Max Gaming Technologies has really accomplished something. Their first game, Dark Horizons: Lore Invasion, has made it to the finals of the Independent Games Festival for 2005 (www.igf.com) and not without good reason. The game is fun! I had the opportunity to see an unreleased update that adds quite a few features, and I was not disappointed.

The Dark Horizons universe involves the ongoing war between the polarized factions created after a devastating nuclear attack: the Federated States and the Eastern Confederation. The political and military world is drastically different from the real world we know and battles are fought primarily in Mechanized Assault Vehicles, or MAVs. Essentially, you can pilot these anime-inspired mechs into battle. There are multiple MAVs, each with its own abilities and specialties. Each side has similar MAVs, such as scouts, heavy assault mechs, and tanks. The Federated States appear to specialize in laser and plasma weapons, while the Eastern Confederation have powerful rocket attacks, such as the Spider Missiles and Gattling Cannons. And of course, some of the mechs have the ability to use jump jets, which is useful for avoiding a barrage of missiles heading right for you or for quickly scaling a mountain.

The factions add a lot to the game. You don't have to play games that simply end with a winner and loser. Your battles are actually part of a larger war. DH:LI's Comcent system will allow players to direct their teams towards territorial objectives across the continent. The persistent universe aspect just adds another dimension to an already compelling game. Each battle on an official server will affect the outcome of the war. It's kind of like MMO gaming but without the subscription!

DH:LI features multiple types of games, including Arena, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Core, Raid (which is like Capture the Core, except one team is primarily on defense), and Assault, where you try to capture all way-points on the map. If you're in the mood for arcade style action, then you can set players to respawn indefinitely when a player dies. If you would like something more strategic, then limit the number of lives available. You can set time limits, kill limits, and even change whether factions will be enforced. If they are enforced, you can't change sides mid-game once you have joined a faction.

The MAVs can be configured as well. Besides having a choice of primary guns and missiles to choose from, you can change the balance between speed and armor. You may prefer to lumber into battle, brushing off missiles as you go, or you may want to run circles around your opponent, or something in between. Each mech type also has a special weapon that can be used. Scouts, besides being able to cloak, can drop mines, infantry can call in air strikes, heavy assault mechs can use flame throwers, and tanks can deploy automated turrets. These combinations make for some interesting battles.

It is especially interesting when playing online with a large number of people. I was able to play team battles where each side had at least eight people. The game can host more than 64 players at once! The battles can get pretty intense, with shots coming from multiple directions. I saw some amazing tactics being employed by the players. One of them shot at me and starting running into the base, and as I gave chase, I ran right into the air strike he had launched not seconds ago! Other players tried amphibious attacks to surprise the enemy from a river, but this naturally works best with cloaked scouts. Also, the game features an Instant Action mode, so you can get right into the game and fight against bots without waiting around for your friends. Unfortunately I didn't see much of a single player option besides that, which is too bad. Still, the multiplayer aspect should provide plenty of fun battles.

If you are a fan of mech-based games, keep your eye on Dark Horizons: Lore Invasion! Max Gaming Technologies has big plans for an already big game!