and soon ventured into space exploration.  But not everyone was content with the Free Nations Union and soon the union started to crumble.  Revolutions and wars were spreading throughout the world and eventually the Phantom League revealed itself.  Composed of dictators and military corporations, the Phantom League is determined to reach global domination.  But soon life was discovered on other planets the population of the earth was moving to the other planets.  That battle for world domination was no longer limited to the earth but the other worlds populated by the earth colonies. 

Well there you have it, the story of the game but how does it really impact the game?  The game is a turned based strategy game where gamers take turns to determine who will win the war and the back-story really doesn’t impact the game.  The one key ability within the game is the Secret Allies function that does relate to the story.  A secret ally is a partnering country that can provide you or your enemy additional weapons and vehicles to use during combat.  The secret allies an unknown to the enemy and it’s up to you to determine if you wish to disclose your secret allies.  So during the game you will never know who are the secret allies for the enemy or where they are located. 

For turn based strategy gamers, Massive Assault Network provides an informative tutorial mode.  The tutorial mode walks gamers through almost every aspect of the game, from the controls, secret allies, and different types of units.  The early tutorial missions start off with some simple instructions on how to control your troops and attacking the enemies.  While the later tutorials review more complex instructions such as declaring guerilla warfare and purchasing new troops.

Massive Assault Network will give strategy fans a good bang for their buck.  In fact one of the impressive facts about the game is the fact that is available for free from the developer’s website.  The trial version available from the site doesn’t include all of the maps and levels from the full version but it’s a great start for gamers wanting to give the game a try.  But not everything is perfect in Massive Assault Network.  I had one random problem with the game where it would freeze after I finished my combat phase.   I mentioned random because it was a random problem.  Sometimes the game would lock up and other times it wouldn’t.  In fact I feel that I should warn players of this problem in case it happens to them.  Hopefully no one else will have the same problem and has the ability to enjoy the game. 

Gameplay 8.5 

The game is played out in a turn based system where you move vehicles around the map in order to engage and destroy the enemy.  This wasn’t a problem with the game, since you moved your vehicles with just a click of the mouse.  When you select a vehicle the game shows you how far that vehicle can move on the stage.  You can also see how far away each vehicle can fire once you’ve selected the vehicle.  So an airplane will have a farther range to travel and attack then a tank unit.  There is even an in-game hint system where the narrator will advise you if a particular vehicle can still fire or move before you end your turn.  Some other impressive features are the rewind and undo commands.   They function similar to each other since they allow you to re-think your strategy during battle.  If you don’t like where you moved your tank, then click on the undo command to move the tank in a different direction.  You also have the ability to slow or increase the speed of the battles.  So if the game is too slow for you then you can speed the battles up to keep the game moving.  Besides getting more units with the Secret Ally option, you still have the ability to conquer other countries on the map that are neutral or hostile.  Once you have conquered a particular country, you will now have the ability to generate more units for battle.  All of the components add up to a solid, well-built strategy game.

Graphics 7.5 

Each location had their own unique look with detailed graphics for the terrains.  There were also some weather effects during the stages as well, such as the stages with snow where you see the snow falling.   The vehicles graphics are also very detailed with each vehicle having clean textures and their own unique look.  The vehicle animation were smooth especially the graphics for the weapon fire.  Each vehicle had its own specific weapon fire that varied based on the type of vehicle.  For the heavy artillery, such as tanks, you’ll see a heavy discharge of weapons fire that differs then the light artillery.  You can move the camera around the stage to see different battles taking place and zoom in for a closer view of the battles.  The graphics still remained detailed and clean when zoomed in during a battle.  All of the graphics are presented in a 3D over the top mode similar to other strategy games.  While the graphics are detailed and animation is smooth, you won’t get the big “WOW” effects that you see in other games. 

Sound 7.0 

The majority of the sound effects you hear during the game are the sounds of your vehicles moving and firing.  The sound effects for the vehicles sound similar to each other, while some of the vehicles have their own unique sounds.  For example a tank doesn’t sound the same as a walker/robot unit.  The sounds of the explosions and guns being fired comes across loud and clear, while providing a sense of pride hearing the impact of your weapons.   The one area that some players might have an issue regarding the sound effects is the in-game narration.  A female voice provides helpful hints and reminders throughout the game.  While this is a welcomed feature, the voice acting isn’t academy award winning material and it can become repetitive over time.

Difficulty Medium 

Strategy games can be a mixed bag when it comes to difficulty with players.   Usually how difficult a strategy game is to a player really depends on how well you can implement your strategy.  The game itself is easy to control and figure out how to play, but you still need to implement a strategy when fighting your enemy.  Do you want to let the enemy take over one part of your country in order to build up more units in another area?  Do you send in your light infantry first or do you call out the tanks and heavier units first?  What kind of wave attacks do you want to try or even use during battle?  Massive Assault Network does an excellent job of ramping up the difficulty for new players.  The earlier missions allow you to get your feet wet while the later missions really make you think about using a strategy during battle. 

Concept  6.8 

The concept of the game is somewhat unique and original compared to other turn based strategy games.  The game is set in a futuristic setting on different worlds after war on earth has forced its population to find other areas to live.   The idea of having secret allies that are undetectable during the regular game is also an interesting idea.  For veteran strategy gamers this might be old news to them but for new gamers it’s a change of pace especially considering the number of World War II strategy games released.  Besides the secret allies portion of the game, there isn’t anything that is ground breaking and revolutionary in the game.

Multiplayer 7.0 

The game itself is essentially a network version of the earlier Massive Assault games, so now players can compete online against other opponents.  But the upgrade to online gaming doesn’t come completely free; there is a monthly charge to play the game.  The pricing plan for the online multiplayer service is $6.95 a month, but the developers have 3 month or 6 month options available at a discounted price.  The online version plays almost identical to the offline version but with one difference that might surprise online players.  The big difference is you accept challenges from other players around the world to play but the challenges are not played out in real time over the internet.  The games are played out in a classic “snail mail” scenario where you move your units and then have to wait until the other player logs in and makes his next move.   After you make your moves and end your combat phase, the game will then log you out and will send a response to the other player advising them that it’s now their turn.  

Overall 7.5

The great gameplay, excellent graphics and easy to use control system add up to a game worthy of everyone’s attention.  However veterans of strategy games might want to give the game a try before jumping off into the deep end.  In fact, I would recommend that everyone give the game a try since it’s available for free from the developer’s web page.  You can even play the online multiplayer version for free as well, but you’re limited to just one map.  Massive Assault Network is a fun, interesting and challenging game that really only has a few minor flaws.  But give the game a try a try since you’ve gotten nothing to lose but an opportunity to try (possibly) a favorite new game.