Mechs & Mercs: Black Talons

[panzerde]

I agree with JH. It isn't the most polished game I've played, but it's fun and very playable. I enjoy the setting. There's more to the tactics of the game than the first mission leads you to believe. The cut scenes are neat, the story line, while not great is at least not stupid, and the battle cruiser base is cool. There are a lot of things to build out.

Pause and issue orders seems to be the way to play. I'm getting much better results than issuing all orders real-time. Engineers are surprisingly useful. Some reviewers have said that you can just zerg your units and there's no reason to use anything but heavies, but I'm finding that not to be the case. There's some worth to lighter squads when used right. "Right" does not include going toe-to-toe with a heavy armored support squad.

Light squads are your cavalry.

[Gusington]

Resolve...fading...

[Shelldrake]

Resolve...fading...

Yeah...there goes that New Year's resolution. :P

[Jarhead0331]

Engineers are surprisingly useful. Some reviewers have said that you can just zerg your units and there's no reason to use anything but heavies, but I'm finding that not to be the case. There's some worth to lighter squads when used right. "Right" does not include going toe-to-toe with a heavy armored support squad.

Light squads are your cavalry.

Not only are engineers useful, but in the first three contracts I've played, they have been mandatory. They sabotage mission essential targets in a bunch of missions. They are, however, very useful overall as they also construct defensive turrets.

I like using two or three heavy squads to advance and establish defensive perimeters, while using quicker assault and/or tactical/support squads to rush in and capture resource pumps and landing zones. So far, the strategy seems to be working. I don't think using all heavy squads is an effective strategy because not only are they slow moving, but they are far from invincible too. Balancing your force rewards the player in the end if used effectively, and that, to me, is a sign of a good game. 

[Skwerl]

Mechs and Mercs: Black Talons is on sale at Humble bundle for $5.  I can see from this thread that several of you have played it.  Is it any good?  As usual, the reviews on Steam are all over the place.

[mirth]

$5 you say? Hmmm...

[panzerde]

Definitely worth $5. It's a fun little game. Never going to be a classic, but fun.

[mirth]

I can afford not to play it for $5.

[panzerde]

Yep, that's pretty much the case. Even if you only do a few missions and set it aside, you probably got $5 worth of entertainment from it.

[mirth]

I was thinking more along the lines of buying it to add to my vast collection of totally unplayed games.

[panzerde]

I was thinking more along the lines of buying it to add to my vast collection of totally unplayed games.

Not all that many years ago, I would have never thought such a thing possible. Now I have just such a collection myself.


What's worse is that I have a growing collection of board games like that, too.

[mirth]

Ugh. Let's not speak of the board games :P

[Shelldrake]

After hesitating for a couple of days I grabbed the game this morning since I couldn't resist playing with mechs again at a bargain price.