Overall: This game is the type that offers you what most do, a challenge. A game worthy of playing, and finishing. But not on the top of my list. Gameplay: Not bad. Well paced and easy to control. The length of this game is on an average scale, but having good handling to keep you playing it through the night. Graphics: Well, something else that doesn't stand out in this game. Well made and obviously an example of how far xbox can go, but I think it could have offered more. Sound: Who doesn't like the sound of war. When you judge sound, you look for quality, and thats what you get in this game. Apart from the occasional annoying sound that can frustrate you after hearing it over and over.
Overall: Steel Battalion LOC takes over where SB left off. I am not going to tell you I finished SB because it was very hard. Lines of Contact is in my opinion the best Mech simulator on the market. Immersive gameplay is the key to the games success. Still it does have its share of problems. Even with the problems, the first time you fire up second generation VT you will feel you’re very lucky to own this game. Gameplay: Let me start with the good. The graphics are off the hook. The replays are fun to watch and help you see what happen outside of you cockpit and generally help you with tactics. It took me a week to take the time to watch them. I didn’t know they were so cool. The 5.1 sound is fantastic. The missions are cool. The water looks good. The combat is good. Hell everything in the game is good. The problems start when you want to play on XBL. At this time I am only able to get into 3 on 3 matches. Not a bad thing at all but 5 on 5 would be better.
There are also SB snobs online that now own 50 VT's if they see you have 6 or 7 1st gens they won't let you play because you will drop they skill of their team. Of course they don't make rooms based on rank they just kick you out when you get in... You also can't mix generations of VT's on the battlefield so if you load with a 2nd gen and get destroyed you can't spawn with a 1st gen. I don't know why... other than those problems the game is perfect.
There are a lot of different ways to setup a VT. You have an upper monitor and a lower monitor. Each has several views it can display and they can be zoomed in on at any time.
There is a headquarters screen where you can color your VT and select its load out. You can have three load out configurations preset and select them before you spawn. Most of the time you will get used to the one you want and keep taking it. Load outs can change drastically depending on how you fight in combat.
I like to drop my extra fuel tanks to get more weapons. I have to refuel more when playing because of this… still I last longer with more weapons.
Graphics: SB LOC and SB have a strange set of graphics compared to other games. Still I like the visuals a lot and now we get replays. When friends come over I start them out on a repay so they can get an idea of what to expect. SB LOC is a simulator at heart and it makes you feel like you are in control of a VT (Mech). The screen blurs a little when you fire and it looks like you are watching a view screen. Everything down to the communication system seems realistic. A lot of the screen is taken up by VT controls MPH, Fuel, Weapons selected. There is also an upper view screen that can be stowed with a button on the controller. That is sweet because it can cover a lot of the view. I think the graphics are fine. Sound: 5.1 sound is online and you will hear your VT crashing through things... My friend just came over and the first thing he noticed was the surround sound when I was booting up my first VT... Suggestions: Make a third game... I will buy it.
