Posted on: April 11, 2023
gogskel
Verified ownerGames: 821 Reviews: 19
Great entry in the WH40K games library
Mechanicus is a great entry in the often underwhelming library of WH40K-themed games. Take charge of a highly customizable party of elite troops and weaker mooks for turn-based tactical combat. The presentation is excellent, with great art direction and an absolutely amazing soundtrack, mixing electronic and organ music and chants. The graphics don't have the highest fidelity, but everything is very pretty in an almost cartoon-like style, reminiscent of Torchlight and similar optics. The main gameplay is split into two phases: Exploration, wherein you select the path through the tombs and have to make choices in semi-randomized encounters (that is: there is a limited number of predefined encounters throughout each mission, but the precise location in the path is different each playthrough). And combat, of course, which is the meat of the game. Combat greatly relies on cognition points (CP), which allow your units to use special abilities or more powerful weapons. Importantly, spending CP allows your units to keep moving around the field. Recovering CP in various ways is therefore a core concept of the game. This can become downright ludicrous: A party specialized on recovering CP can keep performing actions to the point where the entire combat encounter is handled within the first turn and the enemies never get to fire a single shot. In that sense, the game can sometimes feel more like a puzzle game, where optimizing your route towards a rapid, cheesy victory is key. As you move through the campaign, your main units gain experience, new abilities and equipment options, RPG-like. The included Heretek DLC adds a few additional missions with a handful of new enemy types and some equipment. Nothing too big, but welcome nonetheless. The game features a wide array of customizability regarding difficulty options (and a number of GOG-achievements tied to these), allowing for great replay value and the appropriate challenge for any player. Overall, a great experience.
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