MechAssault 2

 MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf is a 2004 video game developed by Day 1 Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios exclusively for the Xbox console. It is the sequel to 2002's MechAssault and is backward compatible for the Xbox 360.

From the back cover
GET OUT OF THE BATTLEMECH AND INTO A NEW COMBAT EXPERIENCE

Pull the trigger... Lethal destruction from a whole new perspective is at your finger tips. A lucky shot managed your Mad Cat. It's payback time. Suit up in BattleArmor and seek an enemy 'Mech to "jack." What's yours is yours and what's theirs is yours too...if you're good enough. Crush the Word of Blake in campaign mode or take the fight online with Xbox Live. When you're ready...join a Clan and rule the universe...it's called Conquest.

Punish the enemy in BattleMechs, tanks, VTOLs, or BattleArmor in a thrilling single player campaign spanning 20 missions.

Join a clan on Xbox Live, annihilate the enemy and dominate the universe planet by planet...Simple...yea right. It's Conquest, it's persistent, and it's a whole new game.

How good are you? Prove it on Xbox Live. Game stats and rankings are broadcast real time directly from the game to MechAssault2.com.

FEATURING MUSIC FROM KORN AND PAPA ROACH

Canonicity
Computer games are explicitly excluded from the list of products that contribute straight Canon to the BattleTech universe while at the same time it was stated that the IP owners are "not in total denial about these sources either"; it has also been stated that fluff from certain official, licensed products (namely certain computer games including those produced by Microsoft) can be assumed to be part of the shared universe as long as it is not directly contradicted, and makes sense. On this premise, MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf is considered to be an apocryphal product.

The MechAssault games in particular feature many irreconcilable conflicts with established canon. With regards to MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf, these include:
 * In the game, Dante is depicted as having a thriving black market for technology and is a great place to avoid the Blakists (until they invade at the outset of the Jihad). Per canon, Dante is an Omniss colony that rejects advanced technology and, therefore, was unable to resist when Blakists seized it, disguised as pirates, in the 3060s. Thus, it is unlikely to be a viable center for technological research while hiding from Blakists.
 * All the JumpShips in the game have the appearance and maneuverability of WarShips.
 * JumpShips in the game can cover hundreds of light years in a single jump, versus the canonical limit of 30 light years under normal circumstances. They seem to suffer none of the drawbacks of any known technology that could increase jump range nor would they have access to such technology in the first place.
 * In the game, Wolf's Dragoons' Beta Regiment is wiped out on Northwind by a Blakist surprise attack. Per canon, Beta was destroyed during the failed Allied Mercenary Coalition attack on Mars.
 * In the game, the Blakists have the Northwind Highlanders under lockdown in military prisons. Per canon, the Blakists destroyed their communications, aerospace assets, and interstellar transports, and tricked the inhabitants into thinking there was an ongoing blockade.
 * In the game, Jerome Blake developed data cores with nigh-magical powers around the year 2500 to power a golden age, but hid them on various worlds under the protection of a ComStar secret society called the Covenant. He also invented a super-heavy SpiderMech drone to guard one of the cores. Per canon, Blake was the highest ranking surviving official of the Star League to remain on Terra after Kerensky's Exodus in 2784, had no mythical or magical powers, and there is no indication he had any interest in 'Mech design.
 * In the game, the Word of Blake launched the Jihad in an effort to find and claim the data cores. Per canon, the Jihad started as essentially a series of accidents and misunderstandings in a misguided Blakist effort to reverse the dissolution of the Second Star League.

Plot synopsis
After recovering the mysterious Datacore from Commander Strader's Ragnarok Assault Mech on Helios, the surviving Wolf's Dragoons: Major Natalia Kerensky, Lieutenant Foster, and the MechWarrior, are ordered to go off the grid on a black ops mission to see if they can learn its secrets. The team use the Outworlds Alliance planet Dante as their secret base of operations. It is here that Lieutenant Foster uses the knowledge in the Datacore to design and construct a prototype battle armor, a more sophisticated version of the standard Clan Elemental armor.

