AirMech aka Herzog Drei...

[The Coop]

http://carbongames.com/

Over two decades ago, Tecno Soft released a game for the MegaDrive/Genesis called Herzog Zwei. It got mixed reviews, in part because no one was really sure what to do with the game. It was strategy and shmup mashed together, and everything was happening in real time. It came and went, and didn't really get much of a following. However, as time went on, people began to realize that this game was a forerunner to the RTS genre we know and love today. It was doing real time battles, resource management, and allowing you to give orders to troops that they'd follow on their own, years before Dune II and the first C&C would erect the basic control template that nearly every RTS game uses today.

Despite HZ's iffy reception back then, it regularly shows up in various lists of the 50 or 100 best/most influential games. But now, there's a game coming out that is so very inspired by HZ, that I'm honestly surprised the makers didn't just try and get the rights to call it Herzog Drei.

Called AirMech, the game is what Herzog Zwei was... part shmup, part RTS. The graphics have obviously been updated to clean 3D models, but unfortunately, you can't get a real feel for the audio. Carbon Games is making it, and the mind(s) behind Fat Princess are responsible for this.

So yeah, check it out. Those who had Herzog Zwei in the early days of the Genesis, and appreciated what the game was doing, should be pretty excited. It's coming out for various systems, with PC, 360/Live, PS3/PSN being the most likely. No release date as of yet, but I know I'll be watching for it.

And for those not familiar with Herzog Zwei, here's a little video to help...

[Garpocalypse]

Ho-ly Shm-it.

I remember giving herzog a rent back when I was a kid. Loved it on two player though it was confusing for the first hour or two as to what you had to do.

One of the most underrated games ever made.

[Poke'G]

Yeah, I remember playing Herzog Zwei at a friend's house when I was very young, young enough that I forgot its then-wacky German name. I spent years trying to find more about it, but because it sold so poorly and few rental chains carried it, it wasn't until the advent of the net and a tip from an older RTS gamer that I found it on Emux.

This game is tragically underrated, especially considering the popularity of the RTS genre.

Here's hoping AirMech can find a better fate.

[CarbonJames]

but unfortunately, you can't get a real feel for the audio.

The audio is still first pass, but the best way to check it out is to just get in the alpha test group. Anyone who is interested can shoot me a message after registering and I'll make sure you get into the live group.

We still have space, but it will fill up. Once we get to a certain number we're going to hold at that size group until we shift to beta. We try to make sure that people who are actively interested in checking it out are able to.

-James

[GallenWolf]

Herzog Zwei is awesome. Untold hours spent with friends or vs the cpu. Now that I think about it, yeah it is a forerunner to the modern rtses, and it ran pretty darn well, ignoring the usual vehicles getting stuck.