I grew up playing BattleTech and its expansions on hex maps with die-cast figures of mechs. Later, I worked my way through the various computer-based mech simulations (BattleTech, Robotech, Mech Warrior, Mech Assault, Armored Core, etc...). Many of them were good, but there was something missing.
Finally, I found GunGriffon: Allied Strike at a video rental store. It looked like a first-person mech combat game, so I decided to rent it. The first thing I noticed was that the localization was barely adequate. It was as if it had never been intended to be sent over to the North American market. The graphics were alright (although not amazing), and I was miffed that there was no way to skip the intro animation. Finally, the musical score is nothing special.
Now, having said that, I should say right here and now that I have never gone back and played a mech game more than this one. The sheer replay value of this game is amazing. Much of it has to do with the feel of the mechs and the sense of being in the environment of the campaign.
The key element that makes it stand out above every other mech simulation that I've played is the kinetics and the targeting system. The kinetics in this game are correct. And if you're a fan of this genre, you know why this is important.
The H.U.D. is nice and clean, controls are finely-tuned, and the mapping system works just right. Once you've got enough practise in, you can easily walk while accurately lobbing 105mm shells at enemy mechs. The resounding thud as it hits their armor is incredibly gratifying. This is what I imagine piloting a mech to be like. And that's where this game succeeds.
To my knowledge there are no in-game cut-scenes and no voice-overs. Hence there are no distractions. Unlike many of the over-budget games out there, this is not packed full of useless content. Instead it lets you get right into the action.
My review covers the campaign mode. I have yet to try multi-player mode (and this is where many reviews get pretty tough on this title).
In summary, I highly recommend this game. There are very few like it. This is surprising since the genre has been around for decades and modern (and even dated) consoles are perfectly suited to this type of game.
