Heavy Gear II really falls down when it comes to multi-player. When we first got the game, we were thinking, "Oh no, not another mech game." Then we played some multi-player before we played single-player. Soon we were thinking, "Oh no, it's just another mech game." The problem with multi-player is, you lose all the wonderful tactics of the single-player game and every level turns into a deathmatch. You can't snipe from a distance for long, because eventually the constantly regenerating enemies will get you in return. You can't run in and hit them hard then get out with the flag because really soon they're going to have regenerated. Then there's the fact that humans are much better shots than the AI of the game. You're going to die way too quickly from energy weapon attacks. Heavy Gear II was designed to be a single-player game, and while the multi-player game is much more than an afterthought, the balance is all single-player oriented.

One thing we were very happy to see is that a game tracker is built into Heavy Gear II itself. No more having to use mediocre external services like MS Gaming Zone or the dreaded MPlayer. It's even better than having to use Game Spy because it is all internal to the game.

Heavy Gear II is the best mech combat game we've played so far. The graphics are better, the plot is better, and the level design is better. While piloting your gear is not easy, tactics are the name of the game. Though everything about the game is evolutionary and not revolutionary, we enjoyed every bit of it. Starsiege is probably a better choice for multi-player mech combat, but for lone play, no mech game we've played is better than Heavy Gear 2. Right now we're looking at the Mech Warrior 3 package wondering what is in store. We'll get that one out to you in not too long so you can compare. But for now, you'll have no regrets and lots of fun if you get Heavy Gear II.