The lights are on
What new ideas the game brings to the table and how well old ideas are presented.
How good a game looks, taking into account any flaws such as bad collision or pop-up.
Does the game’s music and sound effects get you involved or do they make you resolve to always play with the volume down?
Basically, the controller to human interface. The less you think about the hunk of plastic in your hands, the better the playability.
Flat out, just how fun the game is to play. The most important factor in rating a game.
For Answer's single-player campaign is a wasteland of poorly constructed levels and brain-dead mechanized adversaries. Playing with a friend in co-op doesn't add to the excitement. For some strange reason, you must wave goodbye to your friend to complete mandatory single-player levels before being able to join up in co-op again. If your interest lies in competitive multiplayer, For Answer's online battles are enthralling tests of twitch reflexes and intelligent engineering. The boost-filled controls are solid, the maps are built with specific mech types in mind, and success is directly tied to players diving into the insanely deep mech customizaton. Basically, play it for the multiplayer, or don't play it at all.
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