MechWarrior Online lets you take control of your own large mech in a vehicle based combat game set in the future that allows you to wield large scale machines with equally devastating weapons. Launching in September 2013 MechWarrior Online is a Windows exclusive title and available through the Steam platform.
The setting for your battles in MechWarrior Online takes players to the year 3050 where you control your own mechanical unit known as a MechWarrior. As the pilot of this gigantic machine you have complete control over its movement and combat capabilities through a neural interface that makes it a quick to respond machine. Battling across various maps your objective is to compete against other players in the arena style maps known as the Solaris Arena.
All of your available machines fall into four different broad categories which are light, medium, heavy and assault with a hero mech category also available. With increasing weight across these archetypes you can expect each of them to play differently with each mech model having its own hardpoint cap for different body parts which impacts your ability to attach weapons to those locations, the ability to equip jump jets that let you jump around the battlefield in short bursts and overall module slots which add further customisation. Costs of purchasing each mech also increases through the archetypes so starting players are likely to start their adventure with lighter mechs while progressing their accounts to the assault variants overtime.
How you design your BattleMech within these class types is completely up to you with an impressive number of weapons, engines and other vital pieces of equipment to mix and match until you create a mechanical warrior that feels right. It’s easy to get lost in this element of MechWarrior Online with three types of weapons (energy, ballistic and missile) which have various weapon properties.
Energy weapons are generally lighter and generate heat over time that limits usage while ballistic weapons are heavier, limited ammo and have some bullet drop and finally missile weapons that all somewhere in the middle but have the slowest moving projectile. MechWarrior Online also allows for other utilities known as efficiencies that are purchased with your Mech Experience (MXP) and General Experience (GXP) for mech and pilot boosts. Every possible mech has its role to play though and while some might suit your preferred playstyle more than others each can be a viable counterpart for the combat ahead.
Once you’ve settled on your choice of mech and design you can test it out against other players in fast paced and tactical battles. These battles aren’t just pointless combat pieces though and are in fact part of a grand strategy movement by your faction in the faction play game mode which are 4v4 combat events. Other options for matches include the Solaris 7 Arena for 1v1 and 2v2 battles with divisional leader boards across 5 maps and quick play to earn rewards. In total you’ll have 12 maps depending on the mode you select that take you through forest colonies, alpine peaks, frozen cities, valleys and other large scale locations.
Overall its the customisation available in MechWarrior Online that will keep bringing you back given there is no shortage of options to experiment with for the faction based warfare.
Summary:
- Customise your own mechanical warrior with multiple archetypes that define your playstyle from light scout to assault.
- Huge number of options to create your own unique combat warrior with weapon types, equipment and efficiency upgrades with playtime.
- Varied maps designs with 12 maps with various biome settings to fight over.
- Battle in the name of your faction in the faction war game mode which sees control of planets change hands with success or failure.
- Free to play title for Windows.
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Review Platform: PC
