MechWarrior 5: Clans Review – Battlefield Drama

MechWarrior 5: Clans Review

I once had the opportunity to drive a real robot. Yes, that's right, they exist. This thing stood 20 feet tall, belched fumes like a dragon, and every movement was accompanied by a symphony of grinding, grinding metal. Getting into the pilot's cage was accomplished through a series of stairs and contortions. But damn, he was a robot. It had articulated legs, arms and hands. It lumbered around, looking for cars to smash (that was its purpose in the real world, not combat). I think about that every time I play a robot game, especially MechWarrior 5: Clans. Because in the world of MechWarrior, mechs are not agile or fast, but immense, slow and formidable.

Clans is a sort of parallel game focused on the narrative of MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, which was more open world and favored PvP combat. On the contrary, MechWarrior 5: Clans wants to tell a completely imagined story, to remind us that the immense machines are piloted by people. Of course, Clans is also about blowing up really good stuff. But the time between battles is equally important.

endless war

A spiritual, if not literal, successor to 1995's MechWarrior 2, Clans once again deals with the war between the MechWarrior clans and the despotic Great House Lords. The narrative comes from the BattleTech universe, the OG when it comes to all things robots. In the harsh sci-fi world of BattleTech, the ever-constant threat is not aliens, but power-hungry humans.

In MechWarrior 5: Clans you play as Jayden, an unproven but promising pilot for the Smoke Jaguar Clan. At the conclusion of the tutorial chapter, Jayden is promoted to the leadership role of Star Commander. This means that he is in charge of a group of Mechs of five pilots. Jayden and the rest of the Star battle the forces of the High Lords of the House in the Inner Sphere, a collection of planetary systems hundreds of light years across. We were asked not to spoil the narrative, but it follows the great tradition of war stories. In other words, it is about doubt, courage, ambition, failure, sacrifice and heroism. Jayden's fellow pilots and the game's various commanders and antagonists are completely imagined. Unfortunately, the narrative is also filled with terribly clichéd situations, scenery-chewing dialogue, and impenetrable BattleTech jargon.

metal boots on the ground

MechWarrior 5: Clans is an action game, so all that narrative complication is an excuse to bring the mechs into battle. If you've played a MechWarrior game, you have an idea of ​​what to expect. Unlike the Gundam and Armored Core games, the mechs in this franchise are incredibly immense, heavy, and subject to all sorts of physics-related mishaps. They overheat, fall over and fall apart like wrecking cars. As a driver, players have a wide range of offensive controls and systems to monitor and adjust. Part of what makes MechWarrior unique is the immersion that comes from complication. Depending on the loadout and degree of sophistication, the mechs control just as you imagine. Weight, center of gravity and inertia are part of the equation.

While there is eventually some freedom in mission choice, the missions themselves are almost always a series of evolving objectives on a pre-rendered (non-procedurally generated) battlefield. Many missions involve scanning facilities or other objects in the environment, capturing key points, and fighting enemy tanks, artillery, planes, and, of course, mechs. While there is variety in the environments and biomes and plenty of Unreal Engine 5 details, there are also some pretty basic textures. Not everything looks good up close. Over time, battles can start to feel a bit repetitive and repetitive. However, that doesn't mean the player can sleepwalk during fights. While Jayden's AI squadmates do a pretty respectable job on their own, the player can give them specific orders using the command wheel or take direct control of any robot in the group. Having that kind of flexibility helps with battle fatigue.

ice cap

Aside from the narrative and combat of MechWarrior 5: Clans, the front-end metagame completes the experience. It is a rich set of economic statistics, construction tools and personnel decisions. For some players, it may be the most appealing aspect of the game.

No matter the franchise, customizing the player's mechs is always a key component. Mechs are a Lego-like tinkerer's dream. From weapons to almost all structural components, powertrain and power supply, mechs can be modified infinitely. Doing so costs money, spare parts and salvage, which of course are earned in combat. In addition to customizing and upgrading all of the Star's mechs, the player also needs to allocate XP to an RPG-like upgrade tree, increasing the player's and pilots' abilities. Then there are decisions about which mechs to repair, which support staff to hire, and which pilots and mechs to send into each battle. It's a lot. Players hoping for a more streamlined, arcade-like experience may be frustrated by all this simulation-level complexity, but many others will be lost in the possibilities.

MechWarrior 5: Clans does a good job of balancing story, combat, and the important moment in between. Customizing the mechs and equipping the squad is a lot of fun and the battles themselves are appropriately sized. The narrative relies a bit on overly familiar war story tropes and the battles themselves can get a little repetitive. Overall, MechWarrior 5: Clans is a solid entry in the franchise and a more than equal partner for Mercenaries.