Shattered Steel (PC)

The MechWarrior 2 series, one might agree, is more than a game - it's a sort of cult. At the title's release, gamers were entranced by Mech 2's complexity of control and engaging post-nuclear storyline. Now, just in time for the release of MechWarrior Mercenaries, Interplay introduces Shattered Steel, a game which some anticipate might achieve similar elevated status among futuristic-sim fans. But while SS has an interesting plot, the missions don't really give the mech pilot the same sense of "being there." Still, even though it's a pastiche of other popular titles, the game offers an exhilarating time to those who just want to hoist themselves into an oversized killing machine and let some hi-res bullets rip.

The story behind Shattered Steel involves a number of Mega-Corporations who, having risen from the ashes of a post-holocaust Earth, have taken to terra-forming nearby planets, mining them for their resources. In the midst of their great bidding war over planetary mines, these Mega-Corps (who have all but completely overtaken basic governmental functions) encounter a hostile alien presence that is particularly keen on inflicting grievous bodily harm upon humans. As a hired mercenary, you're deployed on a series of missions to reconnoiter and decimate the anomalous beings.

The immediate-action quality of Shattered Steel's gameplay is partially due to the fact that the controls are more simplified than Mech 2's. As in Mech 2, your mech moves in four cardinal directions, with your torso/turret revolving independently. You use the keyboard or the two mouse buttons for your primary and secondary weapons. Your HUD is pretty straightforward, containing your basic radar system, damage status, and inventory. One control improvement explored here is power optimization, where the act of increasing or decreasing speed, weapon restoration, or shield levels boosts or diminishes the power areas that you consider a higher priority.