MechWarrior 4: Vengeance
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MechWarrior 4: Vengeance
- Platform: IBM PC Compatible
- Release Date: November 30, 2000
- Genre: Simulation
- Style: Giant Robot Sim
Game Description
The worlds of BattleTech are a familiar setting for fans of giant robots in massive, battle and destruction. MechWarrior 4: Vengeance was developed by the creators of the BattleTech universe and the designers of the very first MechWarrior game. This fourth full release in the series includes background stories and specifics that support these Mech battles with a detailed plot and comprehensive settings. As the last in a long line of brave MechWarriors, the player's character must lead his clan to victory and avenge the deaths of past generations.MechWarrior 4: Vengeance features 30 missions on 15 different campaign maps. Battles take place in the day or at night, under clear skies, fog, snow, or even in a thunderstorm. 21 customizable Mechs are available in the game, including six never-before-seen models. Players find themselves in greater control of the action in MechWarrior 4, as they choose which battles to fight and which lancemates will be watching their backs.
~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide
Review: Overall
MechWarrior 4: Vengeance begins with a strong, enjoyable cinematic introduction that stirs up excitement, a rare commodity when compared to the impatient norm for the genre. Not only does the intro set the plot, but it also features nice direction and action sequences. Does the game deliver on this promising start? The short answer is yes.Most of the terrain is stunning. One mission in particular involves patrolling a beautiful mountainous area, replete with realistic trees, hills, and lakes nestled between the peaks where enemies can be blown up. Chasing after and firing at opponents from hilltops adds a welcome level of complexity, and, while this is the best example, it's not the only one. The rest of the environments are similarly convincing. In-game graphics are incredibly detailed, with enemies flashing visible weapons and defining characteristics that make them recognizable on sight.
A notable aspect of gameplay is the level of customization offered for weapons. Essentially, each Mech has a maximum available tonnage, which must be allocated to weapons, armor, and peripheral items like jump jets, anti-missile systems, and lights. You can either accept the initial configuration, which is usually good, or tweak it anyway you desire.
In combat, MechWarrior 4: Vengeance provides excellent checks and balances. Generally, firepower and increased armor is gained at the expense of speed and mobility. There's a real difference between short and long-range fighting, and you must choose carefully which type is best for any situation. Strategy actually plays a central role here, as storming blindly through a level with guns blazing will work some of the time, but a little planning can go a long way. Missions usually require some amount of finesse.
Despite the game's strong aspects, one major flaw centers on the AI that controls your lance mates. The orders you give these apparent half-wits have no discernible effect beyond the clipped, purposeful responses the pilots give. Inane replies like "Roger!" or "I'm on my way!" don't in any way correlate to the action the person is about to take. Indeed, it's not unusual to find that instead of running ahead to a specified point as he was explicitly asked to do, he'll head off inexplicably to some remote corner of the map, or just spin in place. The mental anguish this inflicts probably puts Microsoft in a state of non-compliance with the Geneva Convention.
Additionally, your lance-mates are hopeless at navigating in close quarters, like city environments, and their aim can be terrible. At times they seem afraid to get their 'mechs up to full speed. These shortcomings are especially problematic since the enemies are generally much smarter and more numerous.
The trouble stems from the attempt by the designers to make combat somewhat realistic, at least in terms of the odds. Unlike a FPS, you're not a one-person army slaughtering hundreds of opponents, but are supposed to be part of a team. The team may be involved in pitched battles, but won't be expected to perform superhuman feats of endurance, and you really need your comrades in arms. Unfortunately, the good guys need to function as a credible team, which rarely happens in MechWarrior 4.
Fortunately, though, most of the time when the missions take place in an open area where your lance mates can navigate without problems, the sense of excitement never really flags, making the time investment definitely worth the effort.
~ Ted Smith, All Game Guide
Review: Enjoyment
Mission objectives are varied, gameplay can be exciting, and combat is quite detailed, though half-witted lance mates often cause problems.~ Ted Smith, All Game Guide
Review: Graphics
High level of detail of 'Mechs and environments.~ Ted Smith, All Game Guide
Review: Sound
Satisfying booms that leave no doubt that someone has just blown up. Somewhat inane dialogue at times.~ Ted Smith, All Game Guide
Review: Replay Value
The numbers tell the story: 30 missions, 15 campaign maps, 21 customizable 'Mechs, including new models. Coupled with the dramatic flow of the story, replay a good possibility.~ Ted Smith, All Game Guide
Review: Documentation
Manual contains schematic drawings of all of the 'Mechs and weapons.~ Ted Smith, All Game Guide
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MechWarrior 4: Vengeance
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MechWarrior 4: Vengeance
For the free release of MechWarrior 4, see MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries.
| MechWarrior 4: Vengeance | |
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| Developer(s) | FASA Interactive |
| Publisher(s) | Microsoft, Tsunami Visual Technologies (arcade) |
| Platform(s) | Windows PC, Arcade[1] |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Action / Simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
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| Media/distribution | CD-ROM |
| System requirements | |
MechWarrior 4: Vengeance is a computer game developed by FASA Interactive and published by Microsoft. It was released on November 24, 2000. This game is the fourth game in MechWarrior series. It takes place in BattleTech universe where the pinnacle of all war machines are huge, heavily armed robots called BattleMechs. The player pilots one of the these "'Mechs" and uses variety of available weapons (autocannons, lasers, missiles, and more) to battle enemy 'Mechs, tanks and other vehicles. An expansion pack, MechWarrior 4: Black Knight, was released on October 31, 2001, and a subsequent stand-alone expansion, MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries was released on November 7, 2002.
