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Mechwarrior 5: Clans Review Thread

Mister Wolf

Mister Wolf

Gold Member
Game Information

Game Title: MechWarrior 5: Clans

Platforms:
  • Xbox Series X/S (Oct 17, 2024)
  • PlayStation 5 (Oct 17, 2024)
  • PC (Oct 17, 2024)
Trailer:
Developer: Piranha Games

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 80 average - 82% recommended
Metacritic- 78 average


qys5oyY.png


EUIlClS.png




Critic Reviews


ACG - Jeremy Penter - Wait for Sale
"While enjoyable the game doesn't take advantage of its narrative slant nearly enough and combat is let down by some AI issues, sound issues, and insanely cumbersome side section regarding mech upgrades and outfitting."
Click to expand...


AltChar - Semir Omerovic - 70 / 100
If you're a MechWarrior series fan, you won't be disappointed with MechWarrior 5: Clans. This is a game you've been waiting for; made with passion and love and that's truly visible at every corner. For newcomers, there's a lot of fun to be had here too so definitely give it a go if you have an active Game Pass subscription.
Click to expand...


CGMagazine - Jordan Biordi - 9 / 10
As I was getting ready to review MechWarrior 5: Clans, I had a stunning realization-it's been quite a while since I last played a MechWarrior game. Back when
Click to expand...


COGconnected - Mark Steighner - 78 / 100
MechWarrior 5: Clans does a good job of balancing story, combat, and the all-important time in between. Customizing the mechs and gearing up the squad are both lots of fun and the battles themselves are appropriately oversized.
Click to expand...


Digital Trends - Justin Koreis - 4 / 5
MechWarrior 5: Clans is a towering behemoth of action and storytelling worthy of its massive BattleMechs. It pays homage to its story-driven predecessors by exceeding them in nearly every way. While there may be a few cracks in the armor when it comes to pilot customization and presentation elements, the total package is excellent. This is the definitive MechWarrior game.
Click to expand...


GRYOnline.pl - Adam Kusiak - Polish - 8 / 10
Developers of MechWarrior 5: Clans know their limitations and skills, and don’t cram unnecessary elements into the game. Instead they focus only on the things they know they can deliver. Clans has the best story in the history of the series, and gameplay-wise it’s like an upgraded Mercenaries. Christmas came early for true MechWarrior fans!
Click to expand...


God is a Geek - Mick Fraser - 7 / 10
Despite some iffy performance and a lot of proper nouns that I just couldn't track properly, I enjoyed my time with Mechwarrior 5: Clans.
Click to expand...


IGN - Will Borger - 8 / 10
MechWarrior 5: Clans has some bugs it needs to work out, but this is still an excellent campaign carried by a thoughtful story, fantastic mech combat, and all of the customization you could want.
Click to expand...


Saving Content - Scott Ellison II - 5 / 5
MechWarrior 5: Clans takes everything good about MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, but makes it better in every regard. The metagame has its own risks and rewards, every mission has stakes that can be felt immediately, or later in the campaign. MechWarrior 5: Clans is nostalgic and reminiscent of past games while being a great entry point for newcomers. Piranha Games has been working on the MechWarrior franchise for a decade now, and MechWarrior 5: Clans is their magnum opus. It’s a culmination of everything they’ve built and learned for one of the most fully fleshed out MechWarrior games to ever exist.
Click to expand...


The Nerd Stash - Patrick Armstrong - 8 / 10
MechWarrior 5: Clans trades the random missions of Mercenaries for a handcrafted campaign delivering high customization and tense strategic battles.
Click to expand...


XboxEra - Jon Clarke - 7.5 / 10
With such a strong focus on narrative, and a simplification of the more sim-like elements, it may leave die-hard BattleTech fans feeling a bit let down with a far more arcade-like MechWarrior game then perhaps they wanted.

The accessibility and approachability of MechWarrior 5: Clans then, may come at a cost – at least for now. It may just however, lead to a mainstream rejuvenation the series so sorely deserves, and with its launch into Xbox Game Pass, bring a whole new generation into our Sibko.

