For a genre which boils down to “Get in the robot” and wreak havoc, destroy your enemies, or have an existential crisis, there are all kinds of mech experiences out there. Whether it’s Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon with its fast-paced combat or Gundam Breaker 4 with its hobbyist approach and hack-and-slash mechanics, the variety can be insane. However, there is an entire franchise, BattleTech, dedicated to more realistic mech encounters with a focus on simulation, ground warfare, and the breakdown of modern human culture into more tribalistic dealings with the evolution of science.

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 is otherwise fairly straightforward – once school is out and the invasion is on, you’re assigned missions on different planets."

Despite the numerical similarities with the latter, MechWarrior 5: Clans is a new standalone title that’s more narrative-focused, as you take control of a new Star of cadets from Clan Smoke Jaguar. What starts as a trip to Huntress to graduate into full-fledged MechWarriors quickly erupts into a full-blown invasion of the Inner Sphere and the start of Operation Revival. As Star Commander Jayden, you lead your allies – Ezra, Mia, and Liam – into conflicts against other BattleMechs in various biomes.

Since story-telling is a greater focus here, there are plenty of cinematic cutscenes, in-mission dialogue and events, and more to connect you to the cast and greater war. For the most part, MechWarrior 5: Clans succeeds in this regard, though some characters can come across as somewhat superficial. At some points, it’s due to the dialogue and voice acting – I can buy Ibrahim Ismiril as the gruff instructor trying to whip these recruits into shape (tired as the cliché may be).

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 is otherwise fairly straightforward – once school is out and the invasion is on, you’re assigned missions on different planets. Though the objectives often boil down to neutralizing opposing targets, they do mix things up. “Touchdown” starts fairly rote as you try to locate Santander’s Killers, but things suddenly go wrong, erupting in a massive melee.

"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."

Subsequent missions also task you with scanning environments for switches to open gates, hack mines, etc. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before, but MechWarrior 5: Clans has competent pacing, offering enough downtime before encounters and ramping things up in a suitable fashion.

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.

The latter can become important to deal with lower visibility and excessive HUD distortion from the enemies’ ECMs, or hotter climates, especially in locations that don’t have water sources for quick cooling. If a unit runs too hot, it can shut down in combat and become ripe for the slaughter. There are also options to assign weapon groups and adjust Chain Fire Mode for sequential weapon firing, which further helps to manage heat dissipation.

"Whether you’re employing jump jets to reposition, panning to catch sight of flying targets, or adjusting your reticle to account for projectile travel distance and spread, it feels like the best recreation of BattleMech combat yet."

Of course, you can hire Scientists to research projects to improve weaponry and tools based on components salvaged from each mission. A chassis in combat also accrues XP to spend on improving its torso rotation angle and speed, acceleration, top speed, and more (or other Omnipods with different loadouts).

If that weren’t enough, your pilots also gain XP to level up their respective skills, which can further influence the loadouts you may want to opt for. I could put Jayden on energy weapons and pour XP into upgrading their range or go all in on missiles and ballistic weapons thanks to the reduced cooldown time for both. Once again, it’s straightforward but works well enough. You also have the marketplace for acquiring new weapons, BattleMechs and tools as the situation dictates.

As for combat, it’s methodical and weighty, which is precisely the point and the highlight of MechWarrior 5: Clans. Whether you’re employing jump jets to reposition, panning to catch sight of flying targets, or adjusting your reticle to account for projectile travel distance and spread, it feels like the best recreation of BattleMech combat yet.

Even touches like ECM disrupting your HUD or land tanks and other obstacles getting crushed underfoot feel just right. Though you could opt for the classic control scheme, which separates locomotion from aiming, there are also modern controls for a more traditional shooting experience. The gameplay can take some getting used to, but ducking in and out of cover to land pot shots on an opposing BattleMech feels just as good as going toe-to-toe with fisticuffs and flamers.

"If you felt that Mercenaries skimped on the campaign and narrative, MechWarrior 5: Clans should fill that void."

The AI can feel uneven at times, with enemy units sometimes running into walls and having trouble getting out. I also felt that my allies were a little enthusiastic about shooting me in the back, though assigning them to take out different targets with the BattleGrid or having them form up with the command wheel is handled well enough. Both can feel awkward at first, especially during the heat of battle, but are easy enough to pick up and master.

Visually, MechWarrior 5: Clans is a step up from Mercenaries. Environments offer more natural atmospherics and dense foliage, while BattleMech models are extensively detailed. Clan Smoke Jaguar’s faces and expressions sometimes cross over into the uncanny valley, but otherwise, the facial animation is decent. Performance is prone to the odd stutter here and there, but for the most part, it felt pretty smooth after knocking down a few settings. Bugs also felt minimal, though there was one that necessitated a mission restart.

If you felt that Mercenaries skimped on the campaign and narrative, MechWarrior 5: Clans should fill that void. It offers extensive customization while recreating the feel of piloting a BattleMech with staggering realism while offering enough solid progression systems to encourage experimentation. There are the odd blemishes here and there, but it’s still a worthy successor to the MechWarrior name.

This game was reviewed on PC.