AirMech: Command

AirMech: Command is a real-time strategy game set in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world where players control a battle mech and command an army of units including tanks, jets, and helicopters. Players engage in tactical combat, either against AI or other players, with the ability to transform their mech into an aircraft for direct combat. The game supports virtual reality headsets and offers both gamepad and motion controller support.

AirMech: Command: Review

Introduction

In the nascent days of modern virtual reality, when developers were still grappling with the medium’s potential and limitations, AirMech: Command emerged as a bold experiment. Released on March 28, 2016, for the Oculus Rift and later via Steam, this standalone title from Carbon Games sought to redefine real-time strategy (RTS) by immersing players in a post-apocalyptic warzone where they could command armies from a god-like perspective or pilot a transforming battle mech at ground level. Building upon the foundations laid by the 2012 free-to-play AirMech, Command promised a premium VR experience without microtransactions—a stance that was both a market statement and a design philosophy. Yet, despite its ambitious fusion of strategy and visceral action, the game would ultimately become a cautionary tale of early VR’s growing pains, leaving behind a legacy of innovation marred by unfulfilled potential.

Development History & Context

Carbon Games, a small independent studio, spearheaded AirMech: Command’s development with the explicit goal of creating a “definitive Action/RTS experience in VR.” This vision was born from the success of their earlier AirMech, which had cultivated a niche following through its hybrid gameplay and accessible mechanics. However, VR technology in 2016 presented significant challenges: headsets like the Oculus Rift (CV1) and HTC Vive were cutting-edge but lacked refined motion tracking standards, while hardware limitations forced compromises in visual fidelity and performance. Carbon Games addressed these constraints by prioritizing smooth frame rates and comfort, trading graphical complexity for stability—a necessity to avoid motion sickness in VR.

The studio also navigated a contentious business model. Director James Green publicly criticized free-to-play practices in VR, opting for a $40 premium release with no ads or microtransactions. This aligned with Oculus Rift’s launch strategy, which encouraged high-quality paid experiences to legitimize VR as a platform. Yet, this decision limited accessibility, as evidenced by the game’s eventual Steam re-release at $9.99. The development team leveraged their existing AirMech framework, adapting its core systems for VR while introducing new mechanics like room-scale controls and a seamless transition between strategic and direct-pilot perspectives. Despite these efforts, unforeseen technical issues—particularly with multiplayer stability—plagued post-launch support, forcing the eventual disabling of online features and relegating the game to a single-player/co-op experience.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

AirMech: Command unfolds in a bleak, post-apocalyptic future where humanity clings to survival after a catastrophic war. The backstory, sparse yet evocative, is pieced together from community interactions and developer forums. Earth lies in ruins, with scavengers and warlords battling for control using salvaged technology, chief among them the AirMechs: colossal, transformable machines of immense power. These relics of a bygone era are piloted exclusively by humans known simply as Pilots, while the foot soldiers and vehicles are robotic automatons, as confirmed in lore discussions. The central antagonists, the “Iron Hand,” remain shrouded in mystery—they arrived abruptly, demanding submission, leaving survivors to question their origins and motives. The war itself is a forgotten epoch; archives are corrupted, and history is reduced to whispers of “last survivors.”

Thematically, the game explores the duality of technology as both savior and destroyer. AirMechs symbolize humanity’s ingenuity and hubris, their ability to shift between ground combat and flight modes mirroring the adaptability required for survival. Yet, their very existence perpetuates conflict, turning the wasteland into a perpetual chessboard of destruction. The narrative eschews traditional character arcs in favor of environmental storytelling, emphasizing desolation and resilience. Maps like “Scrapyard” and “Wasteland” serve as silent narrators of loss, while the Iron Hand’s tyranny raises questions about authoritarian control and the erosion of free will. Though dialogue is minimal, the game’s lore thrives in ambiguity, inviting players to interpret their role as either saviors or opportunists in a broken world.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

AirMech: Command’s gameplay is a hybrid of RTS and third-person action, designed around a dual-perspective loop. Players begin in a tactical overview, viewing the battlefield from above like a general on a war room table. Here, they construct units—tanks, helicopters, turrets, and infantry—using resources gathered by capturing bases. These units engage in lane-based combat, pushing toward enemy strongholds. The twist lies in the AirMech, a player-controlled mech that can be deployed at any moment. Transforming into a jet, it provides aerial support, while its ground mode allows for direct, visceral combat with machine guns and missiles. This seamless transition between strategy and action is the game’s core innovation, though it creates a steep learning curve.

