Mech some noise! It's back and it's harder than ever!

The original MechAssault stomped onto Xbox back in November 2002, and since launch developer Day 1 has been busy building a second helping of heavy metal that'll make your eyes and ears bleed.

As renowned spoof rock band Spinal Tap would say, everything has been turned up to 11. The single-player game has expanded in every direction, the Xbox Live multiplayer options have improved, the special effects are to die for and the environments are far more destructible than even the original. But the biggest change to the robo-stomping formula is the ability to pilot almost every mech you find in the game. This time round, you are the man and not just the machine.

Rather than beginning each linear level in a different mech specifically tooled up for the job in hand, you have a choice of jumping in and out of not just enemy mechs, but also tanks scattered around each level. Many of the objectives require you to hop in a certain model. This is fine if it's just sitting there waiting to be nicked, but sometimes there's already someone in it firing big rockets at you, which makes it tricky to sneak up from behind in a huge mech of your own.

But Day 1 has come up with a solution. As the emphasis this time round is more on the person driving the mech than the metal hulk itself, a new feature has been implemented that really works. Now you can jump on the back of enemy mechs, perform a simple puzzle, and bring it to its knees by ejecting the pilot.

Lone Wolf's story, cutscenes and gameplay remain pretty much the same compared to the original. Even the over-the-top American military voiceovers are back, sounding exactly the same as before. And with basic gameplay exactly the same, you'll be forgiven for thinking you're playing the original at times.

You play the role of the same nameless MechWarrior, and the story picks up where the original left off. The futuristic sci-fi plot orbits around the idea of searching out several data cores that hold the key to powers beyond belief. Your team of Dragoons is locked in a race for the cells against an evil empire, hellbent on getting to each one first. Impressive little cutscenes keep things moving and, more importantly, keep you up to speed with what's going on and where you're at.

Gameplay is pretty much 'shoot everything that moves'. If you played the first one you'll have no problem slipping right back into the cockpit of the mechs. The Left stick moves the mech in the direction you want, while the Right one aims its huge array of weapons. By pulling the Left trigger, you cycle through the two or three (depending on what type of mech you've commandeered) weapon choices, and Right unleashes hell.

Most of the mechs you come across have the ability to hover for a handful of seconds. The ones that can't are usually too heavy and slow due to the amount of armour and size of weapons. You can hover by clicking and holding the Left thumbstick, while clicking the Right stick activates your mech's other special ability. This can be anything from a shield to a magnetic field that makes it impossible for the enemy's weapons to get a lock on you. These functions last for a limited time and slowly recharge over time. If you're to be successful in battles - and there are a lot of 'em - you'll need to be able to use everything the mech has to offer.

Each level is extremely linear. On-screen icons identify the way forward, or objects that need to be demolished, in order to complete your objectives. You'll never find yourself drifting around huge empty levels wondering where you should be going next. The game's designed this way to keep the action levels high - all the time. Wave after wave of enemies are constantly thrown at you, and you'll spend the same amount of time hammering the fire button as you would playing Halo 2 on Live.

The quest for the holy data cores and total destruction of the enemy leads you across the universe and many different environments. You'll get to wreak havoc in skyscraper-covered cities, huge great dirty swamps and snow-capped mountain bases. But again, these look all too similar to the original. Because you can now get out of the mech and run around on foot, a handful of levels involve you having to sneak around and plant explosives on designated targets. Frankly, these get in the way of testosterone-fuelled heavy weapon mayhem, as you're a sitting duck whenever you get caught - which you will.

All too often, it's too easy to get stuck on debris as you run for your life from a tank or enemy mech. Thankfully though, these levels are few and far between. MechAssault 2is incredible to look at. While the gameplay might not be mind-blowing, the visual eye candy on offer certainly is - just look at these screens. Everything from explosions to weapons powering up is awesome. You'll be hard pressed to find a prettier game, and it's a great example of a developer squeezing every last drop of juice out of the world's most powerful console. We'd love to see how other consoles would manage this, but as it's a Microsoft-developed product, it's exclusive to us. If you like your action constant and great to look at without gameplay taxing your brain at all, you won't go wrong here.

1. Stunning to look at in every sense, this really does show off the advantages of owning an Xbox.
2. Sounds, looks and feels all too similar to the original; the series hasn't moved on enough.
3. Fully destructible environments combined with mega-powerful weapons make for a great experience.
4. Ability to jump in and out of mechs as well as steal them from other players adds a new dimension.
5. A host of multiplayer options will keep you stomping after the single-player game's dealt with.

A visual feast of spectacular effects and non-stop action that's easy on the brain and pleasing to the eyes.