As a seasoned BattleTech enthusiast who’s spent countless hours navigating the intricate mechanics of the Inner Sphere, I can confidently say that MechWarrior 5: Clans has truly outdone itself. The game’s attention to detail, from the meticulously designed BattleMech models to the immersive and engaging combat system, is nothing short of breathtaking.
In the realm of robot-centric genres, where you might choose to cause chaos, vanquish adversaries, or grapple with deep philosophical questions, there’s an abundance of mech-oriented experiences available. Ranging from the adrenaline-pumping battles in Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon to the craftsmanlike, hack-and-slash style of Gundam Breaker 4, the diversity is staggering. However, nestled within this universe lies a distinct franchise, BattleTech, which emphasizes more authentic mech confrontations, prioritizing simulation, ground warfare, and the disintegration of contemporary human society into more tribalistic interactions as technology advances.
It would grow in fame with FASA’s MechWarrior franchise, which sought to capture the feeling of being a MechWarrior pilot, attempting to reign in multiple tonnes of moving steel, ammunition, and explosives throughout tense operations. Though the developer’s glory days are long past, MechWarrior has carried on thanks to Piranha Games, known for 2013’s MechWarrior Online and, more recently, 2021’s MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries.
The campaign essentially follows a simple pattern. After school ends and the attack begins, you’ll receive tasks on various planets.
Although MechWarrior 5: Clans shares some numerical resemblances with the previous version, it’s actually a fresh, independent title that emphasizes narrative elements. In this game, you assume command of a group of cadets from Clan Smoke Jaguar, starting your journey as you travel to Huntress for graduation into full MechWarriors. However, instead of a simple graduation ceremony, the events escalate into an invasion of the Inner Sphere and the initiation of Operation Revival. As Star Commander Jayden, you guide your team – Ezra, Mia, and Liam – through battles against other BattleMechs in diverse environments.
In MechWarrior 5: Clans, story-telling takes center stage, offering numerous cinematic cutscenes, in-mission conversations, and other events to immerse you in both the characters and the larger war. For the most part, the game achieves this goal effectively, though some characters may appear somewhat one-dimensional. At times, this is due to the dialogue and voice acting, but Ibrahim Ismiril convincingly portrays a gruff instructor trying to mold these recruits into battle-ready warriors (even if the trope feels worn).
But it feels unconvincing when Liam proclaims his desire to break free from his namesake and rebel against tradition. On the other hand, the squad’s descent from tough recruits who think they’re ready for war to experiencing its harsh realities first-hand makes for some decent story-telling. Overall, it seemingly boils down to direction – the main cast (and the many other characters encountered throughout the story) put in solid enough performances, even if some of them cross the line into outright silliness. At least the lore and stakes remain compelling.
The campaign generally follows a simple structure: After school ends and the attack begins, you receive tasks on various planets. Although many missions involve eliminating specific targets, there’s some variety. Initially, “Touchdown” seems routine as you search for Santander’s Killers, but events take an unexpected turn, leading to a chaotic brawl.
As a gamer, I’d often recommend loading up with the heaviest firepower I can get my hands on, those big guns and lasers that really pack a punch. But only when there’s enough room for them, or else they’re just extra weight. However, if we exceed the tonnage limit, the command won’t let us take those bad boys into battle.
In the subsequent missions, you’ll be asked to explore environments for switches to unlock gates, hack into mines, among other tasks – nothing particularly new, but MechWarrior 5: Clans manages its pace effectively, providing adequate pauses before confrontations and gradually intensifying the action when necessary.
Each mission has differing battle areas, visibility conditions, tonnage, and biome types, which all tie into your choice of arsenal. This is where the real variety – and the essence of MechWarrior – kicks in. Your Star begins with several BattleMechs – the Light Kit Fox, Arctic Cheetah, and Mist Lynx alongside a Medium Viper – but you can quickly expand the roster to include all the classics, from the Gargoyle to the iconic Timber Wolf.
The type of BattleMech determines tonnage, which influences what you can equip. You might want to throw on some of the biggest guns and lasers available, especially when enough slots are available. However, if it’s over the tonnage limit, forget about Command even allowing it on the battlefield. Thankfully, you can strip away and refashion the default loadouts as you see fit, from forgoing extra ammo to free up some slots and tonnage for other weapons to adding tools like Probes for improved sensor ranges or Heat Sinks to improve heat dissipation.
In challenging situations with reduced visibility, enemy ECM interference causing HUD distortion, or extreme climates where there’s no easy access to water for cooling, a unit might fail in combat if it overheats. To prevent this, you can configure weapon groups and adjust the Chain Fire Mode for controlled weapon firing, which aids in heat management.
Regardless if you’re maneuvering using jet thrusters, tracking aerial enemies with panoramic views, or fine-tuning your targeting system considering bullet trajectory and dispersion, this game seems to perfectly capture the essence of BattleMech warfare.
Absolutely, you have the option to engage researchers who specialize in projects aimed at enhancing weaponry and tools using materials retrieved from every mission. Meanwhile, during battles, a vehicle’s chassis accumulates experience points that can be utilized for upgrading aspects such as torso rotation angle and speed, acceleration, maximum speed, and other features (or alternative Omnipod configurations with distinct loadouts).
Beyond the existing advantages, your pilots will also accumulate experience points (XP) to elevate their specific skills, thereby impacting the types of equipment you might prefer to utilize. For instance, you could assign Jayden to energy weapons and focus on improving their range capabilities or dive headfirst into missiles and ballistic weapons due to the shortened cooldown periods for both. Additionally, a marketplace is available where you can acquire new weapons, BattleMechs, and tools based on your strategic needs.
In terms of battles, it’s strategic and intense – exactly what makes MechWarrior 5: Clans stand out. Be it using jump jets to maneuver, scanning to spot aerial enemies, or fine-tuning your aim to factor in bullet travel distance and scatter, it feels like the most authentic BattleMech combat experience available.
In this game, it feels authentic when features like ECM interfering with your heads-up display or tanks being squashed beneath you occur. While you can choose the traditional control method, separating movement from aiming, there’s also a contemporary setup for a more conventional shooting encounter. Mastering the gameplay may require some practice, but engaging in combat by weaving in and out of cover to take strategic shots against an enemy BattleMech is as enjoyable as getting into fistfights and using flamers.
If you thought that Mercenaries didn’t deliver well in terms of the campaign and storyline, then MechWarrior 5: Clans could make up for that.
The AI may exhibit unpredictable behavior occasionally, as enemy units might collide with walls or struggle to escape. Additionally, I noticed that my allies seemed overly eager to attack from behind on occasion. However, when given specific targets using the BattleGrid or instructed to group up with the command wheel, they perform effectively. Initially, these mechanics may feel uncomfortable, but with practice, they become manageable.
In terms of appearance, MechWarrior 5: Clans surpasses its predecessor, Mercenaries. The surroundings boast more lifelike ambiance and lush vegetation, while the BattleMech designs are intricately detailed. Although Clan Smoke Jaguar’s faces can border on the unsettling at times, overall, the facial animations are satisfactory. There might be occasional hiccups in performance, but once a few settings were adjusted, it generally ran smoothly. Bugs were relatively scarce, though one did require a mission restart to resolve.
If you found that Mercenaries didn’t deliver on the campaign and storyline, then MechWarrior 5: Clans could make up for that gap. It boasts extensive customization options, immersing players in a realistic BattleMech piloting experience. Plus, it has enough robust progression systems to motivate you to try out different approaches. There may be minor flaws, but overall, it’s a fitting continuation of the MechWarrior legacy.
This game was reviewed on PC.
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2024-10-16 17:11