M.A.G. (Massive Action Game) is a M.M.O.F.P.S. (Massively Multiplayer Online First Person Shooter) exclusive to the PlayStation 3 platform and it brings to mind the words "shock and awe", there is so much going on in this game.

Battles are won through leadership, communication and teamwork. This in essence is a co-operative game and any clans out there with a penchant for shooters should check it out.

In case it’s your first time to read a review of the game here's bit of background. The game is set in 2025 where humanity is challenged and a global crisis rages due to food shortages. People riot, currencies are plummeting, fuel reserves are dwindling and the once oil-rich nations begin to ration what remains of their resources. Governments go to war until the populations cry halt. Politicians are forced to the negotiating table; the result is the "Mellium Accord", a peace settlement. The world turns away from a nuclear war. Peace reigns or so it seems.

In reality, the military landscape is changed forever. The official militaries of the world are disbanded according to the terms of the Accord and this gives raise to Private Military Corporations. P.M.C.'s are private armies who fight in what has become known as the "Shadow War" as they vie for lucrative government contracts.

The game contains three different P.M.C. factions and you can join whatever factions you feel like:
 

Seryi Volk Executive Response / S.V.E.R. (pronounced "Sever"), a ragtag military force with personnel drawn from war-torn countries in the Middle East and Russia, prizing sheer will as the power to victory
 

Raven Industries, a faction with high-tech weapons and armour, comprising of West European soldiers, prizing technological advancement as key to winning.
 

Valor Company, whose soldiers are equipped with more standard-styled gear. They comprise of seasoned veterans from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Mexico, believing that knowledge in battle is strength.

S.V.E.R. Letting Loose

The main feature of M.A.G. is us the players. Why? Well it’s the sheer number of players that the game caters for - you can have up to 256 players in this gaming environment.

You may think so many players might threaten the overall structure of the game? Well, while you could be on a team of 128 players, you'll really only be dealing with your eight-man squad. This smaller grouping is part of a four-squad platoon, and four platoons make up an army. In this way order is maintained.

Every group has its own leader who can wield a certain amount of power and responsibility. Leadership positions are only granted once a player hits level 15 in terms of skill, this makes sense as in these circumstances a leader has the necessary in-game experience to lead other players. So how can players obtain levels? Officers have the ability to paint targets as their group's current objective. If players work to complete these objectives, they'll earn double experience for kills, assists, repairs and healing. This adds an additional incentive for a team to follow the orders of its superiors.

The command structure has been thoughtfully worked out and in our experience the game play is co-operative.

As you fight your rank increases and you will unlock certain accessories such as camoflage, gunshot detectors, gun grips to steady your weapon or scopes for rifles. It is also possible to get bonuses for example becoming more proficient with certain types of weaponry, you could increase the speed it takes to reload an assault rifle, throw grenades further  or add a skill to reduce recoil on certain guns. The interface for viewing all of this data in-game is in the "Barracks". In this interface you can see your rank, skills, leadership status, awards and stats.

M.A.G. is broken down into four main gametypes:

Suppression

Suppression is a deathmatch style fight, consisting of 64 players, or 32 per team. This mode is unique in that all players are from the same faction, as it is considered a training exercise.

Sabotage

Sabotage is a 64-player match between any of the two factions taking place at one of the team's communications centres. The attacking team must achieve three objectives in a 20 minute time period otherwise the defending team is deemed to have won.

Acquistion

Acquisition comprises of a map for up to 128 players. The attacking team must steal two prototype enemy vehicles and take them to an extraction point, along with taking out the enemy bunker. The match lasts 20 minutes, and winning conditions for the defenders are the same.

Domination

Domination is the largest game mode, consisting of 256 player maps. In the map, there are eight command points, which must be taken by each team. The attacking team in this case is trying ultimately to destroy the defender's oil refinery. This match up last for 30 minutes.

There are three maps for each of the different gametypes but whether or not you’re a fan of real estate there is enough variety presented in the dynamic gameplay to keep you smiling. The game is like a fast food restaurant of gaming where the menu is predetermined and you get what you want. There is nothing pretentious in this game and you'll always go back for more because it’s good and tasty with a big bang for your buck! You can see this gaming environment growing in the future with D.L.C., I'm sure it’s something Zipper must be considering. But for now Big Mac, fries, a Coke and M.A.G. - it’s all good and I'm lovin it.