Types of gameplay
There are three areas in this game.
In most modes NPCs fill the map. Squads of soldiers or drones, in Frontier Defense they come even with mechs. LOTS of mechs.
1. The campaign
Your normal single player campaign. It is a very, very good campaign, you can replay chapters if you want to and it is really like a long (ca. 4 hours) tutorial for the multi-player. It shows you how to fight on foot and how to fight with the mech.
The story is good enough and some people play it multiple times.
Some, not looking into a mirror, nope, play the last chapter many, many times to have a "relaxed" chance to try different mechs.
2. Frontier Defense
This is a coop mode where normally four players defend against waves of incoming enemies.
Multiple difficulties, the mechs grow until level 20, thereafter you only get skins and the like.
You can play it alone, but it is brutally difficult, so coop is the preferred way to do it. And more fun anyway.
3. Multiple normal Multiplayer modes
There are "normal" multiplayer modes, like CTF, Team Death Match and others. Some with mechs, some without mechs and some where you can get a mech during gameplay.
About the game
The graphics are very good, the gameplay is fast, the controls are very good too, sound is good, everything is good.
Really.
No joke there. The game is just fun to play.
Don't know about others, but I don't really play it to be the best or for the highscore, I just play it because the weapons and the mechs are just so much fun to use.
It is kind of a problem when you can't decide which weapons to use or which mech/titan to bring, when they are all fun.
Pistols, SMGs, Assault Rifles, Grenade Launchers, Sniper Rifles, Machine Guns... they are all fun.
There ARE weapons which are better or much worse for certain scenarios.
But at least me, I don't ... don't .. I don't ... aehm.. ok. I DO care! :-)
But nevertheless, I tried them all and all were fun.
For most weapons you can level them and unlock certain features, like faster reload, larger magazine or a smart targeting scope which shows enemies in smoke. But you have to choose what you want. So, there are many ways to play the game. And nearly all of them are fun.
There is a certain probability that you are unable to join Multi-Player when you install the game for the first time.
Something about processor flags or so? Not sure.
But you can play in Multi-Player, if you are unlucky and have to find the solution before you can play: "/petting the unlucky person".
The mechs are totally different each.
From melee fighter, over flamethrower to different "normal" mid range shooter mechs to a sniper, everything is there. But there are not many, seven if I remember correctly. For each you can unlock certain choices and play the mech the way you want.
The game is just good and fun. Not for ranked anything, but for fancy firefights which border on the insane sometimes.
You can open a private server and play the way you want with your friends.
Two of the modes have then bots, but only grunts (normal soldiers) who run around.
But to be honest, the most fun is with random people in this game.