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It’s been 29 years since MechWarrior 2 stomped onto the scene, and the series has changed a lot in the decades since. From the shift to multiplayer with Online to the sandbox experience and planetary exploration of Mercenaries, the franchise has a track record of breaking new ground. While past games and DLC gave the other Clans some love, Smoke Jaguar’s story remained mostly untold. That changes now. The Nerd Stash got a recent sneak peek at what Piranha Games has been up to with MechWarrior 5: Clans. If you needed a reminder that FromSoftware and Armored Core aren’t the only great mech action in town, here it is.
The 29-Year Road to MechWarrior 5: Clans
Russ Bullock, campaign director on MechWarrior 5: Clans and CEO of Piranha Games, says that after more than a decade of work on the series, Piranha now has the tools and technology to explore Smoke Jaguar’s story the way it wants to. Considering the team now has Unreal 5 at its disposal, it’s easy to imagine the possibilities that now exist which didn’t when 31st Century Combat was released in 1995. That’s the same year Twisted Metal and Yoshi’s Island came out, so it’s no wonder the series has evolved.
MechWarrior aims to tell a more personal story this time around. You’ll be playing as part of a Star, a five-person mech squad dispatched by Smoke Jaguar. Fittingly, co-op is five-person and cross-platform too. As Bullock pointed out, BattleTech is one of the deepest space operas around, with over a hundred novels to its name. Though we know little about the five Star pilots for now, Jayden, Liam, Ezra, Nasir and Mia seem more than capable. When asked how much we’ll get to dive into the pilots’ backstories, Piranha kept its cards close to its chest, but Bullock implied we’ll at least be getting some insight.
Combat and Customization
From what we’ve seen so far, combat looks as intense and satisfying as you’d expect. Unlike the fast and flighty mechs of Daemon X Machina and Titanfall, MechWarrior retains its weightier, more thoughtful style. “Thoughtful” might seem a bizarre way to describe the way a multi-ton war machine plods across the battlefield, but it’s the only way to capture what sets Clans apart. The environmental destruction looks great as well, letting you leave your mark with a trail of ruined buildings behind you.
Customizing your mech has always been a huge part of the franchise, and that’s not changing. “There’s still a significant meta game,” Bullock said, citing the mech lab and other features. Between Pilot XP, Pilot Affinity, research trees that unlock chassis enhancements, and OmniPods, there should be plenty of ways for pilots to set themselves and their favorite war machines apart. MechWarrior takes its mechanics seriously, which has not only delivered great gameplay but also allowed it to avoid some infuriating sci-fi goofs. That trend looks to continue here.
The BattleGrid and Radial Menu
One of the biggest changes coming to the game is the BattleGrid system. Activating the BattleGrid switches you to a top-down satellite view of the action. From there you can direct your squadmates, commanding them where to go, who to attack, and more. The ability to switch to and from the BattleGrid at a moment’s notice should open up a whole new world of tactical depth for veterans, and provide new players with another foothold. Piranha isn’t stopping there though.
Clans is also adding a radial menu to use alongside the BattleGrid. It’s intended to take the place of the F keys for quick commands, though the F keys remain an option for anyone who wants them. In addition to giving orders, you can also use the radial menu to activate special abilities, such as the speed boost that certain mechs have access to. So far it looks smooth and efficient, and it’s hard not to breathe a sigh of relief imaging how much easier it’ll be to get new players up to speed thanks to these two systems.
HOTAS, Accessibility, and the Road from Here
MechWarrior 5: Clans will still be HOTAS compatible just like it was in Mercenaries. Bollock also spoke approvingly of the “fairly robust” generic binding system for HOTAS-style controllers. Whether you’re playing with throttles or a more traditional controller setup, Clans should have you covered in first-person as well as third, letting you dive into the action the way you want. Seeing the recent success of Armored Core, a series some thought doomed to niche status due to its old clunkiness and complexity, is reason in itself to believe in Clans.
If you’re worried that increasing accessibility could mean sacrificing the depth that makes MechWarrior great, don’t be. “Through and through, it’s still a MechWarrior game,” said Bullock. Though the genre has evolved and become more accessible, the games haven’t lost their essence. He went on to describe the satisfaction he imagines the core audience feeling when they see the lore come to life on screen for the first time. It looks like the team is aiming for a June timeframe to release more info, so we have a little longer to wait before climbing into the pilot’s seat.
MechWarrior 5: Clans will be available for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox sometime in 2024.
