Review by: Radek Staniek

Having read the rather enthusiastic review of Machine Head on this very same page, I decided to track this game down and try it for myself. I have been a fan of other console first-person shooters for a while now, including Alien Trilogy and Doom (both PSX versions). Is this game a surprise hit, or a mediocre effort by Eidos?

The graphic engine in Machine Head is reminiscent of Tomb Raider for the Saturn. The downside here is that the polygons don't look sharp enough when it comes to the landscapes, often making it difficult to distinguish openings, enemies, and other key elements. Darkness is used to combat pop-up, but it is too close to the screen meaning that you don't see as far ahead as you should. The Full Motion Video scenes are not of the best clarity, but they do add to the overall storyline of the game (which is quite interesting actually). The music in MH is very atmospheric, dark, and fitting.

Gameplay is where we start to see some flaws. If you have ever played Krazy Ivan, the controls are a carbon copy here. Five different control pad configurations are available, with C being the most suitable. Up and Down move you forward and back, Left and Right turn you left and right, L Shift and R Shift are used for strafing, X looks up - A looks down, Y brings up a bigger map of the stage, Z selects the secondary weapons while C fires them, and B is your unlimited machine guns. Got that? Now, looking up and down is a major pain, because the controls are too loose. You hit X to focus in on an enemy above you (so you can shoot him) and the view swings too far up. Since aiming is such a key element in first-person shooters, this problem makes the entire game somewhat frustrating. The vehicle feels like a boat as it leans from side to side when you least need it. On the upside, the level designs are very good, and mission objectives are varied from mission to mission. For ex, in Scene 1 you have to find and destroy 10 cocoons, then in #2 you clear a path for a train. You basically find unreality keys, which power up these domes, which then (when bumped into) alter the landscape and allow you to pass. This is the pattern in all the levels.

If you can find this game for under $15, and you absolutely can't wait for Quake or Duke 3D and need a reasonable substitute NOW, Machine Head is not a bad choice. With 15 missions, this is an acceptable addition to your library. The graphics are not the best I've seen in a game of this type, but if you give MH a chance, it will grow on you. I give it a score of 6 out of 10.