Software:Heavy Gear (video game)
| Heavy Gear | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Activision |
| Publisher(s) | Activision |
| Director(s) | Tim Morten |
| Producer(s) | Chacko Sonny |
| Designer(s) | Dustin Browder |
| Programmer(s) | Bill Ferrer |
| Writer(s) | Dustin Browder |
| Composer(s) | Jeehun Hwang |
| Series | Heavy Gear |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter, vehicle simulation game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Heavy Gear is a 1997 computer game made for the Windows 95 operating system, based on the Heavy Gear role-playing game. A sequel, Heavy Gear II, was released in 1999.
Plot
The story follows the crew of the CNCS landship Vigilance (an enormous hovercraft carrier) as they played a cat-and-mouse game across the badlands with a rival landship from the AST, the Draco.
Development
Faced with the loss of the BattleTech-MechWarrior property, Activision acquired exclusive worldwide rights to video games based on the Heavy Gear series.[2] Heavy Gear was developed by largely the same team which created Mechwarrior 2, though with the significant addition of Frank Evers, then best known for Earthsiege 2.[2] The game used an enhanced version of the Mechwarrior 2 game engine,[2][3] and was partly derived from existing MechWarrior 2 code. Before the release of the PC game, an arcade version based on the Virtuality Hardware Platforms was developed but never released.
Reception
| Reception | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The game received mixed reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[4]
Greg Fortune from Computer Gaming World wrote: "The most disappointing thing about this game is that you see lots of parts of the game that really do show care and creativity." He considered Heavy Gear a missed opportunity that failed to live up to its competitor, the MechWarrior franchise. Fortune concluded: "As it stands, the game feels more like a beta than a finished product and is woefully incomplete in many areas."[8]
Writing for Computer Games Strategy Plus, Tom Chick summarized: "It's not a total loss, but what's good about Heavy Gear is the stuff that was good about the MechWarrior games all along. But what's bad about Heavy Gear is inexcusable coming from a veteran team of game designers."[7]
Boba Fatt from GamePro wrote: "First-timers to the giant-robot-derby genre will enjoy Heavy Gear, but, ultimately, it's nothing more than a disappointing MechWarrior knockoff."[16][lower-alpha 1] The reviewer from Next Generation wrote: "In creating Heavy Gear, Activision has a different universe and a better engine but a roughly designed game."[14]
The reviewer from Pyramid #30 (March/April 1998) wrote: "A lot of hype heralded the Heavy Gear Computer Game [sic]. For months prior to its release, gaming magazines touted it as a 'Mechkiller' and the game to 'make Mechwarrior [sic] fans forget Battletech [sic]'. Briefly, it's not and it won't."[17]
The game was nominated for the "Best Sci-Fi Sim" award at the CNET Gamecenter Awards for 1997, which went to Star Wars.[18]
Notes
- ↑ GamePro gave the game two 4.5/5 scores for graphics and sound, 4/5 for control, and 3.5/5 for fun factor.
References
- ↑ Gentry, Perry (November 21, 1997). "What's in Stores on Black Friday". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-1319,00.html.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "NG Alphas: Heavy Gear". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (31): 100-1. July 1997. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_31.
- ↑ "PC GamePro Preview: Heavy Gear". GamePro (IDG) (107): 70. August 1997. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_107_Volume_09_Number_08_1997-08_IDG_Publishing_US. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Heavy Gear for PC". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/37010-heavy-gear/index.html.
- ↑ Couper, Chris. "Heavy Gear - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=6506&tab=review.
- ↑ Cirulis, Martin E. (December 18, 1997). "Heavy Gear". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-1376,00.html.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Chick, Tom (1997). "Heavy Gear". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/009/113/heavy_gear_review.html.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Fortune, Greg (March 1998). "Jammed Gears (Heavy Gear Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (164): 184, 186, 189. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_164.pdf. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
- ↑ Edge staff (February 1998). "Heavy Gear". Edge (Future Publishing) (55): 94. https://retrocdn.net/images/a/a4/Edge_UK_055.pdf. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
- ↑ Shaw, John (January 15, 1998). "Heavy Gear". Greedy Productions, Inc.. http://elecplay.com/pc/heavygear.html.
- ↑ Bergren, Paul (February 1998). "Heavy Gear". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (58).
- ↑ Hubble, Calvin (December 1997). "Heavy Gear Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/32735-heavy-gear-review.
- ↑ Kasavin, Greg (December 18, 1997). "Heavy Gear Review [date mislabeled as "May 1, 2000""]. Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/heavy-gear-review/1900-2537497/.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Heavy Gear". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (39): 117. March 1998. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_39. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
- ↑ "Heavy Gear". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 5 (3). March 1998.
- ↑ Boba Fatt (March 1998). "Heavy Gear". GamePro (IDG) (114): 69. https://retrocdn.net/images/2/22/GamePro_US_114.pdf. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
- ↑ "Pyramid: Pyramid Pick: Heavy Gear Computer Game". http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=85.
- ↑ Gamecenter staff (January 28, 1998). "The Gamecenter Awards for 1997 (Sci-Fi Sims)". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Features/Exclusives/Awards97/Off/ss08.html.
External links
 |  |