If there’s any developer that deserves to continue that charge into the 32nd Century, it’s Piranha Games.
Click to expand...








Mod edit: Thanks adamsapple adamsapple for the thread formatting.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
adamsapple

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Game Information

Game Title: MechWarrior 5: Clans

Platforms:
  • Xbox Series X/S (Oct 17, 2024)
  • PlayStation 5 (Oct 17, 2024)
  • PC (Oct 17, 2024)
Trailer:
Developer: Piranha Games

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 80 average - 82% recommended
Metacritic- 78 average


qys5oyY.png


EUIlClS.png




Critic Reviews


ACG - Jeremy Penter - Wait for Sale
"While enjoyable the game doesn't take advantage of its narrative slant nearly enough and combat is let down by some AI issues, sound issues, and insanely cumbersome side section regarding mech upgrades and outfitting."
Click to expand...


AltChar - Semir Omerovic - 70 / 100
If you're a MechWarrior series fan, you won't be disappointed with MechWarrior 5: Clans. This is a game you've been waiting for; made with passion and love and that's truly visible at every corner. For newcomers, there's a lot of fun to be had here too so definitely give it a go if you have an active Game Pass subscription.
Click to expand...


CGMagazine - Jordan Biordi - 9 / 10
As I was getting ready to review MechWarrior 5: Clans, I had a stunning realization-it's been quite a while since I last played a MechWarrior game. Back when
Click to expand...


COGconnected - Mark Steighner - 78 / 100
MechWarrior 5: Clans does a good job of balancing story, combat, and the all-important time in between. Customizing the mechs and gearing up the squad are both lots of fun and the battles themselves are appropriately oversized.
Click to expand...


Digital Trends - Justin Koreis - 4 / 5
MechWarrior 5: Clans is a towering behemoth of action and storytelling worthy of its massive BattleMechs. It pays homage to its story-driven predecessors by exceeding them in nearly every way. While there may be a few cracks in the armor when it comes to pilot customization and presentation elements, the total package is excellent. This is the definitive MechWarrior game.
Click to expand...


GRYOnline.pl - Adam Kusiak - Polish - 8 / 10
Developers of MechWarrior 5: Clans know their limitations and skills, and don’t cram unnecessary elements into the game. Instead they focus only on the things they know they can deliver. Clans has the best story in the history of the series, and gameplay-wise it’s like an upgraded Mercenaries. Christmas came early for true MechWarrior fans!
Click to expand...


God is a Geek - Mick Fraser - 7 / 10
Despite some iffy performance and a lot of proper nouns that I just couldn't track properly, I enjoyed my time with Mechwarrior 5: Clans.
Click to expand...


IGN - Will Borger - 8 / 10
MechWarrior 5: Clans has some bugs it needs to work out, but this is still an excellent campaign carried by a thoughtful story, fantastic mech combat, and all of the customization you could want.
Click to expand...


Saving Content - Scott Ellison II - 5 / 5
MechWarrior 5: Clans takes everything good about MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, but makes it better in every regard. The metagame has its own risks and rewards, every mission has stakes that can be felt immediately, or later in the campaign. MechWarrior 5: Clans is nostalgic and reminiscent of past games while being a great entry point for newcomers. Piranha Games has been working on the MechWarrior franchise for a decade now, and MechWarrior 5: Clans is their magnum opus. It’s a culmination of everything they’ve built and learned for one of the most fully fleshed out MechWarrior games to ever exist.
Click to expand...


The Nerd Stash - Patrick Armstrong - 8 / 10
MechWarrior 5: Clans trades the random missions of Mercenaries for a handcrafted campaign delivering high customization and tense strategic battles.
Click to expand...


XboxEra - Jon Clarke - 7.5 / 10
With such a strong focus on narrative, and a simplification of the more sim-like elements, it may leave die-hard BattleTech fans feeling a bit let down with a far more arcade-like MechWarrior game then perhaps they wanted.

The accessibility and approachability of MechWarrior 5: Clans then, may come at a cost – at least for now. It may just however, lead to a mainstream rejuvenation the series so sorely deserves, and with its launch into Xbox Game Pass, bring a whole new generation into our Sibko.

