MechWarrior is a PC franchise based in the Battletech universe. These games are noted for their excellent balance of simulation and action, and also for engaging political story-lines.
The MechWarrior franchise is essentially a digital version of the classic Battletech RPG. In these games the player takes control of a single BattleMech (referred to as 'Mech for short) rather than a group of 'Mechs (called a lance). As the player you will encounter other BattleMechs, tanks, infantry, and more from either within the cockpit of the 'Mech or from one of two third-person cameras.
Awards
MechWarrior 2 and MechWarrior 3 were both Origins Award winners taking the slots for "Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Computer Game" in 1995 and "Best Action Computer Game" in 1999 respectively.
Timeline
The franchise takes place in the distant future where these MechWarrior's and their 'Mechs are used as pawns of politics for several major houses. These houses are always at war with each other and the following is the timeline of the MechWarrior titles (in order of release, not chronological):
- MechWarrior takes place during the last stages of the Third Succession War.
- MechWarrior 2, Ghost Bear's Legacy and Mercenaries take place before, during, and after the Clan Invasion of The Inner Sphere.
- MechWarrior 3 takes place during different parts of "Operation Bulldog", the Inner Sphere counter-attack against The Clans, targeting Clan Smoke Jaguar.
- MechWarrior 4 and its expansions take place within the Federated Commonwealth Civil War.
Houses
The notable and major houses in the MechWarrior / Battletech universe are (in no particular order):
- House Steiner
- House Liao
- House Marik
- House Kurida
Music
Composer and producer Duane Decker has done a ton of audio and musical works for the franchise over most of its history. He has done background music tracks for MechWarrior 3 and its expansions, but his more notable works are with MechWarrior 4. He composed the score for MechWarrior 4: Vengeance which was later released on CD, he was also audio lead on the game as well. In addition, he composed the background music for its two expansions.
Feature Film
Electric Entertainment, a production company founded by Dean Devlin, which currently holds all options to produce a film based upon the MechWarrior universe. However, in 2003 Devlin approached Paramount to pitch the project but failed to received funding. The project is currently in development hell.
Role-Playing Game
In addition to the many PC games published
under the MechWarrior name, there have been 3 editions of a
role-playing game under the same name, the first of which was published
in 1985. It was later renamed Classic Battletech RPG upon being
reprinted in 2007.
Future of the Franchise
Unofficially
Currently there is a mod in development called MechWarrior: Living Legends currently slated for release in Winter 2008. It is built upon the CryTek Engine 2 and is not an official part of the MechWarrior line.
Officially
In March of 2003 FASA Studios announced that MechWarrior 5 had been cancelled with no plans to follow in the near future. In 2007 Microsoft announced that it had shut the doors of the famous FASA Studios, putting all of its projects into immediate limbo. Some of the laid-off execs and employees from FASA got back together to create the company Smith and Tinker. On October 15th 2007, it was announced that Smith and Tinker had purchased the rights to MechWarrior and other titles they have created and worked on over the years. No future projects have since been announced.
Mechwarrior games
Edit
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Name |
Platforms |
Developer |
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MechWarrior 2: The Titanium Trilogy
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PC
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Mech Warrior 3050
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GEN,
SNES
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MechWarrior 4 Compilation
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PC
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FASA Studio,
Cyberlore Studios, Inc.
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MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries
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PC
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Cyberlore Studios, Inc.
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MechWarrior 4: Clan 'Mech Pak
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PC
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FASA Studio,
Cyberlore Studios, Inc.
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MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere 'Mech Pak
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PC
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FASA Studio,
Cyberlore Studios, Inc.
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MechWarrior 3 (Gold Edition)
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PC
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Zipper Interactive
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MechWarrior 4: Black Knight
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PC
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FASA Studio,
Cyberlore Studios, Inc.
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MechWarrior 4: Vengeance
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PC
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FASA Studio
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MechWarrior 3
released on June 1, 1999
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PC
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Zipper Interactive
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MechWarrior 3: Pirate's Moon
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PC
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Zipper Interactive
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MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries (Titanium Edition)
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PC
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Activision
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MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries (3Dfx Interactive Edition)
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PC
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Activision
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MechWarrior 2: BattlePack
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PC
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Activision
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MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries
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PC
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Activision
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MechWarrior 2 (Limited Edition)
released on Jan. 1, 1996
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PC
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Activision
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MechWarrior 2: Ghost Bear's Legacy
released on Nov. 30, 1995
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PC
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Activision
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MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat
released on July 24, 1995
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MAC,
PS1,
SAT,
PC
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Quantum Factory, Inc
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Metaltech: Earthsiege
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PC
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Dynamix, Inc.
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MechWarrior
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SNES,
PC
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Dynamix, Inc.
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Guides
