It really encourages players to work together and find skill combinations that provide maximum benefit вЂ“ you could potentially have invisible, hyper-sprinting operatives with nano-gel armor rushing into battle if everyone coordinates their skills at the right time. For example, MotokoвЂ™s Thermo-Optic camouflage could render the entire team invisible, while SaitoвЂ™s Heat Sensor lets everyone spot hidden enemies. Each Tier 2 skill is more powerful, but some skills also provide your Tier 1 skill to any nearby player. Each skill slowly recharges to two tiered levels. ThatвЂ™s great for individual players, but the truly special touch is that skills can be shared. And thatвЂ™s not getting into the range of weapons available from the in-game market, letting you develop a custom load-out that reflects your cyber skill and particular play style. Then you have Batou, with a hidden missile launcher in his arm that makes short work of anything in his path. SaitoвЂ™s Heat Sensor allows players to see enemies through walls, making it far easier to prepare for their attacks. I would often find IshikawaвЂ™s machine-gun toting Cyber Sentry defending control points, preventing our entire team from getting close enough to recapture it. It can also be helpful when slipping past defending positions, such as when youвЂ™re trying to plant a bomb in First AssaultвЂs Demolition mode.ДЄnd thatвЂ™s just Kusanagi вЂ“ other characters have their own benefits. You can even still contribute to capturing control points when your invisibility is activated, making you harder to spot when the enemy tries to retake the position. As long as youвЂ™re not firing your weapons, and careful in your movements, you can sneak past unsuspecting enemies вЂ“ or make the first strike before theyвЂ™re even aware youвЂ™re there.

I spent my playtime as Major Kusanagi, whose Thermo-Optic Camo makes her an obvious stealth expert. The skills of each Section 9 character opens a new range of tactical options beyond the вЂњfind cover/flank/advanceвЂќ approaches typical to other games. The difference is First Assault clearly in the Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex universe, where cyberpunk elements are highly prominent. During our press event, we played a Team Deathmatch, Terminal Conquest (a Control Point capture mode), and Demolition (bomb-planting missions straight out of Counter-Strike). ItвЂ™s a minor detail, but one that truly reinforces that youвЂ™re playing Ghost in the Shell, and not some other multiplayer shooter with anime cyberpunk skins.ДЄs for gameplay itself, the matches are fairly typical multiplayer shooter fare вЂ“ at least on the surface. KusanagiвЂ™s deaths donвЂ™t simply knock her ragdoll over вЂ“ they make her cyborg shell explode into various robotic parts. But the most stark details are in your actual robot bodies. Director Aramaki will periodically appear on the intercom to discuss your teamвЂ™s progress. Each match opens with a familiar digital map view that quickly zooms down to your character.

That said, youвЂ™ll still have multiple KusanagiвЂ™s and BatouвЂ™s on your own team, but itвЂ™s not that distracting once the shooting actually starts.ДЇirst Assault also goes a long way towards capturing Stand Alone ComplexвЂs aesthetics. ItвЂ™s a nice touch that helps you quickly spot your opponents while grounding the battle in Ghost in the Shell lore. One Deathmatch might pit you against cybernetic soldiers, while the next has you facing human terrorists. Both teams take the role of Section 9, but opponent skins are altered to appear as enemies from your chosen episode. Each level is loosely based on Stand Alone Complex episodes, covering terrorist attacks and enemy engagements.

You might be wondering, how does First Assault handle opposing teams when everyone is a Section 9 agent? Simple: Make each team believe they are Section 9, but the enemy is not. You may have trouble choosing a preferred skill, but donвЂ™t worry too much вЂ“ other characters can be accessed by leveling up or purchasing in-game unlocks. Togusa can release hunter drones which track enemies and explode on contact. Borma uses a nano-gel armor that increases armor and HP over time. Kusanagi has Thermo-Optic camouflage, rendering her almost completely invisible to other players. Each personality comes with a unique cybernetic skill to activate on the battlefield. A robust selection from the anime is available here, including Major Kusanagi, Batou, Togusa, Ishikawa, and many others. After logging in, the first thing to do is unlock your main character.

Ghost in the shell first assault