Mytran Wars is a competent, fun addition to the tactics pantheon. Unfortunately the story does not take itself seriously, the script is a collection of one-liners, and the cutscenes are badly illustrated, but these flaws recede into the background during gameplay.
The tech tree is sound and sleek; not a single useless mod clutters the selection. A host of customized mechs from a limited medium means more time in the field racking up kills and less time in the rear sifting through menus and gear. Through customization, small Intruder mechs become healers, buffers/debuffers, long-range recon, even suicide bombers; Destroyers can become snipers, close-combat gladiators, et cetera.
Forget the inept cutscenes and crap voice acting: the gameplay is fun, the in-game graphics are sharp, and the maps diverse. Plus there is a crazy array of secret material: Secret stages, secret map objectives, secret mech mods, even secret Hero units.
The soundscape is soft, multi-layered, ambient, comfortable with being in the background. It could be argued that speed metal and electro-industrial music would be better for a story of mech warfare, but Mytran Wars is a refinement of the genre, not a revolution.
score 6.5 out of ten
verdict No boundaries are pushed, but no crippling mistakes are made. Still, I say we abandon the status quo and further distinguish Western games from their brightly-colored Eastern counterparts. For mechs, I prefer rust to shine, and crude oil to cold fusion.
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