Mech Commander 2

The Good
One of the strengths of this game was its story and its immersion in the Battletech universe. Unlike Mechwarrior 4 or 2 or the expansions to either, this game allows you to become instantly familiarized with the politics of the Inner Sphere. Throughout the plot line there is a constant level of side-switching and allegiance trading (you are a mercenary commander) that does serve to keep you interested.

The sound and graphics are quite similar to MW4, however, as this is a strategy game, you are unable to take a driver's seat. You are given full 3-d control of the camera as well as limited zoom capabilities. As is the case in many "fully 3-d" strategy games, this is of limited utility and can sometimes serve to distract rather than assist. Almost all of the weapons and mechs look and sound exactly as they did in MW4, although there are a few weapons you won't have seen in that game. Additionally, weapon effects are different in this game than they were in MW4, as is the mech lineup and their loadouts.

The mechs themselves are quite well-balanced, just as they were in MW4. Of course, heavy is better, but there are trade-offs to consider. Heat functions differently in this game. All in all, the mech bay is one of the most interesting parts of the game, just as it was (for me) in MW4.

Additionally, you have a choice of pilots for the mechs you use in each mission. As you use each pilot, he or she gains experience in targeting and piloting and also acquires certain perks as they "level up" (green, regular, veteran, elite). This is a cool part of the game but it does eventually prompt you to simply use the same pilots over and over again, as there are not enough missions or tons to field more than 3-4 pilots on each mission.

The game design is quite good actually. You start each mission with the mechs you drop in with. Additionally, you can capture "resource points" that are used to order in artillery, repair trucks, or to capture disabled mechs. This is the "strategy" aspect of the game, but I found I didn't employ it much. Frequently, the mechs you begin with are sufficient, along with a couple of repair trucks, to complete mission. The missions themselves are pretty standard (attack, defend, convoy, etc) and mostly simply consist of destroying all the enemies that show up. It is exciting, however, especially in the later missions, to see dozens of laser blasts and mechs exploding. The missions take you throughout a variety of terrain, just as MW4 did, which keeps them from becoming too monotonous. The small briefing clips also help in this respect. You can tell that throughout the game, a mind was being directed towards making things balanced. It is well-thought out, but is unclear if this is due to the quality of the source (battletech) or the game.

Ultimately, it's a fun game. If you're a a fan of MW4, you'll find you can slide immediately into this game and play it in almost the same way.

The Bad
The gameplay and mission design is ultimately boring. By the end of the game I was ready for it to be over. There is nothing truly compelling about the game that wasn't present in MW4, but this game lacks the skill factor that was present in MW4 which allowed you to pilot a mech.

This is NOT necessarily a weakness of the game (since strategy games are ALL point and click interfaces) given its genre, but since it's not precisely a strategy game either (hardly any resource management) but rather a tactics game, it's not exactly a strength either.

MC2 lacks the thrill of piloting that I think drew so many to the MW series, as you feel divorced from the action viewing mechs fight it out in small scale. Zooming in helps, but it's not the same.

The reuse of many of the sounds and visuals from MW4 (though not as detailed) was a bit disappointing in my opinion, especially as this game came out a year after MW4. I think this game is an example of a hybrid that didn't work out as planned. Hybrid games are quite often marginal or worse, with Warcraft 3 being the exception, rather than the rule.

The Bottom Line
This game is good, but objectively, the gameplay is unfulfilling. The plot is engaging, the graphics are dated by today's standards (i'm looking forward to MW5, if it ever gets made) but it's still battletech. I would recommend picking it up if you see it for 15-20 bucks, as it is a game of reasonable length (15 hrs) and the enjoyability is acceptable. It's simply not as exciting or compelling as MW4 was. It is uncertain if that's the game's fault or if it's a failing of the subgenre, but either way, the game is ultimately not as good as it perhaps could have been.

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.

The Good
First, the cutscenes are movie quality like a news show, news reports and press conferences. It adds some realism to the game. The gameplay is simple. Mostly point and shoot. The graphics are incredible and the animations are smooth enough to put on your toast. Customizing your mechs is terrific. Just choose the weapons you want and put them in. The game isn't overly complicated like some and has a level of simplicity while still offering a challenge. The chatter your guys say makes the game realistic. You can even choose who pilots what make and give them attributes like laser specialist. The story is great. A lot of strategy is in it. You can capture enemy defenses, deploy turrets, repair trucks and even bomb enemy bases. The A.I. is also sharp. Unlike the braindead enemies in Mechwarrior 3.

The Bad
First, no matter how good it is, it can't compare with the action ones. Mechwarrior seems out of place in the RTS environment. The game is kind of short, so you may be disappointed to finish it. Last and sadly, the game, like Mechwarrior 3, turns a lot of the missions into "destroy one enemy mech, repair, repeat" kind of mission.

The Bottom Line
An above average RTS game well worth checking out.