MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries

A solid expansion that brings a lot of new toys to play with and mission variations to play in. The campaign is a fun exploration of a pivotal time in Mechwarrior lore. If you own Mechwarrior 5 you should own this.

78%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, optimization

85% User Score Based on 16,188 reviews

Critic Score 72%Based on 31 reviews

Platforms

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About

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is a single player and multiplayer tactical shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Piranha Games Inc. and was released on May 26, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries" is a first-person, action-packed shooter game set in the war-torn Inner Sphere of 3015. As a mercenary, you'll be able to explore this vast universe, acquire new equipment, and complete missions to further your storyline. The DLC Upgrade Bundle offers even more 'Mechs, missions, and modes for an enhanced experience. Being your own weapon of war has never been more thrilling.

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85%

Audience ScoreBased on 16,188 reviews

story1k positive mentions

grinding338 negative mentions

story
8,440 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
78%
10%
The story in "MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries" is often criticized for being generic and uninspired, primarily revolving around a clichéd revenge plot where the protagonist seeks vengeance for their father's death. While the game features a campaign mode with some scripted missions, the majority of gameplay consists of repetitive, procedurally generated missions that lack meaningful narrative depth, leading many players to feel disengaged from the overarching plot. Despite these shortcomings, the core gameplay mechanics and mech customization options are praised, with many players enjoying the combat and management aspects of running a mercenary company.
- “Each decision you make influences your reputation and relationships with various factions, adding depth to the storyline.”
- “The story is interesting and compelling while still giving you the freedom to be the kind of mercenary company you want to be.”
- “The game's dynamic mission system ensures that no two battles feel the same, keeping gameplay fresh and engaging.”
- “The story is bland, the basis of the plot is incredibly small-time at the get-go, incredibly short-sighted, and it feels like it's an attempt to emulate Grayson Carlyle's origin story, without giving you characters to interact with at any point.”
- “The missions quickly become repetitive, featuring monotonous objectives and uninspired scenarios.”
- “The story is a convenient gateway to throw you in charge of your own mercenary company and the only thing that it drives are specific scripted missions with some predefined stuff thrown in for a curve ball or a challenge.”
gameplay
2,068 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
58%
10%
The gameplay of MechWarrior 5 is characterized by a dynamic mission system that promotes replayability and experimentation with different mech configurations and strategies. While many players find the core gameplay loop of managing a mercenary company, completing missions, and customizing mechs enjoyable, there are significant criticisms regarding repetitiveness, AI behavior, and a lack of depth in mission variety. The game benefits from a robust modding community that enhances the experience, but some players feel that the base game lacks the polish and innovation expected from a modern title.
- “The game's dynamic mission system ensures that no two battles feel the same, keeping gameplay fresh and engaging.”
- “Its blend of fast-paced gameplay, stunning graphics, immersive sound design, compelling narrative, and deep customization options makes it a must-play.”
- “The gameplay is incredibly fun and easy to pick up, making it perfect for both newcomers and seasoned Battletech fans.”
- “Every part of gameplay is clunky and bad.”
- “Very repetitive, unengaging, shallow gameplay.”
- “The core gameplay loop is just too mind-numbingly boring for me.”
graphics
1,578 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
53%
10%
The graphics of MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries receive mixed reviews, with some praising the stunning visuals and modern enhancements compared to previous titles, while others criticize them as outdated and poorly optimized. Many players note that the game can look impressive with high settings and mods, but also report issues like graphical glitches and a lack of detail in environments. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good, they fall short of current AAA standards, leading to a consensus that improvements are needed.
- “Its blend of fast-paced gameplay, stunning graphics, immersive sound design, compelling narrative, and deep customization options makes it a must-play.”
- “The graphics, sounds, and environments are all top notch.”
- “The graphics are outstanding with good attention to detail on the mechs.”
- “The graphics are absolute garbage out of the box, mostly due to some horrendous dithering on most of the screen, especially on the shadows.”
- “I found the graphics terrible for a game released in 2021, and the missions are boring.”
- “The graphics feel at least a decade out of date.”
music
604 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
49%
10%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its heavy metal soundtrack for enhancing the high-stakes action and creating an immersive atmosphere. However, several players noted that the tracks can become repetitive and lack variety, leading some to mute the in-game music in favor of their own playlists. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated for its energy and fitting theme, it is often criticized for being generic and not as memorable as previous entries in the series.
- “The soundtrack complements the high-stakes action perfectly, with epic scores that elevate the intensity of every encounter.”
- “The music is fantastic and goes from ambient to some shredder metal, perfect for some mech on mech destruction!”
- “The combat is also fun and the soundtrack is fantastic, an excellent accompaniment to the mayhem, explosions and chaos you unleash.”
- “The music isn't varied either - just heavy guitar and that's it - not environmental or anything.”
- “The music is dull, endlessly repetitive rock tracks that you'll hate.”
- “The soundtrack is generic and forgettable.”
grinding
338 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players describing it as tedious, repetitive, and excessively time-consuming. Users frequently mention the need to engage in numerous randomly generated missions to progress, which often feels more like a chore than an enjoyable feature. While some players find enjoyment in the grind, particularly if they are fans of the Battletech universe, the general consensus is that the game requires significant modifications to alleviate its grindy nature and improve overall gameplay experience.
- “Mostly the grinding that requires you to do randomly generated missions over and over again which feels more like a chore than a cool feature.”
- “The game largely consists of endless grinding.”