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Contents
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Plot
The game takes place on the Inner Sphere planet Kentares IV and its moon. Players take control of Ian Dresari, son of famed Clan War hero Duke Eric Dresari and heir to the throne of Kentares.
A civil war erupts on the planet after William Dresari, Ian's cousin, betrays the family and seizes the throne for himself under the banner of Katherine "Katrina" Steiner, ruler of the Lyran Alliance and responsible for annihilation of loyalists to Victor Steiner-Davion, brother of Katrina. After a surprise attack by Steiner forces on the Dresari royal palace, leaving Eric Dresari and the majority of the royal family dead, Ian meets up with his uncle, Sir Peter Dresari, on the moon orbiting Kentares' to launch a guerrilla campaign against Steiner. Ian fights alongside with fellow Resistance MechWarriors, Casey Nolan, Jen McQuarrie, and Jules Gonzales, and their commander Elise Rathburn in various missions. The Resistance eventually relocates its base on the moon and sets up camp for the first time on Kentares' in the arctic regions. At one point during the campaign, Ian's uncle Peter is murdered by Duncan Burke, a high-ranking officer in Katrina's forces. Ian and the rest of the Resistance are devastated by the loss of his uncle and debate over whether or not to continue the fight for Kentares' freedom. They decide to push forward and manage to capture a satellite network from Steiner. The rebel group moves into the mountains.
After destroying a disabled but heavily-guarded Steiner dropship, Ian and the Resistance move to the Hadra Peninsula, a remote desert region. Rumors of an abandoned prison camp reach the Resistance and efforts are made to locate and liberate it in order to enlist more personnel for the Resistance. Along the way, Ian is shocked to find that one member of his family survived Steiner's siege of the Dresari palace: his sister Joanna. After a short reunion, Ian and Joanna are separated once more as the Resistance plans to mobilize their forces to assault Steiner's stronghold. They make a brief detour to save the coastal town of Vale after Steiner threatens to bomb the town due to allegations of links to the Resistance. Not only does the Resistance save the population, but Ian manages to personally defeat his uncle's murderer, Duncan Burke, in a heated duel.
Pushing forward into the cities, the fighting heats up and Resistance casualties mount. Joanna informs Ian of an old armory cache hidden somewhere in the city full of equipment enough to outfit four heavy Lances of mechs, valuable for assaulting the Dresari palace, now the headquarters for the Steiner occupation. Before the search for the cache could be conducted however, Joanna and her Lance are ambushed by Steiner forces, leaving her badly injured and in mortal danger. Ian has to make a choice, between rescuing his sister from certain death or securing the weapons cache for an assault on the Dresari palace. Whatever the player chooses, Ian and the Resistance fight one last battle against House Steiner, finally putting an end to the war. However, the fight is not yet over for Ian, as William shows up in a modified Daishi, challenging Ian to a duel. Ian defeats William and finally frees the planet from Steiner's grasp.
Depending on the choice the player makes during the penultimate mission, either Joanna or Ian will ascend the throne as Duchess or Duke, respectively.
Gameplay
Mechwarrior 4 is a first-person mecha simulation game, with the player piloting a Mech in each mission. Mechs are armored and fitted with various projectile and energy weapons, and engage in combat with other Mechs as well as traditional military vehicles such as tanks and helicopters, and occasional weapon emplacements. During combat, a Mech's weapons and critical components can be damaged, and it is even possible for entire limbs to be blown off a Mech.
Mech customization is a major aspect of gameplay. The player has significant control over the configuration of each of his or her Mechs, from the type and amount of armor used and some internal components to all of the Mech's weaponry and ammunition. In the campaign, additional parts, weapons, and ammunition are acquired through the missions from salvage and as rewards for success. The Mech configuration system has been simplified from that seen in Mechwarrior 2 and Mechwarrior 3.
In the campaign, the player controls up to three squadmates, with the ability to issue basic orders such as attack and move.
Campaign
The 26 campaign missions are made up of seven "ops", each with different environments, and each 'op' containing about 3-6 missions. In the first few missions, only a few smaller mechs are available. As the game progresses, more mechs and weapons are at the player's disposal. These come in the form of salvage from previous missions. Between missions, the player can outfit mechs with different weapons and also assign mechs to one of their three Lancemate slots.
Instant Action
This mode lets players play with all mechs in the game. Players can pick a campaign mission or a wave-mission in which they can select up to four other mechs and fight them deathmatch-style. The map is randomly selected and the player is faced with three enemy mechs to fight. The player has to successively destroy all three enemies in a one-on-one fight.
Multiplayer
The game features several multiplayer modes - Deathmatch with several twists such as points awarded for damage dealt. Capture the flag and King of the Hill with two modes: Deathmatch and team-based. Escort mode pits two teams against each other, each with the goal of destroying the other's VIP. In Steal the Beacon, players fight for possession of a beacon, that, when carried, will award the carrier points.
Awards
- E3 2000 Game Critics Awards: Best Simulation Game
- MechWarrior 4: Black Knight Expansion - Sci-Fi Simulation Game of the Year, GameSpot's 2001 readers' choice awards.[2]
References
External links
- Microsoft's official MechWarrior 4: Vengeance website
- Microsoft's Clan 'Mech Pak and Inner Sphere 'Mech Pak page
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