Greg Hastings' Tournament Paintball MAX'D

Greg Hastings’ Tournament Paintball MAX’D is the follow up to last year’s sleeper hit and packs more of everything that made the first game good. More maps, more features, better presentation, sharper gameplay – this game has it all. For anyone that is interested in competition paintball or is just looking for a decent shooter, GHTP MAX’D is worth a look.

Gameplay

MAX’D is a competition paintball game where sneaking around and making use of cover is a far more effective strategy than playing Rambo. If you get hit, you’re out, so the name of the game is playing smart rather than being overly aggressive. The pace of the game might turn some people off, but for paintball fans or people that like their games to have more strategy and thought put into them, MAX’D feels just right.

As far as movement and shooting goes, this is just like any other FPS. What sets MAX’D apart are all of the little things that are specific to paintball. Since getting behind cover is so vitally important, you can dive forward to quickly get to safety. You can also switch your gun from one hand to the other in order to lean out from cover and take a few shots. You can also look over the top of objects from behind cover. It keeps your opponents guessing and provides you with plenty of cover.

Paintball is a team game so MAX’D gives you several commands such as sending teammates to the next available cover or letting them go Rambo. You can also lay out a complete field strategy before a match and tell teammates exactly what to do during a match.

Overall, MAX’D plays like a dream.

Features

You can play a career mode in both single player and co-op and the game features more than 200 maps and 29 tournaments designed after the real pro tour. You can also create your own maps with the Field Editor that allows you to place objects on the field, give them unique skins, and easily mirror one side to create a balanced map. Your options are pretty much limitless and you can go anywhere from huge mazes to simpler competition-style maps. Nothing so great as Far Cry’s editor, but for paintball fields it is surprisingly powerful.

Multiplayer features split screen and Xbox Live play. Up to 14 people (7 vs 7) can play on Xbox Live which is just about perfect for the size of the maps. Using teamwork and a well thought out battle plan online is particularly thrilling which makes the game very satisfying. It runs very smoothly and finding a game is usually a smooth and easy process.

Graphics and Sound

Graphically, MAX’D isn’t spectacular, but it doesn’t really have to be. During gameplay, it looks basically the same as last year’s game, but the menu presentation has been given a more “xtreme” style which makes this one better looking overall. Character models are kind of chunky and lack detail and the environments are somewhat bland, but they get the job done and the gameplay is what really matters here.

The sound fares a bit better. The sound effects for everything is spot on. Different objects make different sounds when hit, the sound of the gun, and the sound of refilling your hopper are all perfect. Teamwork and communication is a focus of the game and all of the voice work is surprisingly well done. On the battlefield, you can pick out where everyone is just by listening to their shouts and calls for help, which is nice.

Bottom Line

Greg Hastings’ Tournament Paintball MAX’D is a very solid game that paintball fans will love. It is better than the original Greg Hastings’ Tournament Paintball in every way and is definitely worth the $40 investment thanks to a huge single player campaign and robust multiplayer modes. I can’t recommend it to everyone, however, because if you are looking for something to replace the pace and feel of Halo 2 you aren’t going to find it here. On the other hand, if you are a fan of competition-style paintball or tactical shooters that require a bit of teamwork, MAX’D is right up your alley. Rent it first before you buy just to make sure it is your cup of tea.