Heavy Gear

Rating:
Summary: A timeless classic
Review: I came across Heavy Gear in 1998 very much by accident (I found it at a used book store of all places) and it immediatly appealed to me. Once I loaded it up, I was simply in awe about the game. Not only did it have excellent graphics, awesome sound and great gameplay, the universe itself was absolutly immersive and extremely well detailed.

My favorite part was the "Tour of Duty" where you can develop your carreer as you see fit and make up your own character (I love the South the best), and it is sad that no other game since has had a "Tour of Duty" like this.

This is a game where you have to get your shot in first because a few hits to the right spot will do you in, unlike MW where you piloted a walking tank. In this game the Gears are more like one-man APCs, not meant to slug it out with eavily armored targets but to use the advantage of mobility (although a few are tough enough to take on tanks) and the ability to cross rough terrain. One of the best aspects of the game is that it is based on real world physics: the Gears are powered by internal combustion engines (somtimes electric but only in stealth gears), and move using hydrualics: they can theoretically exist in real life (and one day most likely will, the military is already working on such a project although it is a far cry from this). The weapons have realistic penetration power in relation to the bore size (a 30 mm cannon whose shells travel at 900 meters per second will penetrate about 100 mm of armor-grade steel at 1000 meters, even more up close, and it gets better with armor-piercing, anti-tank and explosive shells), and the gears are realistic in that they do not have equal protection over the entire body (articulation points are the most vulnerable, as is the head) and the game even models damage to hydrualic systems and the engine (effectiing movement). This sim was and still is way ahead of its time. The music is some of the best I ever heard too. Definently buy this game. You wont regret it :)

Rating:
Summary: I should have listened to Gamespot TV before I bought!
Review: Last year when I was Xmas Shopping, I bought MechWarrior 3, One of the Featured Best Mech games along with Heavy Gear 2. GSTV reccomended HG2. I wasn't at all impressed with Mw3 - Non oringinal story line, hard to control mechs, and a wee to hard. HG2, however, is and older game I just bought in the Jewel Case, Being 2 years old, I thought it had BETTER Graphics, MORE 'Gears', MORE, COOLER weapions, and a top notch story line. I should stop being stubborn!

Rating:
Summary: The Hard facts
Review: The facts are MEch 4 was jsut released a couple days ago, and jsut by playing the first couple mission i can tell that it blows heavy gear and HG2 out of the water, i am a big fan of battlemech and gear type games, owning mw1-4 and HG 1 and have played hg2, the mechwarrior series is much more realisitic and has a much better storyline, in mw4 the 'mech is responsive to being hit by a ppc (particle projection cannon) blast not jsut standing there like oh no u hit me with with a ppc, and HG 1 gives way to much freedom with the gear lab, so u can have your own personal configs, not the madcat or atlas that has been feared, if u r looking into this game look into the mechwarrior series first, exspecially Mechwarrior 4:vengeance

Rating:
Summary: Great Game
Review: This game is great. It has a much more origanal storyline then the mechwarrior series, which has a mostly repeating story. big war, must kill all bad guys. this is very detailed, and the cut scenes, even though they arent laser clear are very nifty and well spoken. the gear custumizing gives totaly unlimated numbers of different gears. you can chose what type of hydrolickes are in the legs and the arms, how well covered the electronics are, choose how thick the armour is, and you even have a humongus variety of different sensors and addons for the head, the weapons are varied, but some are just a bit over powered. ie, the laser cannon, with a well placed shot in the chest can kill almost any gear except for the heavyest type. a shot from any weapon in the face is a instint kill, but the face is so small that is a tiny possibility.

Rating:
Summary: The Hard facts
Review: This is one of the robot combat games that has been released over the years. Mechwarrior is another example of these games, and is in my opinion the best of them (Mechwarrior 3!). But this one isn't that bad either.

It's set in a much similar setting and is also based on a boardgame (as Mechwarrior). The biggest differense is the scale of the robots, in Mechwarrior they are the size of buildings, while here they are just a bit bigger than a man.

What i think this game lack is the control you have over building/configuring the mechs (compared to Mechwarriors endless possibilities).

But overall the game is fun to play, ok to look at and have an ok storyline.

But if i had the choice between Heavy Gear and Mechwarrior, I would have taken Mechwarrior any day!

Rating:
Summary: Mechwarrior light
Review: This is one of the robot combat games that has been released over the years. Mechwarrior is another example of these games, and is in my opinion the best of them (Mechwarrior 3!). But this one isn't that bad either.

It's set in a much similar setting and is also based on a boardgame (as Mechwarrior). The biggest differense is the scale of the robots, in Mechwarrior they are the size of buildings, while here they are just a bit bigger than a man.

What i think this game lack is the control you have over building/configuring the mechs (compared to Mechwarriors endless possibilities).

But overall the game is fun to play, ok to look at and have an ok storyline.

But if i had the choice between Heavy Gear and Mechwarrior, I would have taken Mechwarrior any day!