MechWarrior 2

The term "pc port" often I makes console gamers A wince because many PC titles suffer severely in the switch. MechWarrior 2 deftly avoids that pitfall, ditching the complexity of the classic PC sim in favor of gripping arcade-style mayhem.

Set in the popular Battle-Tech universe, Mech 2 drops you into a war between Clan Wolf and Clan Jade-Falcon. As a grunt at the helm of a mech loaded with hellacious firepower, you destroy enemy installations, collect intel, and more in the fight for your clan's supremacy.

Mech 2's frenzied combat and huge, varied lineup of missions make for blistering gameplay. But Mech 2's not without its flaws: The absence of multiplayer action's a real downer, and some of the missions are dull and unchallenging. Still, it leaves posers like Krazy Ivan munching mech exhaust. Mech 2's a battle worth signing up for.

Graphics

Mech 2 shines with cleanly detailed mechs, sizzling weapons effects, and nicely textured landscapes. The worlds look a little too polygonal and sterile, but you'll spend most of your time staring down incoming fire anyway.

Sound

The solid sounds perform just fine. The grinding guitar tunes wear thin, but the raucous roar of the weapons and exploding mechs commands most of your attention.

Control

With practice, Mech 2' sresponsive controls enable you to whip through the battlefield with ease. Still, a third-person view would've been real handy in crowded combat, and the mech-maintenance screens are too tricky.

Fun Factor

If mech combat's your thing, Mech 2 ranks as the PlayStation commander-in-chief. Even without two-player action, the fierce combat, awesome weapons, and unending missions offer plenty of fun for one.

One of the top PC games is heading to 32-bit country as Mech-Warrior 2 makes the leap to the PlayStation and Saturn. Based on the popular BattleTech board games, Mech 2 plunges you into the cockpit of one of 12 mean, monstrous BattleMechs that loom like skyscrapers but fight like tanks on steroids. Before the fray, you must swear loyalty to either the Jade Falcon Clan or the Wolf Clan, then customize your mech from a choice of more than 20 weapons. The mech-versus-mech mayhem goes down in more than 16 missions on ice planets, in grimy urban settings, and on harsh desert worlds. Mech pros can take on the Career mode, which puts you to the test in a long string of missions that reward success with upgraded equipment.

Mercenaries is a prequel to Activision's 1995 blockbuster hit, MechWarrior 2, which pumped out outrageous first-person cock-pit-view mech fighting. The story starts 18 years prior to MechWarrior 2 as the Mech soldiers of the Inner Sphere begin their wars. You fight to acquire C-bills which you use to build a mercenary squad of mechs for an epic war. Mercenaries features 30 new mechs and missions, based on FASA's BattleTech universe. A nonlinear gameplay feature makes it possible for each mission to have a variety of outcomes depending on a player's performance. Moreover, Mercenaries will feature dynamic progression so that damage sustained in one battle will carry over into subsequent missions. A built-in multiplayer component, MercNet, will enable head-to-head competition via modem or up to eight-player battles over a local-area network. If you're into mechanical mayhem, this game may Mech your day.

Mech mayhem is about to get an upgrade. PC players will climb into 14 polygon-based Mechs (based on the FASA Battletech designs) to take on 50 combat missions. For added realism, pyrotechnics were applied to miniature 3D models to create explosive video footage that was digitized for the game.

FEEL THE BURN!

With more than two years in the making, this powerful sequel to the original Mech Warrior will undoubtedly prove to be one of the most sophisticated mech simulators ever to hit the PC. From the very first time you step into the cockpit of your 100-ton metal-shredding mech, you will be introduced to an entirely new kind of world-one filled with sight, sound, action and above all danger! Anything that looks and plays as flawlessly as MW2 was not an easy thing to create. The complete MW2 team consisted of more than 25 different people each with his/her own unique talents ranging from some of the top graphic artists in the world to renowned aerospace industry veterans. The team used special effects and motion-capture technologies to simulate human movements in order to have each mech look as realistic as possible. Once completion of the mechs were taken care of, six designers were brought in to work on developing 50 missions that take place on different worlds, each with its own terrains and environmental conditions. Some of the different settings that will serve as your battleground throughout the game include urban landscapes, ice fields, a desert sandstorm and even a postapocalyptic cityscape.

Any great Battle Simulator has two very important elements to it: you and the enemy. Mech Warrior 2 uses a sophisticated artificial intelligence that simulates real environmental conditions, such as gravity, weather, size and weight. Putting all the technical aspects aside, what makes Mech Warrior 2 such a great game is its perfect balance of sophistication, realism and fun.

THE ULTIMATE BATTLE AWAITS...

Mech Warrior 2 will support a variety of different input devices--the mouse and the keyboard of course. But for the more intense player, how about flight and weapon control systems, foot pedals and even head-mounted displays? The controls for the mech are split into five different categories: weapons, targeting, HUD controls, mech piloting, view controls and last but not least, super controls. With more than 53 different keyboard commands, there's no use going into detail, but some of the more impressive abilities that go with the responsibility of being a mech pilot include controls for enhanced imaging, com link to give orders to your fellow star-mates and a satellite uplink complete with a zooming radar.