If there’s any developer that deserves to continue that charge into the 32nd Century, it’s Piranha Games.
Click to expand...
 
Isa

Isa

Member
I'm getting this regardless as I'm a big fan of the franchise. Plus its the Clans again! While I'm not super into Smokey kitty it should be a fun time, and some of my favorite mechs are in here.

Has there been any word on overall game length and replayability? That's my main concern coming from Mercenaries. Hopefully they'll support Clans with future content and mechs for even more action and options. There is definitely a lot of stories to tell, not to mention there haven't been any games set in the most current year of the setting which is bogus. I know many grognards are 3025 era purists and often want succession wars stuff, but man its like what 3150-80 or something now with lots of new mechs, weapons, vehicles and factions. Its a shame nobody wants to tackle what's been going on with the Wolf lol.

Anyway, cannot wait to stomp on some freebirths batchall be damned.
 
Kacho

Kacho

Gold Member
Isa said:
I'm getting this regardless as I'm a big fan of the franchise. Plus its the Clans again! While I'm not super into Smokey kitty it should be a fun time, and some of my favorite mechs are in here.

Has there been any word on overall game length and replayability? That's my main concern coming from Mercenaries. Hopefully they'll support Clans with future content and mechs for even more action and options. There is definitely a lot of stories to tell, not to mention there haven't been any games set in the most current year of the setting which is bogus. I know many grognards are 3025 era purists and often want succession wars stuff, but man its like what 3150-80 or something now with lots of new mechs, weapons, vehicles and factions. Its a shame nobody wants to tackle what's been going on with the Wolf lol.

Anyway, cannot wait to stomp on some freebirths batchall be damned.
Click to expand...
I believe it's a one and one campaign. About 20-25 hours worth of content.
 
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Agent_Nobody

Agent_Nobody

Member
Isa said:
I'm getting this regardless as I'm a big fan of the franchise. Plus its the Clans again! While I'm not super into Smokey kitty it should be a fun time, and some of my favorite mechs are in here.

Has there been any word on overall game length and replayability? That's my main concern coming from Mercenaries. Hopefully they'll support Clans with future content and mechs for even more action and options. There is definitely a lot of stories to tell, not to mention there haven't been any games set in the most current year of the setting which is bogus. I know many grognards are 3025 era purists and often want succession wars stuff, but man its like what 3150-80 or something now with lots of new mechs, weapons, vehicles and factions. Its a shame nobody wants to tackle what's been going on with the Wolf lol.

Anyway, cannot wait to stomp on some freebirths batchall be damned.
Click to expand...
From the reviews on the story it was probably better that they focused on one of the more hated/brutal clans.

One reviewer comparing it to Spec Ops: The Line.
 
Last edited:
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Isa

Isa

Member
diffusionx said:
How does it play on controller?
Click to expand...
Not bad, its a bit evolved from Mercenaries, with some more leader based commands from map and radial menu. I've played the first few missions so far and have enjoyed myself, there is a learning curve though lol. Entertaining story which is nice.
 
Punished Miku

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Isa said:
Not bad, its a bit evolved from Mercenaries, with some more leader based commands from map and radial menu. I've played the first few missions so far and have enjoyed myself, there is a learning curve though lol. Entertaining story which is nice.
Click to expand...
So are these just large expansion packs?
 
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Drake

Drake

Member
got like 200+ hours on the original Mechwarrior 5. I freaking love that game. Gonna wait a day or so to see what the general consensus is on this before buying, but honestly I'll probably pick it up this weekend.
 
Kacho

Kacho

Gold Member
Isa said:
Not bad, its a bit evolved from Mercenaries, with some more leader based commands from map and radial menu. I've played the first few missions so far and have enjoyed myself, there is a learning curve though lol. Entertaining story which is nice.
Click to expand...
PC or Xbox, broheim? How's it running?
 
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Punished Miku

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Its definitely mech as fuck. Cutscenes and vibes are awesome. I feel like I need to watch some tutorials on youtube. Might be worth it because it looks pretty dang deep. I feel like I must be doing something wrong since my guns fire extremely slowly.
 
