The long-awaited release of MW ULTRA - the reboot of Commodore's Metal Warrior

March 10, 2021, 21:04 Evgenia Germanova ред.

Is it any wonder that the actual release of the much-anticipated MW ULTRA by Covert Bitops in the mid-summer of last (fun) 2020 managed to quietly sneak its way around our detection systems? Funny, funny. And we were waiting! It had to be Malgrim.

So, on July 31, Protovision added a hot new product to its digital catalog. Six months later, in December, Indie Retro News nominated and in early January awarded the developers the title of C64 Game of the Year 2020. After that, a pre-order of the disc collector's edition in a stylish box from Psytronik Software became available.

The genre characteristic of this reinterpretation of their own arcade game Metal Warrior (1999) was proudly expanded to a cool "semi-cinematic" action-adventure with shooting, close-quarters combat and stealth elements. Stylistically, the game has also progressed, shifting toward the brutality of the images from the second Terminator.

The official trailer:

To quote the developers:

"MW ULTRA is a gem game, combining vivid action and adventure with other gameplay elements, in a masterful frame of true technical excellence. It received a score of 97% from Retro Gamer Nation (Sam's Journey received 98%).

In a world of a dystopian future where the sun no longer shines (sic! - Author's note), lanky Ian is killing time by growing a "mane", soloing on the guitar and drinking a beer. But all this cozy world of his is shattered when his best friend suddenly dies during their looting expedition. At the time, Ian has no idea what lingering secrets will unravel as the bloody past catches up with him.

Take control of Ian in this epic, interactive action adventure as he uncovers the conspiracy around him and inside his mind. Ian will need all his strength and skill to survive against street gangs, highly trained gunmen, wild animals, robot drones, and other dangers as you help him find his way through many different terrains to uncover the truth about who he really is.

MW ULTRA is a reboot of the original Metal Warrior, released in 1999. The new game tells you the same old story in an expanded setting with new features:

• a completely redesigned game engine;
• a gripping narrative;
• the action sequences;
• fast-paced combat;
• a wide array of weapons, grenades, and other gadgets (e.g., a cat hook);
• memorable battles with bosses;
• interacting with other characters; * improving skills
• improved skills;
• smooth graphics and animation;
• interactive soundtrack;
• game preservation;
• difficulty settings;
• PAL and NTSC support;
• compatibility with almost any disc drive (for the disc version);
• support for REU (extended memory) and SuperCPU (for smoother scrolling);
• support for multi-button controllers.

The game is also compatible with THEC64 Mini and Maxi.

Player reviews confirm the busyness and quality of MW ULTRA, too. For example, it's already being called one of the best games for the Commodore 64. Interested in the number of game screens - because in the previous game, Hessian, there were somewhere around 700. In the new game, the authors themselves claim 800+! Players describe the gameplay as very "scripted" (like previous games in the series), with a non-trivial inventory, skill, health and armor point systems. They also note that Ian doesn't hit friends, and that weapons just can't be used in "peaceful" areas. That said, if you're not the lucky owner of a perfect memory, you'll probably need to sketch out a map of the area at some point - yes, the game is that big. Mention autosave and convenient management of saves on the cartridge and disk, including moving files between them. And also about the fact that the disc version is loaded with a multibooter, so the cartridge may be more convenient. And about support for multi-button control (meaning action buttons, not directions), which for the C64 with its only, in the basic version, the "Fire" button - a great achievement! Or a big drawback, that depends on how you look at it.

An Indie Retro News reviewer wrote verbatim the following: "MW Ultra exceeds all expectations and feels more like a modern AAA game from Steam than what you'd expect from a C64 game. I enjoyed the combat, the exploration, and the platforming sections - but the atmospheric dialogue and cutscenes along the way were particularly cool, as well as the killer soundtrack from Lasse himself and others. MW means METAL WARRIOR now, not MODERN WARFARE!"

Of course, in MW ULTRA you can't count on a complex role-playing system, intelligent characters, or a cyberpunk world simulation. However, from its task to lure the player into an interesting and exciting action-adventure scenario, as we see from the reviews, the game copes well.

The digital edition of the game includes a PDF manual and several images of the game (CRT, GMod2, 1541, 1581). The authors recommend the CRT version for playing on emulators and with 1541 Ultimate. And the 1581 version for playing from SD/MMC memory cards via SD2IEC. As noted, THEC64 is supported in both Mini and Maxi variants.

MW ULTRA can be purchased for $15.99 at itch.io-page, including a Windows version (!), or at Protovision for €14.99. A collector's version in a beautiful glossy box with professionally printed manual can be ordered via Psytronik Software for £ 24,99. There, for a lower price, an A3 poster, a CD with soundtrack and a couple of more budget versions are also available.

Exhaustive information in English about MW ULTRA, its awards, versions and reviews can be found on the game's special page on the same Protovision website. And you can also listen separately to the main music theme on YouTube.

And here's the first 15 minutes of the game from Saberman: