|
Heavy Gear 2 uses Activision's new "Darkside" engine for the game, and it provides amazing environments and stunning
special effects. The downside is that the game is limited to 3D acceleration, but chances are a software mode would look
about as good as pictures of my editor doing certain "things" to llamas. Well... I mean if you aren't into that sort of
thing. If you are, we can talk later. There are a lot of different environments to strip and run around nude in. It may
offend some of the locals, but I think that whole saving the world thing balances it all out. But overall, the graphics
are really impressive. You can submerge your Gear in water, then burst upward and slap an enemy Gear silly. It is a little
tough to hide behind trees, but I've seen elephants do it in cartoons when peanuts walked by, so it must be possible.
Trying not to get detected can be a little tough when you're stomping around in a huge Gear, but you should be well
equipped to take down a small enemy force before you can get back to hiding.
There are many special effects, mainly because there are so many weapons. Machine guns shoot out bullets in spurts, while
the heavy auto-cannons spray a bit more. The rockets swarm at their target and lasers melt anything in their path. When
Gears start rolling you can see dust flying up from their feet, and when killed they blow up in a cloud of dust and fire.
Buildings can be knocked down with your trusty vibro axe or any other weapon you're carrying along. If you want, you can
call in an artillery strike and let people who know what they're doing get the job done. Just call it in before sitting
back and lighting a smoke; then you can watch the fireworks. Reminds me of a time I was in Disneyland and we saw
fireworks. It was a fun night... except when I was at the Ghost house and that scary omnipresent voice made me piss my
pants and cry. He apologized to me though and said that guy hanging from the ceiling wasn't really dead. I wonder how much
they pay him to hang by his neck from the ceiling all day.
Sound is great too, but the beta I tested did not have A3D support. The sound consisted of the common machine guns and
rocket sounds the gaming community has become used to and some good voice acting also. There isn't a whole lot for me to
say about sound, except it seems as good as any other game. The music is a beautiful CD soundtrack. It has a theme similar
to that of the Mechwarrior 2 CD, but with a more dramatic, Star Wars feel. The music really fits the game and is even good
enough to listen to for enjoyment reasons. One sign you've gotten into the music a little too much is when you start
crawling on the floor so your parents can not detect you. This is also a sign to seek professional help, something I've
been told many times I should do.
|
