Mech Commander 2

Mech Commander 2
by Microsoft

Mech Commander 2
List Price: $16.99
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Product Summary

Brand: Microsoft
Format: CD-ROM
Release Date: 2001-07-21
Platform: Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows Me
Model: C01-00008
Publisher: Microsoft
Accessories:

Video Game Reviews of Mech Commander 2

Customer Review: Not bad, but too easy
Summary: 4 Stars

The original Mech Commander was very challenging and rewarding when missions were completed, and indeed exhilarating when the campaign was won. Then came Mech Commander Gold (MCG), with all of its newer features and commands for easier gameplay. MCG's new campaign didn't have the oomph that the first, original campaign did, mainly because the new controls made things a little too easy. Mech Commander 2 continues this trend, with an intuitive interface that somewhat oversimplifies the game into something that can be beaten in several days. I won this campaign in two days on the normal setting.

I liked this game because I am a Battletech fan. However, while it has both good and bad points (following below), it just lacked the challenge of the first one. After successfully winning that difficult game, I quickly dispatched this one into the past-game void.

Good Points

1) Lots of Battletech-y stuff to play with and blow up
2) Interesting storyline (albeit some over the top acting)
3) Good LOS rules
4) While the game is rather linear, as noted in other reviews, the idea of being a mercenary band is interesting

Bad Points

1) Easiest setting is too easy, hardest setting is too hard (taking two Bloodasp assault 'mechs against infantry and getting torn to pieces)
2) Campaign is too short, too easy for veteran Mech Commanders
3) Mission Editor is complicated to learn and use
4) All 'mechs (Clan and Inner Sphere) follow limited Omnimech rules, like most other offerings from FASA Interactive

Overall, I would give this a 3 1/2 star rating, depending on one's level of experience with the Mech Commander series.

Description of Mech Commander 2

Know what it is to command. As a MechCommander??, you command a unit of mercenary MechWarriors in a real-time strategy game of power, combat, and treachery set in the BattleTech Universe. Order your 'Mechs to divide and conquer the enemy as you become deeply involved in a bitter struggle for power among three warring noble houses.
Based on the BattleTech tabletop board games, MechCommander 2 is a mission-based real-time strategy game in which you control gigantic mechanized vehicles (Mechs). While the focus is on strategic combat, preparation plays an equally vital part. How you prepare for a battle is often more important than the actual tactics you use during a fight. Your success will depend greatly on discovering new technology and implementing it within your Mechs. You can be victorious with the most rudimentary strategies as long as you've picked the proper weaponry beforehand. Between missions you're treated to entertaining full-motion video scenes that lead you to your next objective.

Although the game makes some key improvements on the original, it has its fair share of problems. First off, it's totally linear. There's never a need to stray from the key objectives because there's nothing else to discover or achieve. The artificial intelligence, while greatly improved, has a tendency to jump the gun and attack enemies immediately, making stealth tactics difficult. Lastly, the system requirements are misleading--even on a 1 GHz machine with a GeForce3-based graphics card, there's plenty of slowdown when the screen is filled with units. On the positive side, the gameplay is tight, Mech customization is deep, and this is one of the few RTS games where 3-D environments factor into tactics. --Raymond M. Padilla

Pros:

  • Nice use of 3-D for an RTS
  • Great graphics
  • Witty cutscenes
Cons:
  • Trigger-happy artificial intelligence
  • Misleading system requirements
  • Low replay value

Take control of an entire company of the most fearsome military machines in history: BattleMechs! As a MechCommander, you command a unit of mercenary MechWarriors in a real-time strategy game of power, combat, and treachery set in the sci-fi BattleTech universe. Order your huge, heavily armed BattleMechs to divide and conquer the enemy as you become deeply involved in a bitter struggle for power among three warring noble houses.

MechCommander 2 is fully 3-D, with state-of-the-art terrain that you can manipulate to your advantage. Knock down trees, blow through walls, jump jet onto cliffs, and step on things standing in your way to victory.

In MechCommander 2, you're not just fighting one battle, but are waging an extensive, persistent campaign. Develop your team into the perfect fighting force. Recover and retaliate. In the heat of battle, you can now request reinforcements to gain a tactical advantage. Repair trucks, minelayers, scout tanks, and more can be flown in during missions.

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