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Bry0

Bry0

Member
Enjoying it so far. I’m a clan nerd so the story feels like reading a battletech novel. Loving it.
 
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Isa

Isa

Member
Kacho said:
PC or Xbox, broheim? How's it running?
Click to expand...
I went PS5 this time, due to dropping buying stuff on Xbox a while back. I probably will buy it on Xbox though later on to show support and do another playthrough lol. I didn't see any options for graphics settings but overall the game seems to run smoothly and is nicer overall than Mercs. It is interesting to see even the weapons look and feel different in this, currently I'm trying to fine tune the controls to my liking, and I do appreciate the FOV slider. Overall the new engine is quite nice.
 
Isa

Isa

Member
I did really like the intro "We are Smoke Jaguar..." such a callback to the OG Mechwarrior 2. Those Jade Falcon and Wolf intros and endings were so good, with a soundtrack that fit the whole game so well. Plus the scenes with Council and Outbound Light. I'm actually impressed with how much story there is in this, it reminds me MechCommander in that regard.
 
Kacho

Kacho

Gold Member
Hot Fix #1 just dropped. 2 jiggabytes

Greetings MechWarriors!

We hope you are enjoying your experience so far with MechWarrior 5: Clans! A hotfix just went live, and here are the details in what was included. We're already hard at work on Hotfix #2, so please keep sending us your feedback, we're watching and listening!

Thank you for your support, and now back to the Invasion!

-MechWarrior 5: Clans Team

PATCH NOTES


CO-OP
Fixed a Co-op issue where clients could not see the Gazelle in 'Inspection Duty'
Fixed an issue for clients where the Leopard and Union Dropships would not animate in ‘Inspection Duty’
Fixed issues for clients where doors would not replicate properly in various missions
Fixed Co-op issues where capture circles would be present before or after objectives in various mission
Fixed a Co-op issue where clients would see an extra Union Dropship in 'Heir to the Dragon'
Fixed a client issue where the garage scanning was not being replicated in ‘Pacification’
Fixed a client issue where the Dropship takeoff would not replicate in ‘Pirate’s Bay’
Fixed a Co-op issue where the Gazelle would not replicate properly for clients in ‘No Holds Barred’
Fixed several issues with the HUD command panel for clients

CAMPAIGN MISSIONS
Replaced the Hero Griffon GRF-1E from ‘Baiting the Hook’
Cleaned up the final objectives and extraction icon in ‘Combat Patrol’
Fixed instances where allies can get stuck outside the gate in ‘Pirate’s Bay’

CONSOLES
XSX XSS Memory Improvements
Fixed issues with unlocking several trophies on PS5
Fixed a console progression blocker in the mission ‘A World on Fire’

VFX
Adjusted the giant explosion in 'Touchdown'
Improved the explosion effect at the end of ‘Trial of Position’
Added additional water effects on bridges in several missions

AUDIO
Improved and adjusted many of Mia’s Banter dialogue
Improved Mia’s dialogue quality in the first Huntress mission
Added a mission Jayden line in ‘No Stone Unturned’
Fixed bugs where the overheat SFX would not always play
Removed a characters incorrect banter dialogue lines

GAMEPLAY
Fixed a bug where the target box would go missing when overheating and going into the Battlegrid
Fixed a bug where night vision carried over to the following mission
Adjusted AI so they can better execute repair bay orders
Fixed a bug where unlocked melee weapons could not be equipped to hand actuators
Fixed an issue where sometimes after using a repair bay the users HUD will disappear
Improved Mechbay warning and error messages
Improved collision on some tree assets

UI
Fixed a bug in the Marketplace where controller users could not navigate the Sell menu
Fixed instances where restricted equipment could be selectable
Added a warning prompt when attempting to sell all 'Mechs
Fixed cut off icons in the splash screen
Adjusted the settings menu so users are unable to unbind primary KBM input actions
Fixed a bug where the ESC key would no longer function
Fixed a bug where you are able to interact with elements under the Private Policy/EULA pop-ups
Fixed flickering in the notifications menu when interacting and scrolling
Fixed controller Icons when using a PS5 Controller

