MechWarrior 5: Clans Preview – A narrative heavy sci-fi epic

thesixthaxis.com:

Who doesn’t love giant robots? Well, invading Kaiju for one, but there’s a reason that Gundam has been around for forty years, why Power Rangers continue to sell toys, and why The Matrix Revolutions is the best one in the series – mechs are cool. MechWarrior stands amongst the most iconic mech-enhanced gaming series, but you’d be forgiven for being slightly confused by the numbered and subtitled releases that litter the last thirty years like stomping metal confetti. Prepare to be confused no further, as MechWarrior 5: Clans is an all-new entry in the series, and one which centres on storytelling rather than PvP battles. As the franchise heads into new territory, we’ve gone hands on with the first couple of hours to see how it all plays out.

Clan Smoke Jaguar have the same air of militaristic zealotry you’ll find from the Ultramarines in Space Marine 2 or Dune’s House Harkonnen. It’s all ‘trembling before our might’ and “bringing vengeance down’, with little hint of a wry smile. You can at least forgive the gung-ho attitude of your team though, as the opening of MechWarrior 5: Clans casts you as a young MechWarrior recruit at the start of your career, trying to complete your training.

There’s a lot of names, colloquialisms and alien terms to wrap your head around in the first few minutes, particularly if you’re a newcomer to the series, but some things are clear. You’re part of a military squad, thrust headlong into piloting your mechs, proving your worth to your brutal superiors.

As you start out, the first thing you’ll appreciate is the smart and alluring visuals you can see from the cockpit of your mech. You can take a first-person or third-person view here, while the UI gives you a readout on your mech’s armour and ammo reserves for each weapon. You’ve also got details for each of your teammates, with Mia, Ezra, Liam and Nasir your backup and your responsibility to command.

You can individually assign tasks to each of these teammates, or command them as a group, all