• FASA Studios
• DropShipCommand
• Classic BattleTech Site
• MechWarrior Dark Age
• Xbox Hall of Fame

MechAssault Continues the Grand Tradition in Style

For more years than I can remember, the battlefields of my imagination have been dominated by the lumbering shadows of colossal BattleMechs. So far MechAssault, the latest addition to the MechWarrior universe, appears to be fitting into my mental picture quite well. Between the thundering report of auto-cannons and the crackle and hum of PPCs the world of the MechAssault is a vivid one. Crisp graphics, stunning lighting effects, and beautiful textures mean that there's plenty of eye candy to go around.

The third-person perspective is different than what most 'Mech fans are used to, but it is well suited to console gameplay. Instead of focusing on the finite technical details and micromanagement of the MechWarrior simulations, MechAssault is geared more towards the action genre. Gameplay is intuitive and fast but maintains the technical background of the BattleTech universe.

The difference is one of scale… back in the early days of the pen-and-paper game, combat was rather time consuming. With the MechWarrior games on the PC, the pace picked up to a level that was closer to "reality." MechAssault kicks it up another notch by pushing the pace of action beyond previous games, but keeps it within reasonable limitations. The resulting feel is quite different than fans of the previous titles would expect, but not at all unpleasant.

Having spent countless hours in the infinitely detailed pen-and-paper version of the BattleTech universe, as well as in the numerous PC simulations that have been released over the years, I can honestly say this new additionis a strong addition to the MechWarrior universe. Exclusively for the Xbox,MechAssault offers gamers a new feel and pace to a classic genre.

By Carlson