Is bigger always better?

Size matters, so they say. And when it comes to MAG's headline-grabbing 256-player battles, it's a point of view that's hard to contest. Indisputably the largest yet seen in videogames, these giant military scuffles scatter handfuls of khaki-wearing soldiers across vast landscapes and sit back as the mayhem unfolds.

Generally lag-free matches featuring a cacophony of voices, bullets and bodies bear testament to developer Zipper Interactive's considerable technological achievements here where, for once, the reality of the game matches its pre-release promise. But there's more to the package than mere bulk. Size matters, so they say but, where this Massive Action Game's concerned, what you do with it is just a crucial.

First things first

For the first few hours of the experience you won't be able to experience the game at its full population, as Zipper instead guides you through a series of more restricted game modes - teaching you the basics and advanced tactics that underpin the experience. While holding back the most exciting aspect to the game that might appear to be a foolish decision, in reality it's a necessary one, lest everyone simply pile in without really knowing what they're doing in an awkward free-for-all.

Rather than just throwing two sides of 128 players into environments the numbers are more carefully broken down into teams, each with their own objectives and leaders introducing order and strategy into what might otherwise have been chaos. Each player is placed within an eight-man squadron, four of which comprise a platoon of 32 players. Four platoons then make up each side of 128 players.

"Clever system design allows tactical flexibility."

Learn as you go

As you play you earn experience points for every kill you make. Earn enough experience points and, as in an RPG, your character will level up. Reach a high enough level an you can apply to be a squadron leader for a match. If appointed, you can set your squad objectives by clicking on the map in the bottom left hand corner of the screen.

Thanks to this set-up, battles feature clutches of squadrons all working together on their own micro-objectives, their efforts contributing to the ebb and flow of the wider war. It's an ingenious system that prevents MAG's largest battles from becoming directionless Deathmatch scrambles.

Follow the leader

Of course, the problem with a multiplayer game consisting of so many people is convincing everyone to do as their leader is telling them to do. Here Zipper encourages obedience via that most compelling of videogame incentives: bonus experience. As you follow the orders defined by your squadron leader, so you earn extra FRAGO points, which in turn means that your character rise through the ranks more quickly.

Leveling up your soldier grants various bonuses. Skill points can be spent on improving various aspects of your load-put, from improved sights to medical kits with which you can heal wounded teammates. Not only that, but reaching new levels grants you access to new pieces of clothing, helmets, boots and so on, allowing you to customise your character to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

"The next gen of intelligent multiplayer gaming"

Brawn versus brains

While the framework surrounding MAG is solid and dependable, its successes as a straight first-person shooter are more meagre. The lightweight gunplay lacks the kickback of, say, Modern Warfare 2's weaponry, and there's a skittish feel to traversing the maps. Environments too are drab and the PlayStation 3's weak rumble feedback makes the game less tactile than its rivals on other platforms.

Nevertheless, the FPS elements to the game are still good and, thanks to the sterling metagame, are elevated. Boasting clever system design that allows tactical flexibility in missions, individuals to feel like they are really contributing to a team who, in turn, are contributing to the war.

Playing the long game

The sheer scale of combat means that, at first touch MAG can come across as an unsightly scramble for territory. But play the game for long enough, and you'll start to make sense of the haphazard action, perceiving the impromptu supply lines and infiltration routes that spring up in the hubbub.

Moreover, by encouraging players to work within their teams by building in tangible benefits for doing so, MAG succeeds in inspiring the sort of teamwork that most games of this scope fail to inspire.

As such, it's likely that the game's influence will be felt keenly in coming years, offering as it does, a roadmap to the next generation of intelligent, large-scale multiplayer gaming.

OMG MAG
+ Sprawling, exciting battles.
+ Deep strategy and tactics.
+ Compelling RPG-style metagame.

WTF MAG
- Weapons lack punch.
- Poor leader makes for poor experience.
- Initially bewildering.