<s>
Heavy	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
is	O
a	O
1997	O
computer	O
game	O
made	O
for	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
95	I-Application
operating	O
system	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Heavy	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
role-playing	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Heavy	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Faced	O
with	O
the	O
loss	O
of	O
the	O
BattleTech-MechWarrior	O
property	O
,	O
Activision	O
acquired	O
exclusive	O
worldwide	O
rights	O
to	O
video	O
games	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Heavy	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heavy	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
largely	O
the	O
same	O
team	O
which	O
created	O
Mechwarrior	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
though	O
with	O
the	O
significant	O
addition	O
of	O
Frank	O
Evers	O
,	O
then	O
best	O
known	O
for	O
Earthsiege	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
used	O
an	O
enhanced	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Mechwarrior	B-Application
2	I-Application
game	O
engine	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
partly	O
derived	O
from	O
existing	O
MechWarrior	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Mercenaries	I-Application
code	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
GameRankings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
considered	O
Heavy	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
a	O
missed	O
opportunity	O
that	O
failed	O
to	O
live	O
up	O
to	O
its	O
competitor	O
,	O
the	O
MechWarrior	B-Device
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Writing	O
for	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Plus	O
,	O
Tom	O
Chick	O
summarized	O
:	O
"	O
It	O
's	O
not	O
a	O
total	O
loss	O
,	O
but	O
what	O
's	O
good	O
about	O
Heavy	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
is	O
the	O
stuff	O
that	O
was	O
good	O
about	O
the	O
MechWarrior	B-Device
games	O
all	O
along	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
But	O
what	O
's	O
bad	O
about	O
Heavy	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
is	O
inexcusable	O
coming	O
from	O
a	O
veteran	O
team	O
of	O
game	O
designers.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Boba	O
Fatt	O
from	O
GamePro	O
wrote	O
:	O
"	O
First-timers	O
to	O
the	O
giant-robot-derby	O
genre	O
will	O
enjoy	O
Heavy	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
,	O
but	O
,	O
ultimately	O
,	O
it	O
's	O
nothing	O
more	O
than	O
a	O
disappointing	O
MechWarrior	B-Device
knockoff.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
reviewer	O
from	O
Next	O
Generation	O
wrote	O
:	O
"	O
In	O
creating	O
Heavy	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
,	O
Activision	O
has	O
a	O
different	O
universe	O
and	O
a	O
better	O
engine	O
but	O
a	O
roughly	O
designed	O
game.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
reviewer	O
from	O
Pyramid	O
#30	O
(	O
March/April	O
1998	O
)	O
wrote	O
:	O
"	O
A	O
lot	O
of	O
hype	O
heralded	O
the	O
Heavy	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
Computer	O
Game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
months	O
prior	O
to	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
gaming	O
magazines	O
touted	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
'	O
Mechkiller	O
 '	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
'	O
make	O
Mechwarrior	B-Device
fans	O
forget	O
Battletech	B-Application
 '	O
.	O
</s>
