MechWarrior 3 review by xXdark360znoscopezXx
''It is the 31st Century, and mankind is once again at war. The battlefields of the future are dominated by huge robotic war machines known as Battlemechs. Piloting these awesome weapons of war are men and women - the elite of the elite - knowing that each battle could be their last. They are MechWarriors.''That awe-inspiring introduction to MechWarrior 3 is burned into the hearts and minds of MechWarrior fans around the world. MechWarrior 3 was Zipper Interactive's solution for that crave every person had, to know what it was like handling pure unadulterated power on the battlefield. It was the perfect mix of simulator and shooters, combining a high degree of Mech customisation with easily accessible game play to get in on the action. They set the bar higher than any other Mech game has been able to reach, and can be considered the peak of Western Mech games.
MechWarrior 3 placed you as a pilot of a Battlemech in the thick of a galactic war between the Inner Sphere and Clanners (Smoke Jaguar in this instalment). Your mission is to seize control of the planet Tranquil for the Inner Sphere. Straight away things do not go as planned as one of your drop ships are destroyed while you end up way off target. Despite half your allied forces gone, you continue your mission to eliminate resistance and assure victory.
MechWarrior 3 combined simulation with essentially a first person shooter. You outfitted your Mech with weapons, which could be fired singularly or in groups, and chased down enemy vehicles such as tanks, stationary emplacements, and enemy Mechs. An outfit of allied Mechs could accompany you, and would follow your directions to either rendezvous at checkpoints, defend a position, or attack the enemy. Mobile repair stations were available if you needed a fix, and most missions allowed for a variety of approaches to fulfil the objectives. When you exhausted the story, you could knuckle down in multiplayer deathmatch instead.
Your Battlemech could be customised and upgraded to a variety of Mechs from the small Owens, to the pictured Madcat, or even a colossal 100-ton Daishi. Your load out included not only weapons but extra gear to accommodate game play such as jump jets, or particularly heat sinks as some weapons like the PPC could dangerously raise your Mech's temperature - resulting in a forced shutdown of all systems or critically self destructing. Weapons included a variety of short and long range missiles, autocannons, lasers, gauss rifles, and so on. Extra armour could be allocated along, and everything contributed to the total carrying capacity of your Mech which in turn affected speed.
Graphically, it was very impressive for 1999 - very detailed 3D models and plenty of particle effects. The HUD was incredibly detailed and contained all necessary information to be easily digested; coolant levels, ammo count, radar, orientation, damage on various body parts (which could be destroyed rendering weapons or even your entire Mech incapacitated), and so on. The maps were large to contain the huge Mechs, and while modern standards make them look very empty, the amount of destruction that you could level on the ground or buildings was very satisfying. Large open worlds were inspiring; you could run along the coast of a continent, jump up onto a ridge, plow through a city, and end up kilometres in the middle of the hills all without loading a new map. MechWarrior 3 also supported true 3D viewing if you were one of the lucky few to have the oversized USB goggles, which sought to make the experience even more immersive. The sheer number of keys required to play the game, and joystick support, made you feel like you were actually in the cockpit of a Mech.
MechWarrior 3 had an expansion, titled Pirate's Moon, where you could continue as the Inner Sphere on the planet Veil, or play through a campaign as the pirates themselves. The expansion introduced a new environment, new Mechs ranging from the tiny Elemental to the gargantuan Masakari, and more story to devour in this compelling universe.
MechWarrior 3 was perhaps the last great game in the series, as its sequels began to further strip away the amount of customisation granted to the player in MechWarrior 2 and 3. While MechWarrior 4: Vengeance was an engrossing videogame, the release of MechWarrior on the Xbox essentially killed the heart of the franchise along with the dreams of many brave men and women around the world. Fans eagerly anticipated a return to the series so much, that they created a total overhaul mod for Crysis known as MechWarrior: Living Legends. With a new game announced, fans can only wait with baited breath to see if the series can officially return to its former glory. Until then, the memories of times past and hard won battles can only soothe us now. In 1999, we were all heroes.
xXdark360znoscopezXx ranked this game #5 of 277Return to MechWarrior 3 's page
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