Let me be honest with you, I am not a big fan of the Mechwarrior title and the whole industry behind it, but I can honestly say that I still think it is a good game. Mechwarrior 3, the latest installment, is a good installment of the series, featuring intense action, 3-D, and strategy. The game takes you over, making you believe that you are piloting these incredible military machines. The original and the sequel where advanced for the time they were released for graphics and gameplay. Mechwarrior 3 is no exception. It is deep and is complex to keep you playing while making it enjoying. It might seen a little boring, and out there for common people but it is good fun.

Graphics don't make a game, gameplay and story line do, but if every game had these graphics then an exception could be made. The company, FASA, put great attention to detail that makes it look really great. Also the movement of the mech's is what really turns you on to this game. You can see everything you would expect to see with this game, their imprints in the earth, their toes flexing, cringing if you will. Whenever they are shot, the body parts don't just fall off, they are ripped. The weapons, they pierce the armor like your dreams.

The fighting is the best part. The view from the cockpit is great. You have different views, different options, everything you need. You can lock on to different parts of the mech, and disable specific items like weapons, internal equipment or my favorite, just take out the legs. The coolest thing however though is the Alpha strike attack which unloads everything in your arsenal at once for a devastating attack upon your enemy. But the downside is that your mech. will overheat. A new feature implemented in this installment can cool down your mech quickly. And the sound effects are great. They make you feel more involved with the game. The shooting of your cannons, the falling the enemy mechs. The destruction of towns that you destroy. All the sound effects that make you cringe with fright, and smile with delight all at the same time.

The one downside of this game is the single-player campaign is only 20 missions and is very straight to the point. They get somewhat repetitive and don't really differ from the fact that you just kill everything. It is actually rather disappointing that the missions weren't equal to the graphics or anything else that has to do with Mechwarrior 3. However, what it loses in single-player it gains in multiplay with its unique versions of deathmatch and team play battles on Internet Gaming Zone. You will find all the good players just wanting to open up a can of whoop ass on you, but the game is fun and enjoyful.

Mechwarrior 3 is a game that boldly markets it's originality, and fun in a cluttered gaming market. With all the great new games coming out, like Daikatana, Quake III, C&C -Tiberian Sun, and Diablo II, it will be hard to remember the ones before it. If I were you I would pick this game up because it will be one that you won't forget for some time, or until at least System Shock II comes out that is...

-Narayan