Customer Rating: 
Summary: The hardest game you'll ever love
Comment: Oh, how I love this game, one of the most underrated RTS games I've played. Underrated because the
original version of the game had major problems, and because the second game in the series seals the
series' doom (it isn't very good).
I haven't played the original MechCommander
(non-Gold) game. Apparently, complaints were aimed mostly at the interface and the fact that it was
too hard, and there were no artillery strikes. As artillery strikes are my favorite single aspect of
the game, I would recommend that you avoid the original and only get MechCommander Gold, but be
warned: This is a hard game! Winnable, but hard. One reason is that there is no in-game saveability.
Like the original Rainbow Six game, you play through from one scenario to the next with no way to
save mid-game. However, there are some strategic tools you can use that most games don't afford. One
is pausing the game. You can view different parts of the map, issue commands to 'Mechs and even send
artillery strikes, all while the game is paused. You'll need to use this. Another strategic ace is
the refit truck. If you have a refit truck available and it's a hard level, you'll do fine. The
ability to restore damaged 'Mechs in-game with a refit truck is as close to cheating as you can
get.
Some of the highpoints of the game:
Strategy. There is actual thought and
timing required to win, whether it's scouting with a light, jump-able 'Mech with long range radar or
just rolling through en masse, or burning your way through a forest to avoid bad guys. This is pure
combat, no resource gathering and such like most RTS games where the economics are far more
important in determining the winner than military might. Don't get me wrong, I love the economic
side of RTS games, but MechCommander is a nice departure from that. Also, the look of the game is
terrific. It's nice to look at. This game is two-dimensional with an isometric view. The second
MechCommander is three-dimensional and looks like crud. Rise of Nations, while it has some
three-dimensional elements, is two-dimesional and isometric. Please let that be the trend. Even
Warcraft III, while three-dimensional, keeps a steady, non-rotating view of the landscape. This is
the correct way to do it. The sound is pretty good, although you do get tired of hearing the same
messages of acknowledgement and the fact that the MechWarriors have something on their radar. You
kind of get used to it and ignore it. At least the voices are all different so you can usually
distinguish who's talking.
It's a blast to customize the mechs with whatever weapons
you find, and even better to salvage enemy mechs, which always have a slight advantage in firepower
and speed. There's nothing quite like mousing over a storage bin and seeing the context-sensitive
cursor change into a pair of pliers (or whatever they are, indicating that there's something to get
in there).
Oh, and jump-jets are just plain cool! Man, I love this game! Plus, the
cinematics at the beginning feature the same guy who starred in a fairly recent snowmobile
commercial featuring the automatic jerky-extruder. The acting on both occasions is hilarious. A
little bonus tidbit of trivia there.
Customer Rating: Summary: Mech Mech Mech, where is the Mech?
Comment: For me, MechCommander Gold is pretty good. I really like the sound effects (Autocannons, lasers
etc.) and the way the soundtrack reacts to whatever you're mechs are doing is really good. Some of
the components, like the Rail Gun and ER laser and Large-X Laser are pretty cool. Some weapons are
damn good, like PPC and Gauss Rifle. The interface for buying and repairing and the `mech bay are
pretty sucky. The campaign editor is damn hard to use, and the units you use for putting stuff on
the screen and the little map are damn annoying. The salvage option is pretty cool. but sometimes,
when you blow off a `mechleg, arm and most of the body id green and doesn't explode, you DON'T GET
THE ... MECH AS SALVAGE. The campains are really good, especially the Cermak one. I would have put
the rate at three and a half. But o the little drop-down tab where you selct the rate? It only
offers full stars, not half stars. Most of the buildings are cool and the `mechs are beatifully
animated for such small figures. They named some of the `mechs' names wrong. "Thor" should be
"Summoner", "Vulture" should be "Mad Dog", "Masakari" should be "Warhawk". And I'm probably
forgetting a few. There should be a Clan campaign.
Why ... does it take up so much memory? I don't
know if it's better than the original because I haven't played the original. Only buy this game if
you really like Battletech(Which I do) Or if you ... want some good squad action. But it's pretty
good.