PERFORMANCE
Improved performance/framerate with cockpit view in many levels
Improved performance in Mission Central
Reduced hitching in loading screens

CINEMATICS
Improved a characters hair in ‘A Cause Worth Fighting For’
Adjusted the length of the cinematic 'No Matter the Cost'

LOCALIZATION
Adjusted the Timber Wolf notification in Japanese
 
cinnamonandgravy

cinnamonandgravy

Member
games like these would benefit so much from large-scale volumetric smoke/dust that stayed around for a long time.
since it'd obscure sightlines, itd really add some extra depth to the gameplay.

youre in a heavy ass 100ton mech, kicking up dust and stuff, exploding things with lasers and rockets... and theres basically no smoke.
smoke from a cigarette lasts longer.
 
LastBattle

LastBattle

Member
Started this today. I haven’t played a MechWarrior game before. Can’t get past the second tutorial mission on normal difficulty where you have to take out the two Mechs haha. Seems really difficult. Maybe I’m doing something wrong. I’ve tried being sneaky, aggressive, using terrain and trying for a hight advantage using upper platforms.
 
Agent_Nobody

Agent_Nobody

Member
LastBattle said:
Started this today. I haven’t played a MechWarrior game before. Can’t get past the second tutorial mission on normal difficulty where you have to take out the two Mechs haha. Seems really difficult. Maybe I’m doing something wrong. I’ve tried being sneaky, aggressive, using terrain and trying for a hight advantage using upper platforms.
Click to expand...
Keep your distance and pop in and out of cover to take your shots, you can use LRMs to hit them without exposing yourself at all except to peak at them to get a lock. And always aim for center mass/cockpit, cockpit shots can end a fight really fast.
 
RAIDEN1

RAIDEN1

Member
Agent_Nobody said:
Keep your distance and pop in and out of cover to take your shots, you can use LRMs to hit them without exposing yourself at all except to peak at them to get a lock. And always aim for center mass/cockpit, cockpit shots can end a fight really fast.
Click to expand...
I am potentially interested in this, and was surprised to see it on Gamepass, but I think before this I would like to get into the other sci-fi epic on there: Chorus, (or however it is spelt..)
 
Agent_Nobody

Agent_Nobody

Member
I was pretty lukewarm on MW5 Mercenaries, but this one has been fantastic so far.

My only real gripe is that the audio during cutscenes sound like a Bink video from 1999, the compression is awful.
 
Mattdaddy

Mattdaddy

Gold Member
Im a colossal dumbass.

Im probably 80% of the way through the campaign I would reckon... and I just now clued in that omni-pods or whatever they are called actually fundamentally change your load-out hardpoint options on the mechs.

I had glanced over them but for whatever reason thought it was just like it a way to quick store your own custom loadouts. I didnt realize it actually changed all the hardpoint options.

I was getting seriously pissed off at this game for lack of mech customization, and the mechs felt super weak cause I was just trucking along with the default loadout or trying to customize only with the default hardpoints which is pretty minimal. It was getting really tough to finish missions even on normal, I was getting so pissed lol.

Fuck me Im stupid.
 
Last edited:
JayK47

JayK47

Member
Currently playing Mercenaries now with a friend. It sounds like this game is more "mainstream" with arcade like boss fights. I am not sure if I would like it after playing and enjoying Mercenaries. While the overall reviews on Steam seem to like it, some have concerning comments about the story and AI.
 
Ishma3L

Ishma3L

Member
Didn't really live up to the hype for me. Seems like Mercenaries 1.5. And, to that point, Mercenaries > Clans.

Really wish they'd give this IP to someone else.
 
Last edited:
Mattdaddy

Mattdaddy

Gold Member
JayK47 said:
Currently playing Mercenaries now with a friend. It sounds like this game is more "mainstream" with arcade like boss fights. I am not sure if I would like it after playing and enjoying Mercenaries. While the overall reviews on Steam seem to like it, some have concerning comments about the story and AI.
Click to expand...

