Iron Harvest

Real-time strategy action with massive mechs.

Iron Harvest graduates from the Relic school of real-time strategy circa 2006. The basic formula sticks close to that established by Relic in Company of Heroes, but there is one crucial difference: the setting. Iron Harvest takes place in an alternate 1920s conceived by Polish artist Jakub Różalski and also used for the critically acclaimed boardgame Scythe. Its story revolves around three factions that emerged from Iron Harvest’s version of World War I, namely Saxony, Rusvia, and Polania. Iron Harvest focuses on the war’s aftermath, where a truce between Saxony and Rusvia threatens to collapse under the pressure of a cabal of malicious instigators.

The main difference, however, is the existence of mechs – towering, diesel-powered combat walkers armed to the teeth with World War I era weaponry. These are Iron Harvest’s main draw, so it’s to the developer’s credit that they are so rewarding to command.

The mechs seem to defy nature and physics with every moment of their existence, and this makes them thrilling to watch in motion. As for combat, good grief. The spectacle of any given Iron Harvest match is phenomenal. Matches start out small, with squads of rifleman trading shots from cover as they rush to capture early control points. Then it layers in more powerful units until the battlefield is prowled by hulking machines trading massive cannon shots that re-shape the terrain.

As a strategy game, Iron Harvest has plenty of tactical nuance. As well as anti-infantry mechs, there are anti-mech infantry who pulverise armour with massive cannons. Flame units will absolutely annihilate infantry, but are much less effective against mechs. Mechs also take more damage when shot in the rear, encouraging you to try to flank them. Defensive structures like bunkers are extremely useful for stopping your opponent harassing your base with infantry and smaller mechs.

Iron Harvest would benefit from making everything resolve a little quicker. That said, it’s still a spectacular and rock-solid RTS, a worthy spiritual successor to one of the best RTS games ever made. RICK LANE

Iron Harvest’s mech-based strategy can burn a little slow, but the payoff is undoubtedly worth it.