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eceon
10-08-2002, 12:28 PM
this review is from the xengamers website. the overall grade is a C. they claim a lot of the controls are "gimicky" and the presentation is "lackluster" among other things. the reviewer was not able to justify the hefty price tag. read on for the review.

i, on the other hand, am going to remove this from my preorder list and pickup Mechassault in its place. the left over cash will probably go towards a Gamecube (pls dont flame!) and other games...

e

>>The concept behind Tekki is to provide the player with an immersive mech (or Vertical Tank, in Tekki parlance) simulator, using a combination of on-screen graphics and a huge proprietary controller. The controller does provide excellent control and helps immerse the player. However, the game itself is not as polished as it should be at this price point.

Love or hate it, Tekki's most distinctive and talked about feature is the controller. It comes in three separate sections, which the player bolts together with an included hex wrench. There are two joysticks. The right stick aims the VT's weapons and has three buttons for locking on and firing. The left stick is a simple lever for steering left and right, and also has a thumb-hat that allows the player to look around. The middle panel features a knob for tuning the VT's radio to communicate with allies, and an assortment of systems buttons, which do things like change clips, switch weapons, and fire chafe. Also, there is a gear shift for controlling speed and on the far right, is the red EJECT button. In addition to the console is a separate block of 3 foot pedals. The right peddle accelerates, center brakes and combinations of the left pedal and joystick allow the mech to slide quickly in any direction. The core movement/weapon controls are good, providing precise, intuitive control. The twin joystick configuration is also a lot more physically engaging than the standard controller, and serves to get the player into the spirit of the game. However, some of the buttons seem rather gimmicky, and don't really enhance the gameplay much. For example, at the beginning of each level the player must flick a series of five toggles and press three buttons in a certain sequence to power up their mech. These controls are then not touched again during the actual game. Granted, this is fascinating the first few times, but quickly becomes routine. We really would have preferred fewer toggles and more gameplay.

The core campaign of over 20 squad-based missions is set in a variety of urban and pastoral environments. Before each mission, the player can buy new VTs, then customize the loadout with a variety of main and sub weapons. Mission objectives are generally of the “seek and destroy” variety, but get more challenging as the game progresses. Clearing missions makes them available for replay in a separate Free Mission mode and unlocks new mechs (there are around 18) which can be purchased with points accrued throughout the missions. If the player fails a mission (i.e. is forced to eject), points are used to buy a new VT to retry the level with. The most problematic twist in Tekki is its pilot deletion system. If the player fails to eject or ejects but has no points with which to buy a new VT, the player's data is deleted and he or she must start the game over (although all cleared missions are still available in the Free Mission mode). This goes beyond user-unfriendliness; it seems downright rude to delete the character the player has spent time building up. Another big problem is the AI. Friendly squad-mates will sometimes be stymied trying to walk through walls, or will shuffle around aimlessly, blocking the player from getting past.

Tekki's presentation is rather sketchy. On the bright sight, the mechs are superbly animated and move quite convincingly. There is really a sense of weight and power to them. The environments are well designed, with hills, cliffs and buildings forcing the player to use a variety of strategies. Buildings collapse realistically and enemy VTs explode spectacularly when destroyed. The ****pit is rendered in elaborate detail, and sort of acts as an on-screen extension of the controller to give the player a sense of being there. The sound effects are excellent. Servos whine and click as you swing your VT's guns about and the VT's footsteps make a nice rumbling thud. However, the ****pit graphics, while pretty, take up a huge chunk of real-estate, leaving only a small window for the actual action (as better mechs are unlocked, the view-screens get larger, easing the problem somewhat). Further, the world as viewed through the VT's view-screen is intentionally made to look as if it were coming from a video feed. While this may add to the “gritty realism” factor, it is not very pretty –colors are washed out, and draw-in is noticeable. Similarly, the music, ostensibly coming from a boom box in your VT ****pit, is intentionally tinny sounding (and fortunately optional).

We have to give Tekki's creators props for attempting to extend the game world beyond the confines of the TV and into the living room. Swaggering around in a giant robot is also good fun too. However, there's no getting around the price. The game does have its moments, but there are just too many holes to justify the 19,800 yen sticker price.

Importer's Outlook
The somewhat complex controls make Tekki somewhat daunting, but the buttons on the controller are labeled in English, and the dialog is in English too. Mission explanations are not, however, which could make some of the scenarios rather challenging. A North American release of Tekki under the name Steel Battalion is scheduled for mid-November.<<

RudedogX
10-08-2002, 12:31 PM
After seeing videos for level 3 and 4 of this game, I really dropped this on game on my priority list. It just doesn't seem worth all the hype.

yall
10-08-2002, 01:30 PM
really? the videos made me want it more

Piccolo_DBz
10-08-2002, 02:44 PM
Don't believe that stupid indie site, they barely review games at all. I go to there forums all the time and everyone is ****ed off about the review.

If you want another indie review here:
http://www.netjak.com/Reviews/xbox/sb.htm

RudedogX
10-08-2002, 02:58 PM
Originally posted by yall
really? the videos made me want it more

Yeah, for some reason when I watched the videos, they were real as hell, but having to shoot 10,000 other Mechs within a level seems a little much. Then again, it might have just been the resolution that I have on my computer.:rolleyes: Either way, 150 or 200 is going to be a bit much for me to pay for a game until I hear more about it (even with the sequal being on Live).