}} Pre-release previews of the game were generally positive, giving praise to the game's multi-level design and inclusion of robots. Several critics described the game as "exciting" or innovative, reflecting on the shared view that the real-time strategy genre had stagnated by 2000.
Computer Games Magazine considered the preview's graphics to appear "rather conventional" and reminiscent of
Total Annihilation, and the factions subpar to
StarCraft. Upon release,
Metal Fatigue received "mixed or average" reviews, according to
review aggregator Metacritic. Critics expressed mixed assessments on whether its gameplay additions were innovative, with some feeling they were, and others considering it at best on par or derivative to other titles such as
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun and
Earth 2150. Dismissing the game as having "little in the way of innovation", Keith Pullin of
PC Zone felt the game paled to its contemporaries.
Computer Gaming World said the game did offer "something different, interesting, and even exciting", but featured the same "frustrations and failures" common to strategy games. Similarly,
IGN noted that
Metal Fatigue "does a few novel and interesting things to break with the RTS standard", but the game was a "rehash of so many standard RTS conventions". The inclusion of customizable combots was praised by many reviewers as a highlight of the game and a key differentiating element from other titles.
Eurogamer commended the ability to customize pieces and pilot skills as adding "quite a bit of depth to the game" and adding a
role-playing gameplay element. Ryan Hovingh of
PC PowerPlay also considered the bots to "distinguish the game from most other titles in the genre" and allow for an "incredible variety" of customization.
Computer Games Magazine said the varied attack methods added a strategic element and could "easily change the dynamics of a mission", but found they ignored commands and had poor
pathfinding. In contrast to the praise directed to the combots, reviewers felt the game's other units were limited, with
GameSpot stating the units were "rather simple and functionally equivalent for the three sides". The multi-level gameplay was met with a mixed reception, with several critics feeling it introduced needless difficulty and long mission lengths. Considering the game to be one of the most aggravating and complicated real-time strategy games reviewed, Nick Woods of
Allgame critiqued the game's endless missions due to the enemy's "relentless" ability to persevere across the three layers.
Computer Gaming World felt the design introduced some "tactically interesting moments", but introduced complexity and "massive headaches of micromanagement".
GameSpot stated that whilst the three-tiered layout of
Metal Fatigue "helps balance the game's otherwise combot-heavy combat", it "puts undue stress on the most important resource in a real-time strategy game - a player's time - without easing the issue of multitasking". ==References==