Heavy Gear Assault - gamescom Preview
You see a lot of people when you’re at gamescom. A lot of developers, a lot of PR and a lot of press all of whom blend into one game’s industry amalgamation of familiarity. Visiting Canadian Indie developers StompyBot was a huge change from the norm though, never have I met people that were so passionate, so proud and so knowledgeable about their game that it really made playing Heavy Gear Assault one of the most memorable moments of the show.
Heavy Gear Assault isn’t a new IP. It’s not a quirky one off or hugely innovative genre offshoot, it’s a return to a series that so many fans hold near and dear to their hearts. For those that don’t know, Heavy Gear is a mech shooter, a huge series that not only spans the videogame industry, but one with branches in television, literature and even card battling. To see it return is a huge deal for not only fans of the series as a whole, but also those who can’t resist the lure of mech-vs-mech combat.
Imagine if a Heavy Gear entry from the 90s got a full makeover and given full, undivided attention by fans of the series, and that is exactly what it is.
Currently in Early Access, Heavy Gear Assault is, at a very basic level, a shooter. On the isolated Planet of Terra Nova, you must prove your worth against a whole host of other mechs in multiplayer duels across large maps. It’s Heavy Gear bread and butter, but it doesn’t just stop there. This ‘relaunch’ if you will, plans to re-ignite the fire and appeal to a much larger market.
February 2015 saw Heavy Gear Assault become an fully sponsored esport competition, the winner pocketing $1,200 (a humble but important starting point), there is also huge social interaction with players setting up their own profiles for fans to follow their progress and watch livestreams. It all seems like this is what happens when a fatigued franchise gets given a second chance and it’s done the right way. I could instantly tell the guys loved the project as they regaled me with stories of ongoing player rivalries and dramatic finishes to critical matches.
Like a large number of online centric games, customisation is a highly important part of Heavy Gear Assault, after all, is what everyone will see and recognise. Slow and strong, fast and weak, or stealth and nimble, there are a number of different mechs to choose from and all affect how to approach battles, but once you’ve chosen one that suits your style it’s up to you to put your personal stamp on it. Choose the material it’s made from, the style of paint, colour, decals, pretty much anything you can think of, of course different players will use this feature differently; you may have a unique, instantly recognisable and garish paint style that stands out from miles away, or you might opt for camouflage and surprise your opponents. Customisation doesn't just give you more to do, it changes how you play.
As well as that, the maps feature dynamic weather. During my play-through, there was a huge sandstorm, which affected my vision, these required me to change my tactic, and it’s something I can see having an important effect on the outcome of a battle.
Gameplay is fast paced and dramatic when battling it out although I felt there were huge periods of nothingness as you look for someone to battle it out with. Once you do find someone, the fun begins, and a fully dynamic system means that every piece of damage affects the battle. Keep shooting at arms and they (weapons included) eventually fall off and destroying legs stops your enemy moving. What’s more, if you’re really a badass you can pick up discarded limbs, and use them as weapons. It’s brutal, mechanical carnage!
The controls felt quite awkward at first, as you control both the top and bottom halves of your mech separately, but for beginners, there is the option to control the mech as a whole. Other than that, it’s your standard shooter but with a mech inspired twist.
What’s more, come release, Heavy Gear Assault will also feature an episodic single player story mode. The devs told me as Heavy Gear had such a huge backlog of literature, that they wanted to embrace this, and have therefore tweaked a well loved story in the Heavy Gear universe, something fresh but familiar. All of this paves the way for a hardcore relaunch of the series. Everything is going in the right direction and although the graphics and environments were a little flat, it’s hard to look past the community Stompy Bot are building the foundations of.
Heavy Gear Assault is currently an Early Access title on Steam and is set for a full release on PC and Linux in 2016.
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