MechWarrior 5: Clans

MechWarrior 5: Clans delivers the classic mech-based action fans will expect, while adding a plethora of new dynamics and modernization to keep things fresh.

79%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

optimization, replayability

77% User Score Based on 3,785 reviews

Critic Score 81%Based on 9 reviews

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About

MechWarrior 5: Clans is a single player and multiplayer shooter game. It was developed by Piranha Games Inc. and was released on October 16, 2024. It received positive reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

In MechWarrior 5: Clans, you are a graduate of the Smoke Jaguar cadet program thrust into the Clan Invasion during Operation Revival. Piloting customizable BattleMechs, engage in tactical combat across diverse planets and biomes in this immersive MechWarrior universe entry. This is the first Clan-based MechWarrior game in decades, where the mighty Clans collide with the Great Houses for Inner Sphere dominance.

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77%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,785 reviews

story1k positive mentions

optimization240 negative mentions

The game features a compelling story that stays true to the Battletech lore, providing an engaging narrative experience.
Gameplay is fun and satisfying, with improved mech combat mechanics and a well-designed mission structure.
The graphics and visual effects are impressive, showcasing the power of Unreal Engine 5 and enhancing the overall immersion.

The game suffers from performance issues, including frame drops and stuttering, even on high-end hardware.
The mech lab interface is clunky and less intuitive than previous titles, making customization cumbersome.
AI teammates are often unhelpful and can hinder gameplay by blocking shots or failing to engage effectively.

