Metal Fatigue

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Metal Fatigue
Developer(s) Zono, Inc
Publisher(s) Psygnosis (Europe)
TalonSoft (United States)
Designer(s) Jason Hough
Engine Custom gaming engine
Release date(s) March 3, 2000 (Demo version)
May 18, 2000 (Germany)
May 26, 2000 (Europe, Australia, New Zealand)
July 31, 2000 (North America)
Genre(s) Real-time strategy
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s) ESRB: Teen (T)
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Media CD (2)
System requirements Pentium II, 32MB RAM
This article is about a computer game. For the structural damage that occurs in metal, see Fatigue (material).

Metal Fatigue is a 2000 real-time strategy and mecha computer game developed by Zono, Inc and released by Psygnosis in Europe and TalonSoft (a Take2 company) in the United States. The game's AI designer was Mark Baldwin, while the gameplay was designed by Jason Hough. The French release was known by another name, "Metal Conflict."

The storyline takes place in the 23rd century and involves the story of three brothers' separation into three different "CorpoNations" as they end up waging war on each other.The CorpoNations are Rimtech, MilAgro and Neuropa. In the missions, Rimtech is customised as blue, MilAgro is red and Neuropa purple. Each CorpoNation has its own unique philosophy, tactics, technology, and storyline. Each of the three storylines take place simultaneously, and as such the three brothers meet frequently during operations (though on different sides). At the conclusion of all three campaigns, a special cinematic is played in addition to those from each campaign.

Players have the option to play as one of the brothers in the single-player campaign mode, controlling tanks and other various units at ground level, in underground tunnels, or on orbiting asteroids. The main units in Metal Fatigue are twenty-story tall "Combots," which can be configured and customized part-by-part and dominate the game. Different torsos, arms, and legs can be created in the player's own factory, or salvaged from a wrecked enemy Combot or amputated off of one, providing for thousands of possible combinations. Any part taken from an enemy can also be studied, allowing the player to make copies for mass-production.

Though not the first game to feature this "build-your-unit" style gameplay, Metal Fatigue was revolutionary in its design. With three levels of combat, customized units, good graphics and stunning cinematics (for the time), Metal Fatigue pushed the creative envelope. Unfortunately, poor advertising, almost non-existent support and a few uncorrected glitches combined to spell doom for the game. After release, it received mostly favourable reviews, but quickly fell off the map. It gained almost no popularity in the gaming world, and even the official website ceased to update, even before the game was released. Metal Fatigue's European publisher, Psygnosis, was absorbed by Sony just months after the game's release, and neither they nor any other company still sells Metal Fatigue now. Tech support may not be available and obtaining a copy is nearly impossible. Home of the Underdogs has a free download, but it comes without the intro movie or any of the cutscenes, and may not be legal.

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