One of the most important features of the game will be the ability to go head to head with a fellow comrade with the aid of a modem. As far as the Mechs go, there will be 15 to choose from, each with a variety of lethal armaments that can be custom designed to suit each player. There are two different modes to choose when playing, either the Career Mode or the Trials of Grievance. In the Career Mode, you can pick to defend either the Jade Falcon or the Wolf Clan. In either case your goal is to advance rank. If you have successfully battled your way to the top, you will achieve the status of Khan, Leader of the Clan. There is only one challenge that awaits you. Defeat the Khan of the opposing Clan and you will be rewarded with the highest honor. Il-Khan, leader of the clans. The Trials of Grievance is unique, in the fact that you can fully customize your mission, where you want to battle, with who, and how many is the name of the game. The best part about the Trials of Grievance is the fact that instead of one on one, you control a whole team of mechs.

After a humiliating defeat, the Clans retreated to their world. Now you seek to become Khan and lead the next attack on Ter-ran space. To gain control, you must strap yourself into one of 15 battlemechs, each with unique lethal armaments. The 50-plus missions take place across urban landscapes and deserts. You fight from within a virtual 3D cockpit that rocks and rolls with the action and gives you a first-person 360-degree perspective. A network package enables up to eight players to battle cooperatively or competitively.

Overview

Straight off your PC monitor onto your Playstation console television, Mech Warrior 2 looks to hit it big with the arcade crowd. What, you have never played, or even heard of Mech Warrior 2 for the PC? Doesn't matter, because the people at Activision have rebuilt this game and overhauled it for the console market with the hopes that it will achieve the success of its PC predecessor.

First, since the game is titled Mech Warrior 2, us intelligent people think that they must have released a Mech Warrior 1. The answer is yes, but it never made it to the console market. With that in mind, live in the now and just accept the fact that the Playstation only has one Mech Warrior game. Then again, if the game was completely rebuilt from the PC counterpart, why didn't they just call it _Mech Warrior-? Sorry, I just said to accept it and then started rambling... Anyway, let's just say there is a somewhat decorated past in the Mech Warrior family tree.

So what is Mech Warrior 2 all about? Well, not much is revealed about the whys and hows Mech Warrior 2 came about, but we can assume that the game takes place in the future (this was easy to figure out because the cover calls it 31st century combat. It is observations like this that make me the BIG bucks!). The object is quite simple. Pick a Mech, which is roughly defined as a big metal machine that walks on two mechanical legs and is heavily armed, and walk around various worlds and fight your way through different missions or just blow away other Mechs for fun. Sounds cool to me!

Gameplay

Describing the gameplay of Mech Warrior 2 is a bit difficult because the game is so unique. I guess the best way to describe the game is a shooter. This is not really a fair title because it is so much more than just a mindless shooter. Actually, it is almost too much more than a mindless shooter but we will get into that later. So, we will classify it as a shooter that draws heavily on strategy and planning.

There are a number of gameplay options available that range from the player who wants to jump in and start kicking ass to the player who wants to meticulously choose the weaponry and Mech for each individual mission. The first game choice available is called Wolf Clan. The Wolf Clan is either a 16 mission marathon or two separate 4 mission mini-marathons. You can select any of the available Mechs to battle through your selected mission. The next game choice available is called the Jade-Falcon Clan. This also has a 16 mission marathon and 2 more separate four mission minis. So, if you count that up, you have a total of 48 missions to conquer. Also, as mentioned above, Mech 2 has an Instant Action selection that let's you pick a Mech and start blastin'.

You will find yourself often consulting the Training section. The training menu gives you six training options to help you learn the ins and outs of using your Mech. The first training option is the Mech handling training. This helps you learn the basics of piloting your Mech through the worlds and missions. The next training selection is designed to help you with the weapon system and usage. Then, you can learn the intricacies of hunting other opponents. The fifth training mode is inspection training and ends up with a trial test that puts all of your newly acquired skills to the test.

The training section is excellent, but it also is one of my gripes. Traditionally, PC games are more involved than console games. Any game that requires the player to go through intense training just to learn how to play the game just may be too involved for console gamers. Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that PC gamers are more intelligent or sophisticated than console gamers but console gamers traditionally prefer games that are geared more towards action with a quicker learning curve than PC'ers who prefer the in-depth simulation type games. Mech Warrior 2 has trimmed out some of the simulation aspects and pumped up the action some but I think it may be a bit too much for your everyday arcade fan.

Along these same lines, a big part of the game is centered around configuring your Mech. Personally, I like a little freedom and flexibility but I also like to be able to play at the default options and just start wreaking some havoc. You can do this but you won't last too long so it makes the configuration of your Mech a crucial element in the game. Each Mech has different characteristics that allow you to equip it with certain weapons without exceeding the maximum weight limit for your Mech. Then you can get into grouping weapons that allows you to fire a group of weapons simultaneously for mass destruction. The whole process left my head spinning and wanting to pop in one of my retro games like Pac Man or Asteroids

Graphics

The graphics in Mech Warrior 2 are pretty cool. I really liked the combat scenes when you would cripple one of the enemy Mechs by blowing off a leg or arm. The worlds were fairly blocky looking but not in a bad way. I really wish the game offered different perspectives to play from because I am not a big fan of playing games from such a close perspective. I think an over-the-shoulder type perspective would have been perfect for this game. All in all, the graphics serve the game well.

