1997 video game
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. "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". The game used an enhanced version of the "Mechwarrior 2" game engine, and was partly derived from existing "" code. Before the release of the PC game, an arcade version based on the Virtuality Hardware Platforms was developed but never released.
Reception.
The game received mixed reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.
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."
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."
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." The reviewer from "Next Generation" wrote: "In creating "Heavy Gear", Activision has a different universe and a better engine but a roughly designed game."
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."
The game was nominated for the "Best Sci-Fi Sim" award at the "CNET Gamecenter" Awards for 1997, which went to "".
References.
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