How Much Mech Would a Mechjock Jock if a Mechjock Could Jock Mech?
The PSP has seen something of a revival at Casa Base recently, with the arrival of this months games being exclusive to Sony’s malnurised handheld. Followers of O:BP will no doubt have guessed that I finally got my mech-loving hands on a copy of Mytran Wars. For good measure, whilst I was in a handheld mood, I also picked up a copy of the highly acclaimed Puzzle Quest – Challenge of the Warlords.
Mytran Wars, from what I have played, seems to be a deeply rewarding strategy RPG. Players take turns moving and attacking their squad of mechs, with each mech being a fully customisable variant of one of three standard types (scout, support and tank). I think the best way to describe it would be like playing a game of chess, only your opponent is three storeys tall and can blow your pieces to, well, pieces.
One of the most striking features of the game though is it’s presentation. For anyone who hasn’t used a PSP, the graphics are almost unbelievable on such a small machine. It’s high-def screen far outdoing anything on the PS2. In MW the story is progressed via comic-like panel cutscenes that are absolutely beautiful. Be warned though, for Deep Silver haven’t paid a blind bit of notice to the current generation’s obsession with browns and greys in their dystopian futures. A single mech in Mytran Wars has more colours on it than you will see through an entire playthrough of Gears of War. This definitely helps the gameplay as you can’t exactly lose your units on the battlefield when they look like a cross between a walking missile installation and a circus.
The usual problem with such games abound though. First of all, this game hates you and everything about you! MW is hard! Three missions down, you’re just getting comfortable with the control system and boom! The game is thrown right open, the mech purchasing and customisation options are given to you with no more explanation or fanfare than a (completely useless) four screen tuturial and the difficulty is turned up to eleven! I’ve been playing the game for five days now and have yet to get past the fourth level.
There is a theme here, and one that drives me mad! Every review of a new SRPG usually says something along the lines of ‘newcomers to the genre may find the game frustrating, but for SRPG fans…’ or some variation of the phrase. Trouble is, especially for someone like myself trying to get into the genre, where do you begin? Reviews of Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness essentially warn newcomers to stay away from the game. It would appear that anyone who didn’t have deep, alchemical knowledge of the SRPG genre would be left a babbling mess of a man if they so much as looked at the cartridge.
Playing MW though, I can of see what they mean.
Thus I have found myself playing more Puzzle Quest than expected, which is just fine by me. A wonderfully bizarre cross of Bejeweled and RPG adventure, it’s a perfect example of two genres cross-breeding to create a beautiful new game. Henry Hatsworth, please take note!
- Mikey Base
