MechWarrior Mercenaries (Microsoft, PC, M15+)

By PETER ELEY

(Herald rating: * * * * )

There is something intensely satisfying about being a 7m robot armed with as much firepower as a fighter plane.

Heavy metal is one of the most popular computer game genres and MechWarrior is one of the most enduring series.

Giving such long-running games new legs is a challenge and MechWarrior's latest twist is to cast your bot as a mercenary.

This gives rise to a host of intriguing
missions set on 10 quite different planets.

All such games feature bang-for-buck and your capacity for destruction has to be bought with the ill-gotten gains from
fighting for cash.

The sheer power you gain is awesome and the visual effects are spectacular as rivals' bots explode and buildings crumble before your onslaught.

The mercenary theme is a nice lead-in to multiplayer games, and up to 16 players can link up via broadband connection.

petereley@nzherald.co.nz