Bottom Line

Mech Warrior 2 is a decent game that is a fairly unique style for the Playstation. I did enjoy the depth of the game and blowing legs off of Mechanical enemies is always good for a chuckle or two but I think that this game requires too much tinkering to be successful on a console system. If you are big into customization and having total control over all aspects of your Mech, you will probably love the game. I can't say that this will be a game for everyone but if this sounds like your cup of tea, you won't be disappointed.

Overview

Mechwarrior 2 is a game where the player pilots a large robot with lots of weapons against other large robots with lots of weapons. The game is played in first-person view, which means you will need a really powerful computer to get the best frame rate and effects. The designers of the game did a good job of creating a storyline and world to do battle in; this game captivated me from start to finish. If you enjoy fast, furious action, this game is for you. MechWarrior 2 can run in various resolutions, so you can decide based on your screen size and the type of equipment you use.

I really like having this kind of control over the game environment because it makes me feel that I am in command; just because my equipment is not as fast as the latest and greatest, I can still get enjoyment out of the game. Like Doom or Warcraft or any mission-based game, the MechWarrior struggles through progressively more difficult missions to reach the end of the game and ultimate victory. The story is well-developed and is built on between each new mission, so the player feels like he/she is an important part of a much larger overall galactic campaign. Of course, like most games of this genre, the player must win the current mission in order to move on to the next one. This is one of the game's drawbacks for me. If I had it my way, the player would go an alternate route in the game if a mission was lost, and the story would change accordingly. This way the story would be more seamless and it would make the game more intense, because you wouldn't want your clan to lose. There is just more on the line when you have control over the outcome of the whole game.

You can choose to play Clan Wolf or Clan Falcon. Unlike Command & Conquer or Warcraft, neither side is good or evil; they just have their own set of goals for their empire. I liked this because I felt like I could play either side and not be doomed to the bad guy role. A nice touch are the introduction videos for each side; they are very well-done and effectively get you into the MechWarrior world. Another great feature is the practice simulator where new (or seasoned) MechWarriors can go to sharpen their skills. This area is really detailed and nicely done, and it offers a challenge to any player level. It's one of the only practice sections in any game that is really worthwhile (LucasArts' X-Wing also has a great practice simulator). Fire up your HERC and I'll finish this thing up with some details.

Gameplay/Interface

I purchased the Microsoft SideWinder 3D edition of MechWarrior 2. This is a great combo and the digital joystick helps with precision immensely. I would recommend you use the SideWinder Pro with this game. The SideWinder's configuration file is already written in the game, so all you have to do is select it from the list of control options and you're off. I found it very easy to control my HERC and I never had problems with badly-positioned buttons or odd controls. I am biased, however, because I only played the game with the SideWinder joystick.

Graphics

Since the most important thing to me in a game is graphics, I'll have to say MechWarrior 2 is adequate. I like the way you can change resolutions and I like how fine you can go (1024x768 for you speed demons). I know it's hard to push the performance envelope any more, but I would like to see more textures and details in the super hi-res world. This may be asking too much, but as technology presses onward I'm sure there will be a game that satisfies even me. Overall, MechWarrior 2 does a good job with graphics and most gamers will appreciate that.

Audio

I used a standard SoundBlaster 16 with MechWarrior 2 and it was great. Activision did an outstanding job with audio in this game! The sounds of explosions and machine gun fire were awesome, right down to the metallic crunch of your huge HERC struggling up a hill. My favorite sound was the nice calm woman in the background saying "shutdown procedure initialized ... ammo explosion detected ... ejecting." No matter what happened, she never raised her voice or got upset! I wish the pilot could say the same.

Installation/Setup

I had no problems whatsoever setting up and configuring MechWarrior 2. The on-screen instructions are very straightforward and easy to understand, and on a fast machine it should take about 5 minutes to install. The setup program allows you to pick and choose your hardware settings, but it does not leave you out in the cold if you don't know all that technical stuff. Not only can you let the computer auto-configure each hardware setting, but you can test it right there after it's done and make any appropriate changes. Nice work in this area!

System Requirements

486 DX-66 (Pentium preferred), 8 MB RAM, sound card, VGA video, 14.4 modem (for NetMech)

Reviewed on: Pentium 133, 16 MB RAM

Bottom Line

Overall, MechWarrior 2 is an engaging first-person action game on the cutting edge of gaming technology. I got stuck on a couple of missions for a while, but soon mastered them and completed the game, and unless you set the difficulty to hard the average gamer should be able to finish this game. I liked the graphics, but they weren't quite interesting enough to be my ultimate pick. However, the gameplay and audio took up the slack to make for a really engaging experience. I give MechWarrior 2 a score of 87 out of 100 and would recommend it to any hardcore action/sim fan. Enjoy this one and be sure to pick up the expansion pack, Ghost Bear's Legacy; it's just as good if not better than the original game. 'Til next time.