<s>
MechWarrior	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Mercenaries	I-Application
is	O
a	O
video	O
game	O
released	O
in	O
September	O
1996	O
as	O
a	O
stand-alone	O
expansion	B-Application
to	O
MechWarrior	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
31st	I-Application
Century	I-Application
Combat	I-Application
and	O
the	O
last	O
BattleTech	B-Application
game	O
made	O
by	O
Activision	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Far	O
more	O
BattleMechs	O
are	O
available	O
than	O
in	O
MechWarrior	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
31st	I-Application
Century	I-Application
Combat	I-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
other	O
vehicles	O
(	O
including	O
a	O
single	O
mission	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
could	O
use	O
a	O
hovertank	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
such	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
a	O
prequel	B-Application
to	O
the	O
other	O
MechWarrior	B-Application
2	I-Application
games	O
and	O
includes	O
missions	O
pertaining	O
to	O
the	O
Clan	O
invasion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
missions	O
proved	O
so	O
popular	O
that	O
they	O
were	O
brought	O
back	O
in	O
MechWarrior	B-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
Mercenaries	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
developers	O
had	O
little	O
choice	O
but	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
game	O
a	O
prequel	B-Application
,	O
since	O
FASA	O
would	O
not	O
allow	O
Activision	O
to	O
use	O
any	O
time	O
period	O
in	O
the	O
Battletech	B-Application
universe	O
beyond	O
that	O
already	O
covered	O
by	O
the	O
expansion	B-Application
MechWarrior	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Ghost	I-Application
Bear	I-Application
's	I-Application
Legacy	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
MechWarrior	B-Application
2	I-Application
engine	O
was	O
still	O
used	O
but	O
with	O
upgraded	O
graphics	O
with	O
terrain	O
texture	O
mapping	O
and	O
enhanced	O
lighting	O
effects	O
and	O
higher	O
resolutions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
completely	O
new	O
musical	O
score	O
was	O
devised	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
an	O
updated	O
version	O
of	O
NetMech	B-Application
,	O
called	O
MercNet	O
,	O
which	O
included	O
native	O
Internet-playing	O
ability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Chick	O
concluded	O
,	O
"	O
In	O
spite	O
of	O
these	O
(	O
considerable	O
)	O
drawbacks	O
,	O
Activision	O
has	O
done	O
an	O
admirable	O
job	O
taking	O
their	O
Mechwarrior	B-Device
engine	O
to	O
the	O
next	O
level.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Conversely	O
,	O
Bernard	O
H	O
.	O
Yee	O
of	O
PC	O
Magazine	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
With	O
its	O
new	O
resource	O
management	O
requirements	O
,	O
its	O
cutthroat	O
attitude	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
free	O
online	O
hooks	O
,	O
MechWarrior	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Mercenaries	I-Application
is	O
the	O
most	O
complete	O
,	O
fun	O
and	O
addictive	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
MechWarrior	B-Device
series.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
also	O
rated	O
the	O
game	O
highly	O
,	O
praising	O
the	O
graphics	O
,	O
AI	O
and	O
gameplay	O
elements	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
calling	O
it	O
a	O
significant	O
improvement	O
over	O
Mechwarrior	B-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
its	O
expansion	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
reviewer	O
for	O
Next	O
Generation	O
noted	O
the	O
additions	O
of	O
"	O
fully	O
texture-mapped	O
mechs	O
,	O
particle-system	O
explosions	O
,	O
and	O
much	O
more	O
realistic	O
environments	O
"	O
to	O
MechWarrior	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
and	O
was	O
pleased	O
with	O
how	O
the	O
mercenaries	O
structure	O
gives	O
the	O
player	O
greater	O
freedom	O
with	O
respect	O
to	O
choosing	O
missions	O
and	O
other	O
elements	O
.	O
</s>
