Chromehounds review

When will science fiction become fact? Like flying cars and hoverboards, giant robots should be a fixture in society by now; sadly, we must still turn to video games to get our hands on the death tech that should be rightfully ours. In this respect, Chromehounds rules all by providing an incredibly realistic and inherently gritty mechanized combat simulator. Of course, this game isn't for everyone because it's not your average run-and-gun. Chromehounds demands a lot from the 360 enthusiasts daring enough to pick it up, but it only rewards those persistent enough to lose themselves in a whirlwind of robot designing, team strategy and tons of unbelievably huge guns.

The single-player campaign in Chromehounds is largely throw-away tutorial - best used to practice your long-range targeting abilities and gather free robot parts. Once you've stomped through a couple of sorties, you'll have a basic idea of how to pilot these armored behemoths, but learning how to move and shoot is really only a third of the game.

The bulk of the truly fun gameplay lies in the customization of your titanium titan and the subsequent ownage of others online. Fans of the Armored Core series (also developed by From Software) will undoubtedly derive the most pleasure from strapping countless machine-guns, rocket launchers, sniper cannons and howitzers to the hulking multi-legged (or -treaded, or hovering) variable tanks. Still, even mech-fans may balk at the realism that eschews jump jets and other fantastical components.