If you are reading this, it means you have an interest in video games. You have probably played games that made you feel powerful, by giving you swords, rifles, grenades and every kind of arm you can imagine (Deus Ex: Mankind Divided allows you to fire a blade out of your arm). Only, nothing beats the sensation of piloting a gigantic robot, as you blast your way through the ones who dare to stand in your way.
Video games are cool already, but by adding mechs, the “coolness factor” is multiplied by a factor of 10.
Either fighting or piloting them, every time you encounter a mech in a game, you know that's the perfect moment to grab a beer and kick some rear. But in a universe full of dazzling machinery, it is hard to pick your favorite one. In order to ease your burden, we have taken that task for you. You are welcome.
We listed the ten coolest mechs featured in first person shooters. Strap in and check them out.
10. Mech Dog (Wolfenstein: Thew New Order)
This installment of the franchise offered players a perspective of how the world could have changed for the worst. In an alternate reality where the Nazis have won World War II, players must fight along with the resistance, in order to claim Earth back from the hands of the Third Reich.
Throughout the journey, players encounter many types of enemies, including the Mech Dog. While it is not very strong, its agility makes it perfect to ambush players that will need to be faster than the machine.
This enemy offers balance in the experience, as most of the enemies are human and move slowly. The mech dog changes that and developers often used it to catch players off-guard, using the old trick of creating patterns and then breaking them. Once players had become accustomed to the normal enemies, the game caught them by surprise, by throwing the mech dog in the combat.
9. The Badassasaurus (Borderlands 2: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage)
The world of the Borderlands 2 created an unlikely combination of comedy and a first person shooter. Developers achieved the comedic tone of this game through many techniques and one of them consisted of allowing players to face absurd enemies.
This was the case of the final boss of the Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage DLC, where players needed to take down not only a gigantic mech, but also what characters in the game described as a “Giant Goddamn Metal T-Rex”. Because a giant robot was not deadly enough.
8. Gaige, the Mechromancer and Death Trap (Borderlands 2)
Borderlands 2 makes another appearance in this list with the fifth playable character of the game. Back in High School, Gaige built a robot, named Death Trap to protect her from bullies and once she moved to the wastelands of Pandora, the dynamic duo started to fight a different type of bandit.
Players who chose to play with her were able to summon Death Trap, a small mech capable of attacking enemies with a variety of melee attacks that will keep its master safe from the foes of the wasteland, and from bullies.
7. REV9 Power Armor (F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin)
The first mech of this list that players actually control. In the F.E.A.R. franchise, players may feel depowered, as they need to take down a legion of supernatural creatures, an army of elite security guards and a battalion of telepathically controlled super soldiers.
There is a moment in the second game of the franchise; however, when all of this changes. As players strap themselves in the cockpit of the REV9 Power Armor, nothing can stop them, as they blast their way through the enemy lines.
Equipped with rockets that can take down several enemies at once and a machine gun, for more precise shooting, this mech can suit the style of each player.
6. Liberty Prime (Fallout 3)
Fallout 3 presented players with the opportunity to witness one of the greatest combat assets ever seen in a video game. Equipped with an eye laser and tactical nuclear bombs, it can turn the entire battlefield into ashes with the blink of an eye.
Initially built to fight against the Chinese army, this mech fights alongside the player, in order to storm the wastelands of the post-apocalyptic version of Washington D.C.
5. Incinerator (Hawken - Early Access)
Currently in Steam Early access, Hawken brings to players an intense first person shooter experience and allows them to step inside a variety of mechs, which players can customize as they wish.
Of all robots players can pick, one stands out: the Incinerator. Capable of delivering damage to several enemies at once, using its weapons to set opponents on fire, while protecting its allies, by absorbing the energy from the attacks of other mechs, this robot is designed to leave a trace of destruction behind.
4. Atlas (Titanfall)
The first game of the franchise met an unfortunate end, as the initial crowd dwindled up to the point of leaving most servers in abandonment. One of the reasons for this was the number of Titans available for players to choose, but that does not mean that the few mechs featured in the game were not satisfying.
Above all, one stands out: Atlas.
While the other mechs mandated players to choose from either speed or strength, Atlas was the balance in between.
Presenting players with an equilibrium between agility and force, this mech adapted to nearly every style players could have and this factor made it unique.
3. Mech Hitler (Wolfenstein 3D)
In the game that helped to establish the first person shooter genre, players controled an American soldier who had been captured during World War II and taken to castle Wolfenstein. The objective of the game was to escape from the castle, defeating its security guards in the process.
Stopping the possible escape ranked high on the priority list of the Third Reich and when near the exit, players needed to defeat the man who many consider to be the greatest threat this world has ever seen: Adolf Hitler.
Developers figured this was not enough; however, and decided to arm Hitler with a mech suit, equipped with two machine guns.
This encounter will forever be in the memory of the FPS fans from the 90s.
2. Ronin (Titanfall 2)
The developers of the Titanfall franchise found a way to solve the lack of options for players to choose from in the first entry of the series. The second installment of the series contains six different mechs and of them is Ronin.
This robot is the result you get when combining a gladiator and a gigantic robot. Equipped with a sword, it can deliver deadly melee attacks, while it can also use a shotgun to blast its enemies away.
Unlike most mechs that feature machine guns and missiles, making them suitable for medium-long ranged combats, Ronin gives to players the opportunity to get closer and more personal with the enemies.
1. Adam Jensen (Deus Ex: Human Revolution)
Many games allow you to battle against mechs, some will let you fight alongside with them and others will let you pilot them. What can be better than any of these alternatives? Becoming a mech yourself.
Set in a cyber-punk dystopian future, Deus Ex: Human Revolution players play as Adam Jensen and have the ability to purchase upgrade to enhance his body, using cybernetic implants and microchips.
Through these physical improvements, players can see through walls, fall from any height without injury and even punch through a wall. The protagonist begins the game with a mundane body, but as the story progresses, he becomes a walking tank.
Who needs to deploy a mech on the battlefield, when you can become one yourself?
Which mechs in video games make you feel the most powerful? Let me know in the comments below.
Published: Nov 6, 2016 02:57 pm