The game is set in an alternate universe where mecha known as HOUNDs battle for control of Neroimus, a fictional region near the Black Sea.

[2] Chromehounds takes place in an alternate history that diverges in 1945, with the founding of weapons manufacturer Rafzekael in the wake of World War II.

In 1980, Rafzekael unveiled the first Advanced Combat Vehicle (ACV), a mech based on a stolen American design for a bipedal tank.

In 2003, the Mercenary's unit is deployed to the Neroimus region as local tensions soar due to internal instabilities and a series of skirmishes along the three countries' shared borders.

The Mercenary also encounters two members of Cerberus Squad, a legendary three-man HOUND unit known for its powerful weapons and ruthless tactics.

In 2006, Sal Kar builds a forward base in the mountainous Tagin region, where the borders of all three Neroimus countries meet.

Tarakia and Morskoj denounce the base's presence as an act of aggression, but Sal Kar claims it is a defensive measure necessitated by the ongoing border skirmishes.

Five months later, the completed Sal Kari base comes under attack by an unknown HOUND unit, and amid the confusion all three countries mobilize for full-scale war.

Rafzekael sends the Mercenary to destroy the interlopers and discovers they are Cerberus Squad, whose third member is revealed to be Edgardo.

Before Edgardo dies, he acknowledges the Mercenary's skill, but asserts that the attack on the Sal Kari base has made war inevitable, which will satisfy his mysterious employer.

[7] Maxim gave it a score of four stars out of five, saying, "Not unlike when you used to select frilly ensembles for your little sister's Barbie collection (when no one was looking), Chromehounds lets you play big, bad burly man.

"[18] The Sydney Morning Herald gave it two-and-a-half stars out of five and said that it "offers a smattering of explosive action" as long as players "don't fall asleep at the wheel".