MechAssault

MechAssault
Product information
Type	Computer game
Development	Day 1 Studios
Publication information
Publisher	Microsoft Game Studios
First published	2002
MSRP	?
Content
Series	MechAssault console games
Followed by	MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf

MechAssault is a 2002 video game developed by Day 1 Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios exclusively for the Xbox console. A sequel MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf was released in 2004.

Canonicity

Computer games are explicitly excluded from the list of products that contribute straight Canon to the BattleTech universe while at the same time it was stated that the IP owners are "not in total denial about these sources either"; it has also been stated that fluff from certain official, licensed products (namely certain computer games including those produced by Microsoft) can be assumed to be part of the shared universe as long as it is not directly contradicted, and makes sense. On this premise, MechAssault is considered to be an apocryphal product.

Plot Summary

A Lance of Wolf's Dragoons is hired to investigate the cessation of communications from the planet Helios. The Dragoons' DropShip, the Icarus arrives at the planet and is shot down upon entering the atmosphere, causing the ship to crash-land on the surface of Helios. It is later discovered by the player that elements of the Word of Blake has invaded and conquered Helios, and is under the rule of an iron-fisted fanatic called Commander Strader. The game follows the player as, commanded by elite officer Major Natalia Kerensky and assisted by inept techie Lieutenant Foster, they fight the military forces of the cult, assist in the liberation of the planet from Word of Blake rule, and assassinate Commander Strader.

Featured BattleTech

BattleMechs

An interesting note with all three of the Mechassault-series games is the designer's choices in 'mechs. There are technically around 20 'mech units in the first game, however, there are only 10 chassis designs that are given two different names for different configurations. The Timber Wolf and the Mad Cat, for example, share the same chassis, but are a different configuration, indicating that the designers misunderstood the clan/Inner Sphere names for clan 'mechs. This pattern is continued with Inner Sphere 'mechs as well, with the Atlas and the Prometheus sharing the same chassis, but having different weapons. The same is true of the Catapult and Bowman and the Owens and Hackman. The designers obviously tried to keep the clan/inner sphere designations throughout the game, and used the names of completely different 'mechs to represent one chassis. Of another note is that some of the designs are misrepresented for their weight class. The Mad Cat/Timber Wolf is labeled in the game manual as a 100 ton assault 'mech, although this discrepancy may be because the game was created at the height of WizKids' Dark Age line, which presents the 90 ton Mad Cat II as looking identical to the Mad Cat itself.

• Atlas
• Belial
• Bowman
• Catapult
• Cougar
• Hackman
• Kit Fox
• Mad Dog
• Mad Cat
• Owens
• Prometheus
• Puma
• Ragnorok
• Summoner
• Thor
• Timberwolf
• Uller
• Uziel
• Vulture
• Ymir

Featured Planets

• Helios

References

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