MechWarrior 5 review | Xbox One X

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MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is the latest entry in a popular franchise based on the BattleTech sci-fi strategy board game. Initially released in 2019 on PC - as the first proper MechWarrior title since 2002 - it’s now made the jump to Xbox.

​by Jordan Thomas

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​@pass_controller

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Developer: Piranha Games
Publisher: Piranha Games, Sold-Out Software
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Players: 1-4

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With little in the way of introduction (the galaxy is divided between large family houses and bands of mercenaries do most of the fighting), players soon find themselves in the seat of a BattleMech. It’s immediately apparent that the gameplay isn’t anything like the agile mechanised combat found in Titanfall, rather, users control a big lumbering beast that’s slow to start moving and then come to a stop.

Interestingly, the legs are controlled separately to the main body - more akin to controlling a tank than a traditional biped. Forget that and it's quite easy to end up facing the wrong way, then having to re-orientate the mech. After getting to grips with that, controlling the mech is actually quite simple; the bumpers and triggers are linked to weapon sets and the d-pad covers giving out squad commands.

Early on the narrative attempts to strike an emotional cord, though definitely doesn’t succeed. Voice acting isn't the worst, though it does lack emotion; following the death of a character, the supporting cast addresses it as if the milk has gone off. NPCs stand in fixed positions and stare straight ahead while talking too, which doesn't help the situation. 

While many planets are just stop offs, there's quite a large galaxy to explore. Players can accept contracts to earn money (which is a necessity, as repairs are expensive and take time) and grow their reputation. The spaceship used for travel is explorable to an extent, but there isn’t much point when its features can be instantly accessed from the pause menu instead.

​Speaking of which, the menus are a touch clunky in places - loadout management could be smoother, for example.

Gameplay-wise, while objectives do vary, missions generally require players to drop into an area on a search and destroy run; pilots must fight their way through enemies until reaching the enemy base. Initially the game limits users to small, albeit faster, mechs with weaker weapons. That said, they're more than enough to blast and/or crush the puny armoured cars and tanks that attack during the early stages.

Targeting critical systems under an incoming onslaught is an often nerve-racking experience.

Real combat starts when the other mechs come into play. These are often tactical mudslinging matches, constantly staying on the move while dealing damage and trying to avoid each other's fire. Targeting critical systems - legs can be destroyed to severely impede movement, while arms can be shot off to entirely remove a weapon – under an incoming onslaught is an often nerve-racking experience.

There are multiple weapons on each mech, which can be swapped out depending on type. The main weapon is a basic laser with infinite ammo, but there are also gauss-cannons, long-range missiles and more to choose from. Watching the ammo count is a must, along with the mech’s heat level, otherwise they can shut themselves down during longer firefights. 

There's also some fun to be had with terrain destruction; explosions will crater the ground and set it ablaze, walls crumble away under fire (or when ploughed through), while trees burst into flames as lasers sweep across them. 

Unfortunately, the graphics in general aren’t quite so impressive. Mech models look decent, if not that detailed. Environmental textures are functional but poor quality when seen up close, although this is somewhat offset by the effective lighting and weather effects. Character models are very basic, looking like they could be from an Xbox 360 game.

Technical performance can be poor as well, due to the frame-rate frequently dropping during combat and heavy weather phenomenon. MechWarrior 5 also sends the Xbox One X fans into overdrive, causing a couple of crashes due to overheating. These issues might not exist on high-end PCs, though the frame-rate still isn’t perfect on Xbox Series X|S.

MW 5: Mercenaries supports cross-platform cooperative play for up to four users. This can be done at any time, but sadly, there are no PvP modes. In addition to the campaign, which seems long enough, there’s an instant action mode accommodating customisable scenarios to jump straight into. The Heroes of the Inner Sphere DLC launched alongside the game, and let’s players choose a house before conquering territory to unlock new mechs.

Ultimately, MechWarrior 5 is a good game with some clunky execution. Narratively and visually it's not too notable, but the destructive mech stomping action delivers well.

Pros

• Intense combat
• Many different mechs and loadouts 
• Accessible co-op play 

Cons
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• Poor performance on older systems
• Mediocre graphics
• No PvP

7/10