One evening, as Foster and the MechWarrior (player) are returning to their workshop, mysterious craft enter the Dante airspace and a Stiletto BattleMech lands on the ground and starts searching for them. They successfully evade the Stiletto and make it back to the workshop, as the Dante Militia square off against the Blakist forces in the streets of Dante City, Major Kerensky orders the MechWarrior to don the experimental battle armor and assist the beleaguered Militia stop the invaders. After this, hundreds of DropShips enter Dante's atmosphere. Mysteriously, one of these DropShips is shot down by the others. After fighting to the crash site, a strange new MechWarrior by the name of Alera emerges, a pirate with a JumpShip named the "Jessabelle". Later, the MechWarrior escapes an enemy port, and steals an enemy tank from three soldiers in an attempt to infiltrate the enemy. An allied APC then comes out and follows the MechWarrior on his way. The tank must go through two scans to advance the level, but however, the "Passenger Scan" warns the enemies that it is a trick, and the MechWarrior and his allies must escape the port with a tank. Later the MechWarrior is able to get an Owens BattleMech. During the final mission, the MechWarrior with the aid of his allies uses the BattleArmor to destroy a half-complete giant BattleMech that uses all five of the data cores. Tragically, at the conclusion of the battle, Alera dies to save the MechWarrior and the team.

Dante
Following the conflict on Helios, Dragoons HQ officially listed Alpha Lance as missing in action to enable them to hide while using the armor data core recovered on Helios to develop a prototype battlesuit. Major Natalia brought the team to Dante, saying that the black market vendors there will provide the perfect cover for research and field trials. (Transcript)

Street Sweeper - Lt. Foster and the team MechWarrior (the player) leave the lab to search for an interface panel to use in the battlesuit's weapon calibration system. Unexpectedly, a BattleMech strides down the street and attacks the workshop. The player dons the untested prototype BattleArmor and fights off the 'Mech. Dante militia forces counterattack against the invaders, placing Alpha in a crossfire. The player successfully escorts Natalia and Foster to safety. (Transcript)

Signs of Life - Orbital scans show multiple invading DropShips bound for Dante, including one on a crash trajectory, having been shot down by the others. Alpha fights its way to the crash site to help any survivors, who appear to be the enemy of their enemy. The MechWarrior uses neurohacking technology to force the pilot of an invading 'Mech to eject, and steals the 'Mech, using it to destroy enemy ships in the harbor. When they arrive, they find the DropShip's captain, Alera, expertly piloting her 'Mech and destroying the attackers. Natalia tells Alpha that Alera is a pirate with whom she's worked previously. (Transcript)

Tank Rush - Alera says she doesn't know who the hostile forces are, but that her JumpShip, the Jezebel, is still in orbit. She agrees to take Alpha to Northwind to rendezvous with the rest of Wolf's Dragoons if they help her acquire a DropShip to reach her JumpShip. The MechWarrior kills a bandit tank crew and steals their tank, penetrating several layers of security before the ruse is discovered. (Transcript)

Let's Get Off This Rock - The MechWarrior breaches the spaceport gates and hacks enemy 'Mechs to enable Alpha to fight its way into the spaceport and board their DropShip, the Icarus. The MechWarrior defends the Icarus while the engines power up, defeating several 'Mechs using Null Sig technology. Foster recovers a data core from the attackers, which contains information about stealth technology. The Icarus docks with the Jezebel and Natalia tells Alera to use a pirate point to jump to Northwind. Tactical data indicates that the mysterious attackers are hitting targets all over the Inner Sphere. (Transcript)

Thestria
To the Rescue - Foster reports a misjump has brought the Jezebel to the Combine world of Thestria, rather than Northwind. Sensors show fighting on the surface between Combine forces and the mysterious attackers. Alera reports it will take two days to recharge the jump engines. Natalia tasks the MechWarrior with helping the Kurita forces on Thestria in a Stiletto equipped with a null-sig system. The MechWarrior rescues numerous Kurita tanks and uses them to overwhelm an enemy stronghold. (Transcript)

Mech Shopping - Natalia uses a Combine VTOL to drop the MechWarrior into an enemy base, where he uses the BattleArmor to steal several BattleMechs, one at a time, and walk them back to the Combine/Dragoon staging area. The player then uses the captured equipment to protect the Icarus from the raiders' counterattack. (Transcript)

Go Time on Thestria - Alpha rendezvouses with Kuritan forces and helps them battle the unidentified raiders by taking out anti-air missile batteries. (Transcript)

Swamp Rock - Once the air defenses are down, the MechWarrior attacks the raiders' base and destroys their DropShip, destroying the defending forces. (Transcript)

Eight Feet Under - Foster detects energy readings similar to those emanating from the data cores. A giant eight legged spider-shaped drone 'Mech emerges from the swamp and attacks. The MechWarrior finds a weak spot and destroys it, allowing Foster to recover a plasma manipulation data core inside. They take it back to the Icarus, where they receive an SOS message from the Dragoons on Northwind. Colonel Davis reports that Beta Regiment is encircled by superior numbers on Northwind, and cannot hold out much longer. Davis identifies the attackers as the Word of Blake. Aboard the Jezebel, Natalia orders Alera to jump to Northwind. (Transcript)

