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Mechwarrior
3 © Microprose
"What
began as a simple industrial loader has become the single most
feared fighting system of our 31st century. Weighing up to 100 tons
and bristling with devastating weapons, BattleMechs rule supreme on
the battlefield. However, it is the pilot of the 'Mech that is the
true difference in any battle. Linked via a neuro-helmet, the pilot
is the key to harnessing this behemoth. Both angel and demon, there
is no more terrifying moment than the increasing vibration of the
ground as a 'Mech approaches you. Fusion powered, myomer muscled and
armored to the teeth. Take a look at our world of Mechs!"
I
cannot think of any better way to describe the feeling a Mechwarrior
game gives you, even from the very beginning I was hooked on this
incredible series of games. The latest installment, Mechwarrior 3
really sets itself apart from its predecessors by adding brand new
technology to an already great style of game. The original
Mechwarrior was quite impressive for its time, boasting what were
good graphics at the time with an intense original gameplay. Then
came the real deal, Mechwarrior 2 that, at the time was one of the
best selling games on the market. There were numerous variants of the
game, including 3DFX-enhanced versions and Pentium enhanced versions
(Pentiums were new at the time), and it sold like no other game did before.
Have
you ever felt like strapping yourself into a 100-ton battle machine
and blasting the crap out of anything that comes in your way? On some
days, I'm sure we all feel we could do that, and Mechwarrior 3
provides a fitting experience to meet your needs. Since the game is
entirely fictional, like any simulator in the fictional field, it is
difficult to make the game feel realistic. Why you ask? Well, the
designers can't exactly go outside and sit in their Battlemechs to
see what it feels like; it is all improvised and created from
imagination. One thing is for sure though, they did a damn fine job.
The
missions are no longer set to one specific path, well even though
they are quite linear they unfold like the plot in a mystery movie.
The briefings themselves are quite amazing, sometimes being 10
minutes long with full introductions to the background, purpose,
objectives and enemies in every single mission. Your commander may
give you a certain set of tasks, but as you are playing the mission
more enemies may drop in unexpected by your teammates, forcing your
commander to change your mission parameters on the fly. I've noticed
this to become a trend in a lot of the new simulation games, the idea
is to make you think you know what to do and then drop in more
objectives when you least expect it. All in all, it works quite well
and is an effective way of keeping the gamer's attention.
As far
as controls go, I definitely suggest a joystick. Particularly a
Microsoft joystick (since Microsoft helped publish the game, there is
a lot of Microsoft peripheral support right out of the box). While
the game is playable with the keyboard, like nearly every simulation
you will not get full control without a Joystick. For my playing, I
used a Microsoft Sidewinder 3D Pro, and it worked quite well. There
was no need to setup any controls, as it already had pre-configured
the Joystick for me. Fans of Mechwarrior 2 will be pleased to know
that the game's controls are almost identical in MW3.
Multiplayer
is truly and experience you will never forget, and never stop
enjoying! Ever since Netmech I thought the idea of battling in your
own battlemechs over a network was an amazing idea, and they have
finally perfected it. It features the ever-popular Microsoft
Directplay networking code, which seems to work quite well for the
hundreds of games that support it. I found it to run flawlessly over
the network with my friends over, and over the Internet the lag time
was quite respectable. There are many different variants you can play
in multiplayer also. After setting up your player preferences and
customizing your Mechs, there are many variants available.
Free-for-all mode is just your basic deathmatch, where everyone kicks
each other's asses for the most kills. Teamplay is the same concept,
except it's 2 or more teams competing. I prefer Teamplay mode,
because you can plan attacks with your friends against the enemies
and even play co-operatively against the computer. In a nutshell, the
multiplayer section of the game is amazing. (Editor Note: This
person tested the game on a high-speed DSL line, 56k speed may vary).
Sound
effects are blasted at you in full surround sound, accompanied by an
amazing symphony of music; the audio in Mechwarrior 3 is truly
superb. You hear every single sound you could think of, from the
crashing of your thunderous mechs on the sand, oceans, and rubble, to
the swooping missile launches from your shoulder mounted missile
launchers. It would have been nice if there were a bit more ambient
sound effects, although there is the buzzing of the computers inside
your cockpit, some wind or better weather sound effects would have
suited the game well.
Graphics
are where the game really shines, I have yet to see any Mech
simulation that can compete with the amazing level of detail put into
the textures boasted in MW3. The terrains look awesome at high
resolutions, with every curve of sand and rubble showing up in the
light and shadowed in the dark. Even the inside of your Mech is
detailed, with every instrument specially crafted in a fully 3D
engine. When a Mech's arm or leg gets blown off, you can see the
wiring and sparks flying out of the sockets. When you crash through
the water, it ripples as if you were running through it in real life.
Amazing lighting effects with smoke trails accompany missiles, and
the machine guns scar everything they hit. If you ever wondered what
it would be like to test-drive a Battlemech, look no further, for
this game's graphics will blow you away!
In
conclusion, you can tell I really enjoyed playing Mechwarrior 3. It
provides an innovative and fun style of gameplay, which is
incomparable to anything else in the simulation genre. The developers
have really put a lot of attention into the detail of the game, and
it shows. So gear up, strap in and start blasting away in your
100-ton machine of devastation, the ride is killer!
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GAME
TYPE
Mech
Sim
REQUIREMENTS
200MHz
Pentium or faster, Windows 95 or Windows 98, DirectX 6.0 or later,
64MB RAM, High Color graphics (1024 x 768 x 16-bit color), Direct3D
graphics accelerator, Hard drive (390MB free), DirectX-compatible
sound card, Joystick
PRICE
$49.99
REVIEWER
M.M.
INFORMATION
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Published |
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Demo? |
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Release
date |
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92% |
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Quick
Summary:
It's
what people all waited for, and they weren't disappointed. |
SCREENSHOTS
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