MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries

The Good
Hot on the heels of the mega-blockbuster Mechwarrior 2, which redefined sci-fi simulations, Activision developed Mech2: Mercenaries. A sequel/spin-off which incorporates a more open-ended gameplay in which you, as the head of a Mercenary Mech unit, select the campaigns you wish to take and handle equipment, repairs, loadout, etc. with your own hard-earned money. Essentially, you could say that this is to Mechwarrior 2 what Privateer was to Wing Commander.

If you have a basic idea of the games I've mentioned then the above phrase should be enough to sell you on the idea of Mercenaries. If you are new to the genre then just imagine a sci-fi tank simulation in which the tanks are gigantic bi-pedal robots armed with giant lasers, particle cannons, missiles, etc. And when I say simulation I really mean simulation! Each aspect of the Mech piloting is accurately modeled, you can tilt and independently aim with your weapons, zoom in and out for precise aim, group weapons, etc. there are even a series of cool details like manual shutdown-overrides that only add to the realism. And Mercenaries adds a series of features like extended HUD customization, giving you the ability to handle the millions of status displays as you see fit as well as giving you even more viewing space.

Considering the campaign progress Mercs doesn't take you on a pre-set series of missions that weave a larger plot like on the original Mech2. Instead, the game bases it's "plot" of sorts in a series of key mini-campaigns that eventually develop on the Inner's Sphere first encounter with the Clans (placing Mercs prior to Mechwarrior 2 and placing you on the other side of the conflict). As the leader of a buddying Mercenary unit, you'll be taking the campaigns as you see fit, and alternating them with randomly generated missions. The excitement is of course in the campaigns as they pack the most variety in their challenges. From taking control of enemy vehicles and escaping a POW camp, to taking part in an arena tournament, to fighting in deep space over the surface of a ship made of ice!!

The graphics department has been significantly upgraded, and getting the Direct3D patch turns the game detail level to the stratosphere, with only the blocky models and the poor texture detail to remind you that it's a 1996 game.

The other big game feature is the ability to handle the equipment, salvage, unit and lancemate upkeep and weapondry yourself. That puts an extra challenge to the game as you have to take more seriously into account your proficiency with the Mechs. No longer is it acceptable for you to come back home with half a Mech and all lancemates dead... Not unless you plan on staying on the bussiness and get enough dough to retire to a fancy pleasure yacht...

But hey, if you don't like any of that, you can play the game in a "lite" mode which removes the economy model and has you touring the campaigns Mechwarrior 2-style. Plus there's the requisite instant action mode, as well as off-the-box multiplayer support without the need of buying an extra "Net-Mech" package!

The Bad
The random missions are usually rather dull, being either recon, assault or protect missions with only new, harder Mechs to defeat. Also I would have preferred a more open-ended aproach to the game progress. The campaigns often present themselves as the ONLY available choice you have, putting that "non-linearity" thing in serious doubt. It's very easy thus to get stuck if you don't catch on with the game from the start. Otherwise you may find out that you are under-staffed and under-equipped to tackle a heavy-duty campaign, which just so happens to be the only choice you have left!!

The Bottom Line
Not exactly the "Mechwarrior's Privateer" it's made out to be, but really close enough. A true feast for sci-fi simmers with even deeper gameplay than it's predecessor. Activision now sells all the original Mechwarrior products under a neat little box, so there's no excuse to miss out on it anymore.

Take the missions, get the cash and salvage, upgrade your Mechs, maybe hire a new pilot... Mechwarrior 2 only got cooler.