Northwind
Into the Valley of Death - Upon arrival in the Northwind system, the Icarus undocks and burns towards the planet. Foster's research indicates that the giant spider on Thestria was constructed centuries ago to keep the data core out of anyone's hands. Foster also reveals that the Jezabel jump logs indicate the "misjump" to Thestria was intentional. Ground batteries shoot the Icarus, forcing it to land while the MechWarrior hot drops into a valley south of a city and destroys the Word of Blake forces there. (Transcript)

There's Gonna be a Jailbreak - Natalia identifies a civilian detention center in the city, and dispatches the MechWarrior to free them. He infiltrates the city on foot and, using demolition charges stolen from a munitions depot, destroys the city's communications dish. He returns to his 'Mech and destroys the guard towers around the work camp, where recorded announcements exhort people to obey the Word of Blake. The MechWarrior destroys the camp generators and frees both the civilians and imprisoned members of the Northwind Highlanders, who pledge to join the fight against the Blakists. (Transcript)

I Hate Snakes - The MechWarrior scouts the Word of Blake's base camp and finds the Word forces retreating from his position. Donning an abandoned Elemental suit, the MechWarrior destroys a communication tower broadcasting an evacuation signal, take out an airstrip and a small 'Mech depot, and joins the Highlanders in assaulting a mining camp where the Blakists were excavating for another data core. The MechWarrior defeats a data-core-boosted Star Adder. (Transcript)

Mountain Song - Examining the Star Adder's core, Foster discovers that it is a data key meant to calibrate the other cores. Alera betrays the unit and abandons them, taking Major Natalia prisoner, leaving Foster and the MechWarrior to fight their way across the mountains, destroying communications towers as they go, to reach a hyperpulse generator at an abandoned signal station. (Transcript)

Sending out an SOS to the World - Foster uses the HPG to send out an SOS across the entire Inner Sphere, hoping to attract someone with a JumpShip Alpha can use to escape the Northwind system. The MechWarrior uses a gun turret and his 'Mech to keep attacking Blakist forces away from the signal station. The Combine JumpShip Chiba arrives in response to the distress call, and, once the MechWarrior successfully defends the Icarus from its attackers, allows them to dock. In the Chiba holotank, Foster overlays various faction symbols onto a starmap and, upon finding a rough correlation between the worlds where data cores were found and the ComStar insignia, deduces that their next destination must be a world that intersects the ComStar logo - Hesperus II. (Transcript)

Hesperus II
Once More Into the Breach - Foster analyzes the fourth data core, and believes there is a deeper secret hidden amid the LosTech, but he lacks the pieces to uncover it. Foster directs the MechWarrior to destroy 'Mech production facilities captured by the Word of Blake and search for Major Natalia in the world's underground tunnel network, using a Blood Asp. (Transcript)

To the Arena - Foster equips a Rommel tank with a Null Sig system to help the MechWarrior penetrate into the Blakist rear area and find Major Natalia. (Transcript)

Holding the Line - Foster listens in on the Word's radio transmissions and locates where they're holding Major Natalia. The MechWarrior captures gun turrets and uses them to destroy tunnel system entrances, preventing the Word from bringing up reinforcements. Once the LZ is safe, Foster brings in the Icarus and the MechWarrior's Blood Asp. (Transcript)

Gladiator Has Nothing on Us - Foster's intel is that Major Natalia is being held in a huge arena that is still under construction. The MechWarrior finds a Talon-class DropShip in the arena, and destroys it, preventing Blakist commander Reetu from escaping into space. Reetu does manage, however, to slip away in a tank. While the MechWarrior is busy rescuing Natalia, Blakist forces overrun the Icarus and steal the data cores. (Transcript)

Against the Spiders - Reetu departs, vowing to rule the galaxy or grind it into dust. In his wake, swarms of spider drones surround the MechWarrior in the arena and attack. With the MechWarrior busy with the drones, Reetu and his Blakists overrun the Icarus and seize the four data cores there. After the spiders are defeated, Alera returns and explains that Jerome Blake, founder of ComStar, created five data cores with the intent of using them to create a new golden age of humanity. He worried that the First Circuit would misuse his creation, and so scattered the cores across the Inner Sphere, where they have remained hidden for six hundred years, watched over and guarded by a secret ComStar group known as the Covenant. Now, the Covenant is broken, and the Word of Blake is plunging the Inner Sphere into war to find and control the power of the cores. They plan to use the cores to power a new 'Mech army. She says the only chance of stopping them is to go to Terra. (Transcript)

