WILD METAL COUNTRY

Centuries of unnatural selection have turned Tehric's war machines into the ultimate hunter-killers: only now have we developed the military technology to challenge their supremacy. Revolutionary physics, independent track and turret controls, vast arenas and a unique 3D audio system combine to create a truly innovative and deeply enthralling game.

No organic life survives in the Tehric system: only machines, lethally altered from guardian to antagonist. Now the humans want to regain control of their system - and its priceless secret.

They will stop at nothing. But a thousand years of unnatural selection have turned the machines into the ultimate hunters. Stalking, flying, hunting, alone or in packs; they are alert, cunning and relentless. They are feral.

Now you must use a new generation of assault vehicles to challenge their supremacy.

Kill or be killed. Hunt or be hunted.

~ from the back of the box and CD case

Wild Metal Country holds an important place in gaming history. It marks a transition period where Lemmings creators DMA Design turned into the behemoth that is Rockstar Games, so much so that the company changed names between its initial PC release on 15th May 1999 and its DreamCast port - now renamed to just Wild Metal - in the February of the next year. Its an unassuming and somewhat forgotten title to kickstart the modern iteration of one of gaming's most respected developers, but this open-world tank combat game is still worth a look.

When I say Wild Metal Country is unassuming, I mean it. If you go in expecting Grand Theft Tank, you'll be more than a little disappointed. At its core its is a simple affair with a single objective; collect each of the hidden power cores and get outta there. There will be other tanks and turrets to hinder you, but the core of its gameplay is exploration. Each stage is as huge as the mountain ranges barely visible in the distance, but there isn't much of anything inside them. There is no trees or bushes, only rocks and sand with the only animals being the occasional, blink-and-you'll-miss-'em bird circling the tallest peaks.

Hunt all of the power cores to complete the level. One down, seven more to go (left).

Their glow is often visible before they are. Use this - and your radar -  to find them (right).

Even the enemy tanks are scattered a little too far apart leaving long stretches of doing nothing other than driving. So why do I find it so compelling? In many ways, it's this empty terrain that makes the game. It complements the quirky control scheme and robust physics system to make navigating the rolling hills and mountainsides quite fun. If you can get past those quirks that is.

In order to get any enjoyment out of the game, you'll have to master the controls. Being a tank, your vehicle doesn't have an accelerator peddle or brake pad like in other vehicles. Instead, it has tracks. Two of them to be precise, and each is controlled independently of each other. Using the number pad, the 5 and 6 keys move the left and right track forward respectively while 2 and 3 does the same but backwards. This means that in order to move straight ahead, both 5 and 6 are to be held down at once. Want to turn right? Hold down 5 to rev up the left track. To turn on the spot, make one track go forward while the other back. It takes a lot of getting used to, but it's rewarding when you do. If you can't get on with it, you can choose to play with the joystick instead. The game supports X-Input (X-Box) controllers when selecting the joystick in the options menu, so it's worth it to have movement play out with just the left analogue stick.

Chopper are your allies. They will drop ammo and assist should you find yourself stuck upside down (left).

If you don't have enough Cores to end the stage, Power Stores will populate your radar to guide to the missing ones (right).

On your hunt for the eight multi-coloured power cores, you'll likely come in conflict with other war machines. They are programmed in such a way to be just as susceptible to gravity as you are, with an aim that's just fallible enough to make you think a scared human is at the helm. You can fire two types of weapons; turret weapons and mines. Both have different ammunition to collect for bigger explosions, but the infinite shots of the base gun will do well in most instances. If you really want them, though, collect those crates dropped by the friendly helicopter flying around. And don't confuse it for an enemy, else he won't bother to help you anymore.

In combat, I found it best to aim straight ahead, but the turret can swivel 360 degrees at your whim for more advanced aiming. Should you require to aim higher, hold down the attack button and let go at your desired height. The battles play out in such a way that allows for such manoeuvres without becoming too hectic, nor too dull.

Some cores are placed behind indestructible energy barriers (left).

Destroy these generators to power them down (right).

Should you explode, you'll instantly respawn at the nearest power store, though all but your basic ammo will be dropped where you died. Even those precious power cores will be lost. You have infinite lives so you can return to the scene of battle to collect them again and carry on your merry way with nothing but lost time on your conscience. The power stores - floating transporter pods that also mark the beginning and end of each stage - can help with this. Even if you only have a few, you can send them up by driving slowly under them giving you peace of mind.

Wild Metal Country may be smaller in scope compared to the Grand Theft Autos that made Rockstar a success story, but you can tell when playing that there's a lot going on under the hood. Its bland visuals, minimal presentation and lack of gameplay options do little to excite at first glance but if you actually get down and play it, you'll find a simple and fun action game at its core.

To download the PC game, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses dgVoodoo to run on modern systems with IMG Drive Portable for the virtual CD drive automation. Manual included. Read the ChamberNotes.txt for more detailed information. Tested on Windows 10.

File Size: 246 Mb.  Install Size: 338 Mb.  Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

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Wild Metal Country is © DMA Design / Rockstar Games
Review, Cover Design and Installer created by me

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