February 2022 • Macworld 99The game starts with a
straightforward tutorial, that
introduces the basic movement and
combat controls for your personal
mech. Like most strategy games,
BattleTech gives you an overhead
view of the terrain – depicted in
detailed 3D graphics – and allows
you to select your location or target
with a simple click of the mouse. Your
mech doesn’t look particularly big
or impressive in this mode, but once
you’ve issued your commands the
game switches into a more close-
up view where you see your mech
stomping – or dramatically jumping
- towards your target and then firing
your weapons.
These regular changes of
viewpoint can be a bit disconcerting
at first, and the methodical approach
to combat can be a bit frustrating if
you just want to let rip with your giant
mech and smush your enemies into
little blots on the landscape. However,
the main single-player campaign
provides plenty of tactical challenges
for strategy fans, and there’s an
online Skirmish mode available that
offers PvP combat for both teams and
individual players.
The game’s slick 3D graphics
need a decent graphics card, though,
so make sure to check out the
recommended system requirements
before buying.- Civilization: Beyond Earth
Price: £29.99 from fave.co/338Iioc
The previous games in the Civilization
series have all followed the same
basic pattern, putting you in control
of a group of primitive settlers who
fight and trade their way to world
domination
before eventually
developing
rocket ships
and advanced
technologies
that allow them
to reach for the
stars.
Beyond
Earth, as its - name implies,