Terra
Skin the Cat - The Jezabel and the Chiba arrive in orbit over Terra. Terra's defense grid immediately obliterates the Chiba. Foster rigs a Null Sig cloaking system for a VTOL, and Natalia uses it to bring the MechWarrior from the Icarus LZ to Reetu's base. The MechWarrior uses the BattleArmor to slip past a patrolling Nova Cat and steal a Nemesis super 'Mech. (Transcript)

End Game - Reetu pilots the a superheavy BattleMech that, as yet, lacks legs. In his BattleArmor, the MechWarrior battles the huge 'Mech, while Reetu rants that he is the ultimate union of man and machine, destined to rule the Inner Sphere and live eternally. Foster concludes that the Nemesis reactor, drawing power from all five cores, is unstable. The MechWarrior attacks the Nemesis, exposing its reactor, disrupting its shielding, and then firing a mortar blast inside, causing it to explode, killing Reetu. (Transcript)

Checkmate - Even as Reetu dies, his army of Nemesis BattleMechs is beginning to power up. Natalia and the rest of Alpha flee the compound, while Alera pilots the Jezebel into a collision course with the Blakist base, destroying the entire compound and all the Nemesis prototypes. As the scene fades out, it pans to show a data core lying in the rubble of the base. (Transcript)

Gameplay
The game is notable as allowing the player to control a variety of vehicles other than 'Mechs. These vehicles include tanks, battle armor, turrets, and VTOLs. The game also allows the player to leave their vehicle and plant explosives or roam around as a human/pilot. An interesting aspect of the game is the ability to "hitch" rides on friendly 'Mechs and VTOLs, while wearing battle armor. It is also possible to do the same to enemy 'Mechs and attempt a 'neurohack', with the result of ejecting the pilot and taking over his 'Mech if successful.

Multiplayer
MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf's multiplayer consists mainly of an OptiMatch feature,where games of a certain type are shown. It also has a Conquest mode that was very popular at the beginning of the game's life but due to flaws in the design of the Conquest mode quickly died down in popularity. Due to the high level of teamwork required, many clans enjoy competing on third party ladders such as Gamebattles.

Limited edition
The limited edition had a holographic cover. It came with everything the standard version had, along with a bonus disc that included new maps for multiplayer and a behind-the-scenes video of the making of MechAssault 2.

BattleMechs

 * Atlas
 * Belial
 * Bowman
 * Catapult
 * Cougar
 * Raptor
 * Stiletto
 * Wendigo
 * Nova Cat
 * Blood Asp
 * Star Adder
 * Elemental
 * Uller
 * Owens
 * Kit Fox
 * Corvus
 * Raven
 * Hackman
 * Puma
 * Uziel
 * Vulture
 * Thor
 * Loki
 * Hellbringer
 * Summoner
 * Mad Cat
 * Timber Wolf
 * Prometheus
 * Ragnorok

It is important to note that several 'Mechs are simply renamed variants of other 'Mechs. The original 'Mech type, in the event that both names exist as their own 'Mechs in canon, will be listed first(example: the Bowman is a reskinned Catapult). Some of these 'Mechs are original, and may have been added to the canon after the release of this game, such as the Raptor as the Raptor II.
 * Catapult / Bowman
 * Mad Cat / Timber Wolf
 * Thor / Summoner
 * Loki / Hellbringer
 * Vulture / Mad Dog
 * Cougar / Puma
 * Blood Asp / Star Adder
 * Kit Fox / Uller
 * Nova Cat / Wendigo
 * Raptor / Stiletto
 * Atlas / Prometheus
 * Raven / Corvis
 * Uziel / Belial
 * Owens / Hackman
 * Ragnarok / Ymir

Combat Vehicles

 * Rommel Mk II
 * Aeron VTOL
 * POV Turret

The Battle Armor
The battle armor is the highlight of MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf. It is similar to the Elemental. In the original MechAssault, the Elemental is actually referred to as the battle armor. It has several new features unique to MechAssault 2, a couple of which separate it from the other units in the game: it is capable of neuro-hacking a mech, climbing steep inclines, using Jump Jets, and hitching rides on VTOL craft.

The battle armor was developed by Lieutenant Foster from information he retrieved from a Datacore the MechWarrior found on Helios from their Ragnarok Mech. It was first used on the planet Dante when the MechWarrior and his two companions were under attack by the Word of Blake. Having not enough firepower, they decided to use the battle armor even when Lieutenant Foster expressed his concern that the battle armor wasn't ready yet and it could fry the MechWarrior.

Featured Planets

 * Dante
 * Thestria
 * Northwind
 * Hesperus II
 * Terra

Resources

 * Equipment in MechAssault 2
 * BattleMechs in MechAssault 2
 * Vehicles in MechAssault 2
 * Characters in MechAssault 2