Controls evolved significantly over time. The initial release relied on gamepad input, with motion tracking limited to head movement for UI navigation. A later update integrated SteamVR’s tracked motion controllers, enabling intuitive hand-based unit deployment and camera manipulation. This shift embodied VR’s promise of natural interaction but was imperfect; many players reported clunky feedback and imprecise aiming. Progression focuses on unlocking over 50 unique AirMechs, each with distinct abilities and cosmetic skins, alongside pilots, units, and upgrades. Matches span diverse objectives: PvP skirmishes, cooperative survival against AI hordes, or challenge modes testing reflexes and strategy.

However, the systems reveal cracks. Resource management is simplified, lacking the depth of traditional RTS titles. Unit pathfinding is erratic, and the AI often feels unresponsive. The multiplayer, a key selling point, was plagued by connectivity issues and balance disparities, leading to its eventual removal. While the core loop—building, commanding, and piloting—offers novelty, its execution is undermined by technical jank and a lack of strategic depth, leaving it as a compelling concept rather than airtight gameplay.

World-Building, Art & Sound

The game’s post-apocalyptic setting is a character in itself. Maps are meticulously crafted war zones, where rusted tank carcasses and skeletal skyscrapers crumble under vibrant explosions. The art direction blends industrial grit with sci-fi flair, favoring clean, functional aesthetics optimized for VR performance. Textures are intentionally muted to maintain frame rates, but dynamic lighting and particle effects amplify the chaos of large-scale battles. The AirMechs themselves are standout designs, with chunky, utilitarian silhouettes and satisfying transformation animations that bridge fantasy and realism.

Sound design reinforces the desolate atmosphere. The score, composed by industrial metal band Front Line Assembly, is a relentless cacophony of distorted synths and heavy percussion, mirroring the game’s themes of relentless warfare. Sound effects—mech footsteps, weapon fire, unit explosions—are crisp and impactful, though they lack variety over extended sessions. Voice acting is sparse, limited to terse radio commands from AI units, which paradoxically enhances the isolation of the wasteland.

In VR, the world-building excels. The diagonal-down perspective transforms the battlefield into a tangible diorama, with scale and depth making even minor skirmishes feel epic. Yet, the art’s ambition is countered by repetitive asset reuse; maps, while visually distinct, suffer from texture pop-in and low-polygon models under scrutiny. Despite these flaws, the atmosphere remains compelling, evoking a sense of lonely grandeur amidst destruction.

Reception & Legacy

Upon release, AirMech: Command received a mixed reception, reflecting its dual nature as a technical showcase and a flawed product. Critics praised its VR integration and ambition; Digital Chumps awarded it an 80/100, lauding its “impressive quality content” and comfort for VR newcomers. However, broader audiences were less forgiving. Steam reviews hover at a “Mixed” 68%, with common complaints about control issues, shallow strategy, and the disabled multiplayer. Players noted the steep learning curve and lack of polish, particularly when compared to established RTS titles like StarCraft or Command & Conquer.

Commercially, the game struggled to find its footing. The $40 price point alienated early adopters, and while the Steam re-release at $9.99 breathed new life, it couldn’t sustain a player base. Multiplayer’s eventual shutdown further marginalized it, reducing it to a niche co-op experience. Yet, its legacy persists in VR circles as a pioneering experiment. It demonstrated the viability of RTS in VR, influencing later titles like Iron VR and VR Strategy by proving that hybrid mechanics could work, even if imperfectly. Carbon Games’ commitment to premium pricing without microtransactions also set a precedent for ethical VR monetization, even if it hindered adoption.

The AirMech series continued with AirMech Strike (2017) and AirMech Wastelands (2017), but Command remains its most technologically audacious entry. It serves as a snapshot of 2016 VR: full of potential, hampered by technical limits, yet undeniably forward-thinking.

Conclusion

AirMech: Command is a product of its time—a ambitious, flawed experiment that pushed the boundaries of what VR could achieve in strategy gaming. Its fusion of RTS tactics and mech-on-mech action was visionary, offering a glimpse into