Gun Metal

• Release Date: August 02, 2002
• Genre: Shooter
• Style: Third-Person 3D Shooter
• Similar Games: MechAssault (Xbox), Robotech: Battlecry (Xbox), GunGriffon: Allied Strike (Xbox)

Game Description

Players control a robot with the ability to transform into a sleek fighter jet in this third-person shooter from U.K.-developer Rage Software. As the pilot of the massive Gun Metal, players will advance through a series of 25 missions across a variety of outdoor environments, including deserts, forests, and tundra. Weapons range from lasers to rockets, and each region is filled with destructible objects and a legion of enemies trying to stop players. Radar at the top of the screen will warn pilots of incoming threats, while individual meters in ammo, health, fuel, and rockets help monitor the Gun Metal's payload and overall condition.

Roots & Influences

Gun Metal definitely gives a nod to the popularity of Transformer toys and cartoons from the 1980s and 1990s by featuring a mech-to-jet-to-mech combat vehicle that can destroy enemies from the ground and air. Futuristic sci-fi themes serve as a basis for the story in similar fashion to the MechWarrior, BattleTech and MechCommander worlds.

Review: Overall

If you're a game developer, how do you go about infiltrating the well-known short attention span of gamers and get them to notice yet another giant robot shooter in the overcrowded field of mech dreams? Do you put the emphasis on creating an adrenaline rush by developing 25 pure action-based missions full of defense, escort, and fending off multiple waves of enemy havoc? Is a cohesive storyline the ultimate hook? Are slick controls and flashy graphics the sure way to a mech-operator's heart? Do you time your release to fill a void while other big name franchise mech games are in development, risking the appearance of a rushed product?

Gun Metal for the Xbox opts for only the first and last solutions posed above, but, fortunately, Rage Software found one other trick that makes the title worthy of notice: the ability to transform the mech into a jet fighter and back again literally on the fly. While that's the good news, the bad news comes in the form of shaky execution in the more important features of gameplay.

Immediately noticeable is the somewhat strange layout of the control schemes that make operation between the mech and the jet a bit less intuitive than one might expect. Switching back and forth between the two requires nothing more than pressing the Y button, but the response time is on the slow side, which can cause problems when you're taking enemy fire. One of the reasons for transformation, an effort to get out of harm's way, can actually work against you temporarily as you wait for the process to complete. Wait too long and the move becomes a moot point.

Another small point of contention is the default method of firing weapons and launching missiles, left and right trigger induced, while managing both thumbsticks and the directional pad at the same time to effect actions like turn, aim, boost, brake, and quick weapon select, depending on which mode is active. For example, turning and aiming utilizes the left thumbstick while flying the jet, but requires the right thumbstick when in Havoc Suit (mech) mode. Why did the designers feel this switch was necessary? On the other hand, moving the mech and boosting or braking the jet are just the opposite. Add in the necessity to maneuver your jet with the B Button to perform barrel rolls and fast turns while triggering and manipulating thumbsticks concurrently, and the controls, while not insurmountable, require some strong finger control.

Four additional control configurations are available, which simply switch functions or make the schemes even more convoluted. The most complicated of the bunch is the Hybrid scheme, which lets you combine the basic Havoc Suit controls and the so-called Single Stick Jet controls -- a mishmash of control that, if mastered, is probably the most effective method, though only Top Gun pilots need apply. The use of the auto-aim feature is absolutely necessary when in Havoc Suit mode, especially in later missions, but isn't available when flying the jet. Unfortunately, the auto-aim function is, at times, far too aggressive and doesn't leave you enough time to finish off one enemy before targeting the next.

The fact that Gun Metal isn't an intense story-driven title shows clearly, in disjointed missions that aren't held together by any substantive, overarching story or meaningful cut-scenes. In fact, the missions are basically standalone standard rescue, escort, and defense affairs with far too few chances to unleash your units in freelance aggressive hunt down-and-destroy attacks. In nearly all cases, your missions are to help someone else in dire straits with scripted objectives not allowing much in the way of free thinking initiatives.

The action is fast and furious with hordes of enemy aircraft or ground based units firing ammo at you from all directions in unending waves. The requirement to continually feed your mech via ammo dumps and re-energizing stations can get in the way of successfully completing missions within specified timeframes (you can arrive at your target only to find you're too late), and the busy display screen contains a wide array of symbols to monitor. The radar screen has ten object designators and the field display shows various meters and gauges that track shield, energy, weapons, ammo, missiles, enemy health, and more. A typical scenario has a lot going on, and when this is coupled with the busy control scheme, you can count on retrying scenarios many times.

The initial armory is deep, ranging from machine pistols with unlimited ammunition to Phoenix missiles and Vulcan Cannons, depending on which mech form you choose, but extreme weapons become available as you unlock them by successfully winning missions. Enemy units consist of infantry, ground tanks, hover tanks, fighter craft, and drop ships (APC), all of which seem to have unerring aim capability and come at you in heavy numbers.

While Gun Metal isn't likely to separate the die-hard mech fighter from his or her Robotech or MechAssault roots, the game offers some solid short-term mayhem requiring little in the way of thinking, or reasons to care why you're fragging everything onscreen -- it's basically reaction action. Despite the incredible ramp-up of mission difficulty about halfway through the game, enough new "researched" weaponry becomes available as you progress to keep the action interesting, even if the missions are somewhat repetitive.

Review: Enjoyment

Tough control schemes require some practice before becoming second nature, there are no cohesive story elements, and mission objectives aren't varied enough. Gamers looking for short-term flash and shooting action will find gameplay rewarding once the controls are mastered.

Review: Graphics

Nicely designed environments, though a bit sparse. Mech and enemy units, buildings, and structures are simple in design without a great deal of flair, and lighting effects are too casual. Explosions, missile flares, and ignitions are well done.

Review: Sound

Music complements the action in most cases, but the voice-over by your "handler" becomes annoying and, at times, falls behind the action.

Review: Replay Value

Only reason to replay the scripted missions is to increase efficiency. Designers opted for no multiplayer aspect.

Review: Documentation

Color manual provides basic controls, though various schemes are only viewable onscreen. Short background story sets up the standalone missions.

Production Credits

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