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BattleTech: Heavy Metaladds some great new mechs and an engrossing campaign to the game, but it’s aimed squarely at people who are already fans.
Of all the video games base on theBattleTechtabletop game , Harebrained Schemes’Battletechmay be the close any of them has occur to emulating the flavor of the original . Its high - stakes turn - found combat and intricate inventory direction put players in the role of both commandant and quartermaster , replicate the sentiency of centre over stat sheet and manual to wage warfare over a hexagonal grid in a hobby shop . It ’s fitting , then , thatBattleTech ’s latest expanding upon , Heavy Metal , dig late into the well of older - schoolBattleTechlore to create a majuscule band of fresh mechs and missions straight from the secret plan ’s history .
True to its name , Heavy Metalbrings some of the heaviest metal in theBattleTechcanon to its digital incarnation . The expansion ’s standout feature is the launching of seven mechs from theBattleTechtabletop biz , plus one project only for the picture biz . Die - hardBattleTechfans will recognise some of the most iconic mechs in the game - Annihilator , Archer , Assassin , Flea , Phoenix Hawk , Rifleman , and Vulcan . The new mech , the Bull Shark , is a 95 - ton behemoth with a face that fit decent in with the rest of the classic machines in the enlargement .
relate : BATTLETECH : Heavy Metal Expansion Preview ( And Its 8 New Mechs )
These new mechs are more than just pretty alloy faces . Like every mech in the biz , each has a unique stock loadout and stats to define its role in combat - from the tiny , evasive Flea to the extraordinarily powerful Annihilator . In a first forBattleTech , each mech also has a unique piece of equipment to reinforce its persona . For instance , the Phoenix Hawk experience better performance out of its parachuting reverse lightning , while the Assassin ignore the evasion bonus that its objective get from moving , making it ideal for hunting light mechs . These bonuses are a welcome edition , making the new mechs feel unequaled and even interpenetrate them with a short personality . On the other hand , they run to thrust balance out the windowpane by give the raw mechs abilities that are n’t available to anyone else . That puts histrion at a trenchant vantage when they apply them , and can make squaring off against them unexpectedly dangerous .
The new weapons inHeavy Metaltip the plate a little less , leaning more toward Modern tactical possibilities than filmy firepower . believably the most interesting is the COIL Beam , which does more damage the further its wielder moves before using it , but also generates more heat . That makes it an unbelievable plus to a dissipated spotter , but can well precede to overheating behind foe lines . Other new additions let in missiles that deal heat damage over metre , a long - mountain chain scattergun , and theBattleTech ’s first area - of - issue weapon . Each is fun to use and can be plot - changing if used well , but they want science and a especial playstyle to be in effect . Unlike the new unique equipment , these weapons can also be equipped on any mech , so they do n’t lock up players into using one of the new addition .
Players will encounter all ofHeavy Metal ’s new paraphernalia in a mini - hunting expedition that explain how all this engineering showed up in the first place , but everything except the Bull Shark - which shows up half - way through - can be found without play the added missionary station . The amazingly recondite cause unfolds over a series of Flashpoint charge available after the principal story concludes in cause style or any time in calling mode . It ’s unquestionably aimed at experienced player , as it ’s full of farsighted , grueling commission , and the raw mechs players will front can wipe out an unprepared crew . It never felt like a slog , but player should expect to earn their novel toys before they get to play with them .
luckily , the new campaign is one of the most interesting storylines in the game , throwing players into the mystery of a ship that should n’t exist and into the track of two legendaryMechWarriors . Black Widow and Bounty Hunter have a celebrated competition inBattleTechlore , and inHeavy Metal , they appear as both fascinating part and fierce opponents . Their story is at least as interesting as that of the derelict ship players are chasing , cater even more incentive to see the campaign through . The only genuine issue with the newfangled campaign is that it does n’t do anything terribly novel . BattleTechalways had a need for more mission diversity , and while the missions inHeavy Metalare interesting , they ’re more of the same .
BattleTech’sHeavy Metalexpansion offers lots of new ways to approach the game , even if the gear it contribute does n’t always play decent with the existing mechs , and its new cause is well worth playing through for its own merit . The grown thingHeavy Metalhas working against it is that it does n’t match neatly into the existing campaign , and even in Career Mode , where it ’s available from the kickoff , Modern pilots will need to spend a good amount of time equipping themselves with some brawny mechs from the al-Qaida game to survive the challenge . After that meter investment , it ends up feeling like more of the same with some additional bells and whistles . Heavy Metalisn’t potential to bring many fresh role player on panel , but for dedicatedBattleTechfans , it adds enough to the formula to make it worth a look .
Update : Review was updated to accurately explain that all participant can get at the Heavy Metal run .
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BattleTech : Heavy Metalis available now on PC , Mac , and Linux . A microcomputer computer code was provided to Screen Rant for the aim of this review .
