Hidden Gem of the Week: Shogo: Mobile Armor Division
For a good start of another week, we're announcing another Hidden Gem of the Week - Shogo: Mobile Armor Division.
This week we'd like to bring your attention to an original and fun to play shooter - Shogo: Mobile Armor Division. The game features giant robots and was the first Monolith's title to use their flagship Lithtech engine - what can be better than that? David Craddock has spent hours playing the game and now he's sharing his impressions with you. Don't forget that we're also giving you a 10% discount for the game for whole week, until Sunday, August 30 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
by David Craddock
Monolith's recipe for shooter success: a sprinkle of anime influence, a dash of mechs, two cups narrative, and a homemade Lithtech crust to hold everything together. Bake and let sit until September 30, 1998, then release the concoction for the consumption of gamers eager for FPS gameplay and narrative beyond the typical "your squad entered a portal and was slaughtered, leaving only you to mindlessly shoot everything that moves" motivations of the time.
As the first Monolith game powered by the Lithtech engine, Shogo: Mobile Armor Division featured a smorgasbord of action and meaningful story conveyed using a vibrant anime art style that quickly made the game a critical success. A mishmash of gameplay allowed players to break up traditional on-foot travel by providing opportunities to pilot bipedal mechs capable of tearing across terrain and battering enemies with a barrage of high-tech weaponry. Rather than employ cumbersome mech controls that make even the hardiest simulation nerd cry over his keyboard, mech controls were as intuitive and responsive as standard FPS controls, making piloting the mountains of steel as simple as circle strafing.
Borrowing more from the Land of the Rising Sun than charismatic art and an infatuation with giant robots, Shogo received an injection of JRPG influence that elevated standard FPS gameplay and narrative to new heights. Critical hits devastated enemies while also bequeathing players a health bonus. The story was particularly notable, as players were offered choices that directly affected factors such as the major antagonists they would face and the game's conclusion.
With gameplay that deviated from the twitch-oriented norm and a story that is still worth players' investment, Shogo: Mobile Armor Division successfully rattled a genre that seemed content to gorge on de facto standards rather than push toward innovation.
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