M.A.V. (Modular Assault Verhicle) – Early Access Review
By Nathaniel Liles
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My first attempt. Without any kind of guidance, I couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t deploy. Turns out, I needed a generator.
I’ve always loved the idea of mech games. They’re essentially third person shooters, but if you play one like a third person shooter, you’ll fail miserably. Like I said, I love the idea of mech games, but in my past experiences, I don’t actually enjoy playing them, which is a damn shame. I’ve played MechWarrior with joysticks and foot pedals, I’ve played with a mouse and keyboard, and I’ve played strapped into a giant machine that simulates the actual experience, and while all of those experiences were unique and memorable, they didn’t leave me wanting more after playing a few games. It was a novel experience in every way. I am, however, a sucker for customization and character growth, so I decided that M.A.V. (Modular Assault Vehicle) would be my return to the genre, in the hopes that I can now, with a fully developed and functioning adult brain, comprehend and dominate a mech-based game. Did I? Well…
For some reason, some locations show up sometimes, and sometimes they don’t.
First of all, let’s talk about what M.A.V. really is. At its core, it’s a MechWarrior game, plain and simple, and a good one at that. It lacks a few bells and whistles, but for what it is, it’s a solid take on mech combat, and I appreciate that. It has a few glaring issues in other departments, but controls are solid and it feels very much the way it should. Gameplay, however, is the definition of deceptive simplicity, and I have no reason to believe that this game wouldn’t be easily playable with 6 buttons. That being said, this is not an easy game, but I’m having trouble even classifying it as a game. All that exists in the current build (which, I remind you, is being sold for $19.99 via Steam Early Access) is a one-objective endless deathmatch against bots, a multiplayer component that is barren, and the mech builder.
You’re going to see this screen alot until you realize that strapping a dozen machine guns to your mech beats everything.
The mech building system is fantastic, but after a while, you establish to yourself that there are a handful of parts that are the best of their kind and you never feel the need to experiment or tweak your mech. Get the mobility platform with the highest weight capacity, the generator with the most yield, and then strap as many guns as you can to yourself. Bam, best mech. I really wanted this to be more than it is, but there are only so many ways to play this game, and there’s absolutely a best way to approach each play style. Another part completely missing from the game is any sort of progression or goal aside from “blow up everyone”. There are no missions, no story, no objectives, no achievements, no unlockables, and no characters. You pick multiplayer or single player, build your mech, choose a location, and fight.
What a gorgeous vista.
Aesthetically, this game looks awful by today’s standards. The architecture of some of the mechs is cool, but that’s entirely up to the person creating the mech. Textures are boring, assets are reused constantly, environments are predominately deserts, and colors are all samey and flat. The coolest part about the game’s look, the mechs, isn’t a result of good design, it’s a result of players knowing how a mech should look and building it themselves.
This mech wrecked absolutely everything because it’s half gun.
All in all, I really wanted this game to be better than it is, but it just turned out to be a boring, unfinished mess. I think it’s criminal that this game is being sold for $19.99, and the developers should be ashamed for charging that much for such an unfinished product. I understand that it’s early access, but with the $30,000 raised on Kickstarter ($10,000 over their initial goal), the developers should have much more to show than this. I look forward to seeing this develop, because it’s a good concept and it feels solid, but there’s nothing in this game yet. I want this to be finished, and I want it to be everything it can be, but if the developers feel that what they’ve produced so far is worth $19.99, they’re out of their damn minds.
[divider][facebook][tweet][Google][pinterest][follow id=”Cliqist” size=”large” count=”true” ] [author image=”http://cliqist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/nathaniel.jpg”] Nathaniel Liles is a freelance writer, writing major, and indie musician based in Southern Indiana. While procrastinating or avoiding real-world responsibility, Nathaniel enjoys playing rhythm games, action RPGs, and very colorful games with many bright, flashing lights. You can listen to Nathaniel sing songs or download his music for free at http://nathanielliles.bandcamp.com/. [/author]
I must say that you clearly haven’t any knowledge about how this game works, so far you’ve only talked about deathmatch and I guess you haven’t even tried campaign or siege and there is a lot more to this game than you know as ist one based on team work and I know your going to say that “well I can’t work with anyone because no ones online” well my guess is that you haven’t been on the main server (ts3.knolif.com) and there really is no “best” build it all depends on your play style and what kind of role your trying to fill. so if you go to critique this game again stop and take your time and remember this game is still in alpha. and do abit of home work on it and look through its forums.
Hey there! Thanks for joining the discussion (and doing so with some class). Keep in mind that when I played M.A.V., it was in a much earlier state than it currently is, and I was reviewing it in that state. If all these modes your talking about exist now in the game (which I’m sure they do), they didn’t when I reviewed it. Early Access games are constantly changing and evolving, and were I to review it in its current state, I’d probably have less to complain about, but when I played it, the facts stated above were just that – facts. There was no campaign and no siege mode, and the game was selling for its full $19.99. I stand by everything I said, but I’m overjoyed that the game has taken a few steps in the right direction since I first reviewed it.