Head to head I probably prefer Mercenaries. It just felt bigger and badder to me.

However I dont dislike this one. In the moment I actually appreciate that this one is more linear and focuses more on just pushing through a single story, Mercenaries could end up feeling a bit meandering after a while with its open nature.

I think right now Im just a little overloaded on open world bloat and appreciate just getting to mow down a main story without endless hours wandering around side quests. Probably why I loved Space Marine so much lol.

But gameplay wise I feel like I was getting a bigger kick out of Mercenaries... not sure why though its been so long since I played.

But if you enjoyed Mercenaries, this is definitely worth a try at least on Gamepass or a sale at least. Feels like a Mercenaries expansion focused on a linear story, no open world map really.

The story can be a little dumb though. Every mission is basically "Omg we fell for an ambush. Omg we got totally tricked." etc. Im not a Mechwarrior lore guy but I thought these Clans were supposed to be the military cream of the crop. They come across as complete idiots most of the time.
 
Last edited:
Bry0

Bry0

Member
Mattdaddy said:
Head to head I probably prefer Mercenaries. It just felt bigger and badder to me.

However I dont dislike this one. In the moment I actually appreciate that this one is more linear and focuses more on just pushing through a single story, Mercenaries could end up feeling a bit meandering after a while with its open nature.

I think right now Im just a little overloaded on open world bloat and appreciate just getting to mow down a main story without endless hours wandering around side quests. Probably why I loved Space Marine so much lol.

But gameplay wise I feel like I was getting a bigger kick out of Mercenaries... not sure why though its been so long since I played.

But if you enjoyed Mercenaries, this is definitely worth a try at least on Gamepass or a sale at least. Feels like a Mercenaries expansion focused on a linear story, no open world map really.

The story can be a little dumb though. Every mission is basically "Omg we fell for an ambush. Omg we got totally tricked." etc. Im not a Mechwarrior lore guy but I thought these Clans were supposed to be the military cream of the crop. They come across as complete idiots most of the time.
Click to expand...
They ultimately lose because their culture makes them easy to take advantage of, so it’s not entirely inaccurate. Battletech is kind of campy.

Ultimately I really loved clans. Just finished the campaign yesterday.
I think going in Just don’t expect mercenaries because this is not mercenaries. This is a linear campaign like most other mechwarrior games, and in my opinion easily one of the best.
 
Agent_Nobody

Agent_Nobody

Member
Mattdaddy said:
Head to head I probably prefer Mercenaries. It just felt bigger and badder to me.

However I dont dislike this one. In the moment I actually appreciate that this one is more linear and focuses more on just pushing through a single story, Mercenaries could end up feeling a bit meandering after a while with its open nature.

I think right now Im just a little overloaded on open world bloat and appreciate just getting to mow down a main story without endless hours wandering around side quests. Probably why I loved Space Marine so much lol.

But gameplay wise I feel like I was getting a bigger kick out of Mercenaries... not sure why though its been so long since I played.

But if you enjoyed Mercenaries, this is definitely worth a try at least on Gamepass or a sale at least. Feels like a Mercenaries expansion focused on a linear story, no open world map really.

The story can be a little dumb though. Every mission is basically "Omg we fell for an ambush. Omg we got totally tricked." etc. Im not a Mechwarrior lore guy but I thought these Clans were supposed to be the military cream of the crop. They come across as complete idiots most of the time.
Click to expand...
It does actually make sense to the lore; because they’ve been out of the inner sphere so long they basically go in expecting the ‘spheroids’ to play by the same rules from when they left and that they’ll conquer planets by essentially challenging and winning duels and the having the other side respect the result. So it completely catches them off guard when the other side essentially breaks every rule they hold sacred, so they at times seem absolutely incompetent in the face of the other side’s different mentality to war.

It’s like they’re chevalier knights that are seeing guerrilla warfare for the first time ever. They just can’t wrap their head around it and they kinda end up like a fish out of water.
 
Last edited:
pasterpl

pasterpl

Member
Need to get this one. I still love Mechwarrior series. Previous releases were better imo but it still it is magic of good IP.
 
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