The result is a game that plays like a cross between the traditional big robot game and a first-person shooter like Quake II or Half-Life. Your Gear is much quicker and more flexible in its actions, able to crouch, crawl, run, jump, 'skate' on retractable wheels and even, with the right equipment, fly through space. On the other hand, it doesn't take many accurate hits to knock it out. This makes stealth, planning, tactics and the effective use of the vast range of different weapon systems much more important. It's far better to sneak up behind the enemy and take him down with a single long-range sniper shot than to go wading in head-first and get the crap blown out of you.

Luckily, Heavy Gear II takes full advantage of this different approach to the big robot genre, with a varied and challenging single-player campaign that sees you fighting in everything from desolate wastelands to swamps and even deep space, running along the exterior of vast battleships and launching yourself from one to the other.

It isn't going to be to everyone's taste as Heavy Gear II lacks the satisfying sense of invulnerability engendered by MechWarrior III's massive Mechs, and it's arguably a much tougher game. For those looking for something new and different, though, this comes highly recommended.