story
4,004 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
70%
5%
The story in "MechWarrior 5: Clans" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its engaging narrative and strong connection to the Battletech lore, particularly from the perspective of Clan Smoke Jaguar during the clan invasion. While some players appreciate the cinematic storytelling and character development, others criticize the linearity of the missions and the lack of meaningful choices, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness. Overall, the game is seen as a significant improvement over its predecessor, "MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries," particularly in terms of story depth and mission design, though it still faces criticism for its execution and some technical issues.
- “The story is engaging, offering a fresh perspective on the clans and their complex society, with each mission feeling significant in the larger narrative of operation revival.”
- “The story is fantastic, and fans of battletech will be incredibly pleased.”
- “This is the mechwarrior game we have been waiting for, smooth control, great ui layout and key mapping, great graphic, interesting story and characters, no bugs so far.”
- “Story-line characters are vapid and annoying, like dealing with teenagers stuck in adult bodies.”
- “The story is poorly written.”
- “The story is so by-the-numbers you know what's going to happen long before it does, and the characters are so bland and cookie cutter I literally could not tell most of my squad apart until the end of the game.”
optimization
1,066 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
65%
23%
The optimization of MechWarrior 5: Clans has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance, including frequent stuttering and frame drops, even on high-end systems. While some users have noted improvements following hotfixes, the game still struggles with optimization issues, particularly in demanding scenarios. Overall, players recommend waiting for further patches to enhance performance before diving in, especially for those with mid-range or older hardware.
- “The optimization issues will likely get fixed over time, but so far I thoroughly am enjoying this game.”
- “Surprisingly this is the only complaint I have because surprisingly enough PGI has learned their lessons from Mech5 in terms of performance and such.”
- “While there may be issues with the performance of the game I expect those issues to be resolved in time.”
- “The performance is bad (a 4080 and i9-12900k combo drops to 40fps in the test arena? Are you kidding me?), and despite this the graphics in-game are, in the opinion of everyone in my star, a downgrade from mercs.”
- “The game is unoptimized and runs inconsistently, which is no good for a title this cinematic.”
- “Performance and optimization is dog water; quality of life and glitches do hinder the experience and are my biggest gripe with this otherwise solid experience.”
gameplay
808 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
60%
5%
The gameplay in "MechWarrior 5: Clans" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting improvements over its predecessor, "MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries," particularly in graphics and mission design. However, criticisms include a linear story structure, clunky AI, and a lack of depth in mechanics, leading to a more arcade-like experience that some fans find unsatisfactory. Overall, while the core gameplay is engaging and offers a satisfying mech combat experience, it may not fully meet the expectations of long-time series veterans.
- “The gameplay is excellent, expert mode did trip me up a few times, and once I figured out the salvage and upgrade system, there's a good amount of hyper optimization that you can undertake for any playstyle, which is a core feature of the Battletech universe I love.”
- “There are some truly sublime moments of gameplay, fast and furious, with atmospheric maps and fantastic visual effects.”
- “The gameplay is crisp and fun.”
- “The animations are not acceptable for a game in 2024, and the game mechanics feel like they have been rushed through without proper depth.”
- “The gameplay itself, however, is just ... not mechwarrior.”
- “Makes no improvements over mw5 mercenaries, downgraded mech lab, very few playable mechs, badly scripted linear campaign with no other gameplay modes.”
graphics
684 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
53%
4%
The graphics in the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the overall visual improvements and detailing, particularly in cutscenes and environments, thanks to the use of Unreal Engine 5. However, performance issues, including significant frame rate drops and stuttering, have been reported, especially on mid-range systems, leading some players to feel that the graphical enhancements come at a cost to gameplay fluidity. While some players find the graphics stunning and a step up from previous titles, others note inconsistencies and a lack of optimization that detracts from the overall experience.
- “The graphics are also great with a lot of details in the mechs and the environment.”
- “The graphics are beautiful and the gameplay is great, lots of nice little additions to the game.”
- “The graphics are impressive, with detailed mechs and realistic missile effects.”
- “The performance is bad (a 4080 and i9-12900k combo drops to 40fps in the test arena? Are you kidding me?), and despite this, the graphics in-game are, in the opinion of everyone in my group, a downgrade from Mercs.”
- “The graphics somehow are worse than in the previous game, despite using Unreal Engine 5.”
- “Graphics are a downgrade from MW5 Mercs, poor performance, UI is crap, all mechs feel like paper, damage models and effects nowhere near MW5 Mercs.”
replayability
134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
80%
10%
Overall, the game's replayability is viewed as limited, primarily due to its linear, story-driven campaign that lacks a robust sandbox mode or career options. While some players appreciate the narrative and find replaying missions enjoyable, many express concerns about the absence of significant replay value compared to previous titles like MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries. Future updates and mod support may enhance replayability, but currently, it appears to be a one-time experience for most players.
- “If you factor in replayability, I think Mercs is the way better game.”
- “Good replayability, and the customization with the different pods per mech is insane once you start to give the mech hanger a chance.”
- “The 'sim pod' also has challenges for each mission to increase replayability further!”
- “What I played was fun, but I went in thinking it'd be a souped-up MW5 and I got a railroad campaign with a neutered mech lab and no replayability.”
- “The replay value so far is almost nil, being it's just mission-based and you're only really playing for the story.”
- “The lack of any sort of expanded 'career' mode that was available previously kills any real replayability.”
stability
131 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
3%
76%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and performance issues, particularly during cutscenes and mission loading. While some users with high-end rigs experienced smooth gameplay, others noted significant optimization problems and graphical glitches that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the game is seen as needing substantial patches to address its current instability and improve user experience.
- “The game runs great, it's absolutely gorgeous and the controls are fluid.”
- “Normal playthrough was relatively bug-free and smooth.”
- “Good to go play and almost bug-free.”
- “I cannot recommend this game, as others have said the cut-scenes are weird, the campaign is buggy, and overall it feels like a console port.”
- “Game is terribly buggy and crashes a lot, especially during asset loading or mission completion.”
- “Again, I can't recommend this game at all in its current buggy, unoptimized state.”
music
103 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
53%
