Preview: AirMech

By: Derek Yu

On: January 16th, 2012

Before Warcraft and before Dune 2, there was Technosoft’s Herzog Zwei (1989), a Genesis/Mega Drive game that laid the groundwork for real-time strategy games. Whereas the majority of RTS games that followed put you above the action, Herzog Zwei had you controlling a mech directly. This commander unit could fight, issue orders, and transport units.

Cut to today: Carbon Games is working on AirMech, an RTS game that is a more direct successor to Zwei. The small team comprises the core members of the now-defunct Titan Studios that developed Fat Princess for PS3.

If you want to join the alpha, sign up here and post in the forums here, letting Carbon know that you want to play.

  • Mark Booker

    Checking it out through the Chrome Web Store (details in the last link of this article).  Apparently there’s no waiting for alpha access in that case.  Not sure how it runs through there, but I guess I’ll find out!

  • Mark Booker

     It’s really a cool game!  I’m just doing 1v1 (AI) but I’m liking the feel of it.  I’m pretty surprised that it’s running in a browser, too. 

  • http://profiles.google.com/uberartist James Green

    Direct link to sign up to play the Chrome version: 
    https://groups.google.com/group/airmech-alpha

    There’s no wait if you join that group, and the instructions are inside once you join it. The PC version you have to wait for a slot to open up.

    Thanks for the coverage guys! :D

  • Kurt Russell Fan Club

    This looks gorgeous!

    I’m a massive fan of Robotech and wanted to love Herzog Zwei but never got past the interface.  Looks like you’ve certainly improved on theirs.

  • Quazi

    this was in the related videos of RetroBlazer

    Shame on you and your paper trail Derek!

    as for the game, looks awwwesssoome

  • ice

    This game is awesome, I need to pick it back up again. (stupid school and work)

  • frank

    Good stuff! I didn’t realize there were other games like this (besides Hoard).

  • Timmeh

    Great game, but I find its look very similar to Steel Storm : Burning Retribution. Which is pretty cool, all things considered. I’m just wondering whether anyone else sees too much similarity.

  • Rivon

    It’s a totally different game, trust me. It’s modelled after Herzog Zwei. Take a look at some video on Youtube.

  • Timmeh

    I have played it, but I couldn’t help noticing. If only it didn’t crash so often, unless it’s just the chrome version that does, I’d love it. It just never lets me finish a game

  • Timmeh

    never mind the crashing actually. Beware that when using the Chrome version, Chrome has a ctrl+W hotkey to close the current tab, which immediately shuts down the game, so change the controls to not use ctrl as a key.

  • Guest

    I’d like to try it out but it’s not worth downloading chrome.

  • http://www.arm42.com/ Michaël Lievens

    Would be great if you could control tanks and other machines !
    I really like the look and feel, must rock in multiplayer :D

  • shoopy

    10:00 – “…and then finally attacking their base WAAOOH!!!” hahah good commentary.

    Also, looks very smooth – can’t wait to see how the final product is, if this is alpha.

  • Parasiet

    I dont know Hertog, but kinda reminds me of Future Cop LAPD multiplayer as well!

  • Slappy

    This game is a reskin of Steel Storm: Burning Retribution. Devs are going to get sued for sure.

  • http://cantcode.com Jared

    No way, that would destroy the beauty of this game.

  • http://www.arm42.com/ Michaël Lievens

    Did not try yet so I can’t tell.

    But it would be a simple matter of game modes and options.
    This was a fun feature in “Return to the fire” and the RTS “Machine” nothing mandatory…

  • Anonymous

    Looks very cool, while there are some similarities to Steel Storm, I think it’s still pretty unique, and different enough that they shouldn’t have to worry :)

  • http://twitter.com/Milknife Adam Clarke

    Yeah – Same thing, Took 3 accidental exits to realised that I was hitting ctrl+w.

    I rebound transform to Shift.

  • Timmeh

    It’s not a reskin of SS:BR at all. In fact the most you could say is that the textures actually look quite CLOSE to SS’s textures. I thought this myself too, at first, but the game is completely different.

  • QUIMDUNG

    looks interesting and i love that it’s based on a genesis game

  • Delayder

    reminds me of steel soldiers
    Looks bloody great though