With Titanfall (shown above) ruling the March game-sales charts, robots and ‘mechs are once again in vogue. PS4 and PS Vita owners will soon be able to get their hands on their own exclusive ‘mech-themed game, as Spark Plug Games has revealed a new game called Mechrunner will release for the systems this summer.
Mechrunner will not appear on Xbox One. It will, however, have a version on Windows PC (via Steam).
MechRunner is a high-octane action game that casts players as a powerful mode-changing mech. It sounds like Spacer Harrier on steroids, to a certain degree, with players blasting their way through decimated urban landscapes at incredible speeds.
The difference, of course, is that you’re piloting a ‘mech, so you’ll be able to switch between robot and tank modes to rain punishment on endless waves of mechanical foes.
Although you should be careful not to call Mechrunner a Transformers game, the development team did team-up with someone associated with that franchise. Spark Plug Games partnered with veteran film-industry concept artist Josh Nizzi, whose credits include The Avengers, Iron Man and Transformers.
“Josh has really created an amazing aesthetic that makes playing MechRunner a truly unique visual experience,” said Ben Lichius, VP and Art Director at Spark Plug. “I think we have some of the most detailed, amazing looking mechs to ever appear in a video game.”
Other features of Mechrunner include:
- Switch between mech and tank modes on-the-fly
- Slice & dice enemy units with your sword
- Rescue civilians for extra points and awards
- Access an extensive arsenal of weapons, customizations, and power-ups
- Unique environments that blend seamlessly together
- Numerous enemy types each with different tactics (and weaknesses)
- Epic boss battles
- A dynamically shifting environment that offers unexpected obstacles, cover and danger
- Unlockable skins, upgrades, and achievements/trophies
If you want to help finish-up Mechrunner right, you can contribute to a Kickstarter campaign for the game. Apparently Mechrunner is “feature complete,” but there’s more polish to be added.
“We realized that, with a little extra push here at the end, there’s a lot we could do to make playing MechRunner even more memorable for gamers and mech fans alike,” said Spark Plug President John O’Neill. “We’re excited to engage with fans, get their feedback, and partner with them while we wrap things up. We’ve also got some fantastic backer rewards!”
Among the rewards are an opportunity to play the game early, receive exclusive in-game content, the game’s soundtrack, t-shirts, and limited-edition collectable statues and even a chance to collaborate with the team to create new game content. The Kickstarter campaign runs through May 16.