10%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its immersive qualities and nostalgic ties to earlier MechWarrior titles, while others criticize it for being generic and forgettable. Notably, the soundtrack features a blend of styles, including Mongolian throat singing and retro synthwave, which some players find enhances the atmosphere, though issues like sound bugs and limited access to the soundtrack outside of gameplay have been highlighted as drawbacks. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the experience for some, it fails to create memorable moments for others, leaving a divided impression among players.
- “The soundtrack is awesome and I may have found my new favorite mech lab theme out of Smoke Jaguar (sorry Stutter Shark from MW4).”
- “Smoke Jaguar is how I envision the clans: ancient, mysterious, tribal, and powerful, and it makes for great background music as you are tinkering with your star getting ready for the next mission.”
- “The sound design and music in this game are great and have easily kept me immersed.”
- “Some missions would not have background music when playing, not sure if it is a bug or an intentional decision.”
- “Although one drawback is the music, it is unfortunately just boring and characterless.”
- “Where the game fails is in the music and ambient sounds.”
atmosphere
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
55%
7%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive visuals, engaging soundtrack, and deep lore, contributing to captivating storytelling and memorable gameplay moments. However, some players note inconsistencies, such as a lack of dramatic ambiance during key scenes and issues with audio quality, which detract from the overall experience. While the atmosphere is generally considered a strong point, there are calls for improvements in certain gameplay elements to enhance immersion further.
- “The soundtrack, the atmosphere, the punchy way the weapons and damage feel, and the immersive visuals are all fantastic.”
- “For me, the most important improvement in this game is atmosphere and story.”
- “Both within the missions themselves and in the homebase, the storyline and atmosphere are great.”
- “Next: while the overall atmosphere is fitting, the endless chatter is annoying.”
- “- many scenes, gameplay moments are dull, they feel like they should be more dramatic, but they simply miss any sort of music/ambient, that would help immerse me into the atmosphere.”
- “Poor writing, poor voice acting, poor audio mixing, and for playing clanners, really awful atmosphere.”
grinding
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
4%
93%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the reduction in tedious, repetitive missions compared to previous titles, others find the experience and unlock systems overly grindy and unfulfilling. The post-mission upgrade loop can feel tedious and lacks meaningful rewards, leading to a sense of repetitiveness, especially when grinding for experience to unlock new mechs. Overall, the absence of a sandbox mode and the convoluted upgrade mechanics contribute to a frustrating grinding experience for many players.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “However, having to unlock each pod by spending experience is kind of tedious.”
- “Gameplay itself is pretty repetitive and, at times, pretty grindy.”
- “The post-mission loop of upgrading mechs, assigning mechwarrior skills, etc. can feel a little tedious, unrewarding, and unnecessary.”
emotional
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by well-structured story arcs and character development, featuring moments of compassion and growth that resonate with players. While some characters may come off as overly emotional, the narrative includes several impactful and heartwarming scenes that enhance the overall experience. Despite some predictability, the game successfully evokes a range of emotions, making it a rewarding journey for fans of the Battletech universe.
- “The dialogues and supporting cutscenes are crisp, there are a few emotionally charged moments, and each character has a narrative arc.”
- “It is faithful to the lore and, while it might be predictable in places for fans of the setting, it had mostly good pacing, with an emotional story that has ups and downs, as well as good moments of character growth.”
- “Its well-rounded and has an emotional end.”
humor
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
92%
8%
The humor in the game is often derived from its technical glitches and absurdities, such as mechs standing upright after destruction and characters exhibiting goofy animations. Players find amusement in the game's rough launch, with instances like a firestarter being launched into space and light mechs diving into rocks. Overall, while the humor may stem from unintended bugs and the portrayal of clans, it adds a lighthearted element to the experience, even amidst criticism of the game's leadership and development approach.
- “A few cases where destroyed mechs continue to stand in place rather than falling, which I found more funny than immersion breaking.”
- “It's also hilariously easy to crash the game in the mech bay.”
- “Lol, PGI putting the Roughneck in there is hilarious.”
character development
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while it features a complex narrative that encourages players to reassess their initial impressions, some reviewers noted that it can feel rushed and uneven, particularly in the case of characters you command. The storytelling is engaging and cinematic, leading to emotional investment in the cast, though the voice acting quality varies and the character design has been criticized as uninspired or uncanny. Overall, there is potential for deeper character development in future iterations of the game.
- “There's character development; information keeps coming out that makes you go back and reassess your first impressions, and it's definitely a large part of the fun.”
- “Storytelling was surprisingly good and cinematic, and the character development with your squad had me going from hating the entire cast to being invested in what was happening around them.”
- “The game did a great job of keeping the conversation and character development going on and off the battlefield without getting too annoying like in other games.”
- “The voice acting is pretty hit and miss and they really need better character development for the people you are supposed to be directly commanding in the game.”
- “Story and character development can feel rushed at times.”
- “Also the character design is boring.”
monetization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with players feeling that it represents a cash grab rather than a genuine effort to deliver quality content. Despite impressive marketing and visuals powered by Unreal Engine, the developer's history of disappointing releases and exploitative practices has left fans disillusioned, suggesting that potential buyers should wait for substantial discounts before purchasing.
- “Once again, another beloved IP being ruined by its developer in a half-baked cash grab, which is a tragedy from a true fan of the series who was excited for a clan-focused game.”
- “I expect them to iron out the bugs, but you can easily wait for this to be 50% off because of the abysmal state of release. The dev has a long history of attempted cash grabs with this IP but always falls flat on their faces, and they end up appealing to a small hardcore set of fanboys.”
- “Pgi has a terrible record with cash grabs (cough the 'collectors edition' cough, cough all of MechWarrior Online cough), and a spotty track record with stories set in the Battletech universe. In my opinion, the original campaign in MW5: Mercs is very dull, and despite playing many hours in that game, I've only done the main campaign once.”

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81%Critics’ scoreBased on 9 critic reviews

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20h Median play time

38h Average play time

5-30h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 43 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

MechWarrior 5: Clans is a shooter game.

MechWarrior 5: Clans is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 38 hours playing MechWarrior 5: Clans.

MechWarrior 5: Clans was released on October 16, 2024.

MechWarrior 5: Clans was developed by Piranha Games Inc..

MechWarrior 5: Clans has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

MechWarrior 5: Clans is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, BATTLETECH, Gears Tactics, Company of Heroes 3, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified and others.

MechWarrior 5: Clans

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