Hellbender

About

Hellbender tasks players with piloting a heavily armed mech through combat and exploration in a sci-fi setting. The single player campaign follows a series of missions that mix shooting, driving, and puzzle solving while the multiplayer mode lets up to eight players battle in deathmatch or team-based modes. Combat feels weighty with sluggish but powerful mech movements and a focus on tactical positioning. Environments range from alien landscapes to industrial complexes with destructible elements adding some variety to encounters. The 1996 release leaned into early 3D graphics which hold up as a curiosity more than anything else. Terminal Reality's follow up to Fury3 carved a niche with its blend of action and mecha gameplay despite technical limitations of the era. Microsoft's backing gave it broad visibility but the game remains a relic of early PC shooters. Community threads mention its chaotic multiplayer as a standout despite spotty frame rates while critics at the time praised the ambitious scope if not the execution. With no modern updates or remasters it lives on as a footnote for fans of retro mech design.