New Iron Harvest trailer looks like a World War 1 Company of Heroes with mechs

Alt-history mech RTS Iron Harvest’s second multiplayer alpha test has kicked off, but if you aren’t in it, you can at least console yourself with new footage full of lumbering war machines and very big guns. Take a gander at the video above.

My heart skips a beat whenever there’s a new RTS about. The genre’s in a weird place at the moment. StarCraft 2, a game that came out over eight years ago, remains at the top of the pile, and it’s become harder and harder to find a good base-building romp.

Dawn of War 3 seemed like it was poised to return to its roots with its campaign, but it proved to be a disappointment. Other RTS games like Grey Goo and Deserts of Kharak impressed at launch, especially the latter, but there are currently more people playing Homeworld Remastered Collection than the newer prequel.

So Iron Harvest is a pretty exciting prospect. With its destructible environments, intimidating, tank-like behemoths, objectives and cover system, it reminds me of Company of Heroes, probably the best thing to happen to the genre during its post-90s slump. And if you miss building bases, there will be plenty of that, with the alpha introducing bunkers, fortifications and building upgrades, too.

Also included in the second alpha are two 1v1 maps, a 2v2 map, around 20 units and two factions. The maps can be played in multiplayer and in skirmishes against the AI. The plan is to eventually give players 30 mechs to play with, on top of all the other units, like the infantry who scurry beneath them. You’ll need to preorder to take it for a spin right now.

Check out our interview with Iron Harvest’s developers for more details.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.