Mech Commander 2

The Good
as a RTS game, it succeeds... it's not very difficult, nor does it have many elements that are standard in other RTS games (a tech tree, building your own buildings, etc.), but that's not what it intends to do. It's a small unit game (you never control more than half a dozen or so 'Mechs) and go out and complete missions (which are pretty much exclusively kill and/or capture missions). The true charm of this game can only be appreciated by a fan of the BattleTech universe. Just like the classic Wing Commander 2, you don't care how repetitive the missions might be, you're spending sleepless nights to complete another mission to advance the absolutely phenomenal storyline. This game has obviously designed by someone with attachment to the BattleTech universe and a great attention for detail. Every major personality is superbly acted inbetween scenes, and the twists and turns make for a highly engrossing storyline that's not to be missed.

Also, the animation is superb. The 'mechs and their surroundings look very neat, and you can swivel the camera and zoom as you please. The controls are very good (although there wasn't much to do wrong, as there aren't as many complex options as in most other RTS games), and there are enough options in choice of 'mechs, modifying such 'mechs between missions, and choice of pilots for such 'mechs to guarantee some replay value. And even though the missions are repetitive, the designers tried to spice it up a bit, with building designs changing, some missions are at night and some during heavy rainfall, etc. A lot of other games are missing such simple but effective variations.

The Bad
Honestly, if it wasn't set in the BattleTech universe, neat storyline and all, I would still like the game (as I like most decent RTS games) but would consider it above average at best. The options aren't that many, the missions are slightly repetitive. And - even though most players won't be bothered by this - the game doesn't stick as close to the BattleTech boardgame as I would have liked (even though it sticks very well to the flair of the BattleTech universe). The 'Mech customization - while interesting - has nothing to do with how you'd do the same in a boardgame, and the choice of 'Mechs, Vehicles, etc. in this game - while quite a few - aren't exactly classic boardgame adaptations... I actually believe a few of these have been newly designed just for this game. The point of this eludes me as the BattleTech universe has been around since the 80's and has plenty of existing source material to draw from as it is.

The Bottom Line
A must-have for any BattleTech fan, and well worth a look to a RTS fan. These days it's usually obtainable cheap and/or as part of compilations, and at a bargain price it's a pleasant waste of time and money well spent.