- “Another problem is that there is far too much grinding for the campaign to do story missions.”
optimization
324 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
55%
28%
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering, low frame rates, and overheating on high-end hardware. While some users have found improvements through mods, the base game is often described as poorly optimized, leading to frustration and a diminished gameplay experience. Overall, the consensus is that significant optimization work is needed to make the game run smoothly across various systems.
- “Performance is smooth, which is to be expected with the lack of graphics complexity.”
- “There are mods which massively help out performance without changing the visual fidelity, too.”
- “The game is well optimized.”
- “The worst thing about MW5 is its optimization and DLC.”
- “Really enjoyed the game until the most recent patch broke the game's optimization and now I can't run the game without overheating my GPU.”
- “It's very poorly optimized and feels like such a low budget game, I'm just not able to get into it.”
stability
210 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
1%
91%
The game's stability is a significant concern among players, with many reporting frequent crashes, glitches, and AI pathfinding issues that hinder gameplay. While some users have experienced smooth performance with minimal bugs, the overall consensus is that the game remains buggy and unpolished, often requiring mods to enhance stability and enjoyment. Despite these issues, many players still find the game enjoyable, albeit with the expectation of encountering various technical problems.
- “Runs great with everything maxed out on my Ryzen 7 7700X, 32GB high-speed RAM, and Radeon RX 6700XT video card.”
- “Love the game, runs smooth with no glitches or bugs.”
- “It looks fantastic with or without ray tracing, and it runs very well on different hardware. I can honestly say that as I have tested this game on three different systems, and it runs great on all of them, maybe with a little sacrifice here and there for the weaker ones.”
- “But it is severely limited by an Unreal Engine crash that freezes the entire game.”
- “Constant crashes, glitches, and low frame rates ruin this game.”
- “This game is a buggy mess.”
replayability
186 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
63%
4%
Replayability in this game is highly variable, with many players noting that while the vanilla experience may lack depth, the extensive modding community significantly enhances replay value. Career mode and DLCs also contribute positively, offering diverse gameplay options, though some players feel that the core missions can become repetitive over time. Overall, the game is seen as having strong replayability potential, especially when utilizing mods and additional content.
- “This not only enhances gameplay but also adds a significant replayability factor as you experiment with different configurations and strategies.”
- “Amazing and highly replayable game with the right mods (YAML, graphics mods, difficulty mods, etc).”
- “The DLC adds to the experience and visuals, the campaigns are intense and enjoyable, and the ability to play and shape your company in any way you like in career mode means the replay value is high.”
- “Without that mod, it is a decent game with no replayability.”
- “As a whole, replayability has been pushed to the forefront at the cost of meaningful content.”
- “No replayability or endgame content after the campaign.”
humor
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
94%
6%
The humor in the game is often described as unintentional, stemming from poor AI behavior, amusing physics glitches, and over-the-top voice acting that can be both entertaining and cringe-worthy. Players find moments of levity in the absurdity of mechs getting stuck or behaving oddly, as well as in the game's reliance on random generation, which can lead to hilariously frustrating situations. Overall, while the humor may not be consistently intentional or polished, it contributes to a fun and engaging experience, especially in co-op play.
- “Way finding or enemies is hilarious... enemy attacks in waves and almost every time mechs get stuck in canyons and you have to search for them since you can't see them on radar.”
- “The voice acting in this game is hilarious and I don't think I'd want them to change it, but add more.”
- “It's hilarious to watch an assault mech move slower than a ground vehicle (tank) which wields far more weaponry and is much faster.”
- “The game heavily relies on random generation to a point it is not funny and can stack the odds pretty harsh against you.”
- “Having to run up and down the drop zone to chat with people gets unfunny rather quickly, combined with a mouse speed from hell in human (non-mech) mode.”
- “It's just bored voice actors repeating the same dull, unfunny lines.”
monetization
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
7%
88%
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many reviewers expressing disappointment over the reliance on recycled assets and underwhelming DLCs that offer minimal new content. Players feel that the game exploits their nostalgia for the franchise while failing to deliver a quality experience, often labeling it as low-effort and unethical in its approach to monetization. Despite some improvements and enjoyable gameplay elements, the overall sentiment is that the game prioritizes profit over player satisfaction.
- “While I don't think the campaign was that great at launch and there were some real issues with some of the stuff, they have really stepped up and kept improving the game and adding DLC - so I have to give it to PGI for making a wonderfully visceral stompy mech combat game, with loads of different mechs, and not a single bit of microtransactions to buy extra hats.”
- “But thankfully, zero microtransactions.”
- “If you don't mind playing the same 3 or 4 missions over and over for a few hours, you might enjoy this game... if you take issue with blatant and unethical cash-grab style monetization, avoid this game.”
- “It is a cash grab game, designed to play on our love for mechs and scam us out of our money.”
- “This was just a cash grab and shows they don't really care about the IP which could have been one of the greatest, period.”
- “Nobody should spend money on this, period; it is a lazy cash grab that is low effort and, as usual, suffers from obsessing over new graphics techniques at the expense of literally everything else.”
atmosphere
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
50%
6%
The game's atmosphere is a mixed bag, with some players praising the rich environments, cockpit immersion, and varied biomes that evoke the spirit of the franchise, while others criticize the lack of cohesive sound design and character depth compared to previous titles. The music, although high-quality and dramatic, is seen by some as overwhelming and detracting from the overall experience. Overall, while the game offers a satisfying sense of piloting mechs and engaging gameplay, it struggles with consistency in its atmospheric execution.
- “The atmosphere is rich and properly evocative of the spirit of the franchise (metal glory).”
- “The music is fantastic, too; it adds to the atmosphere of being an unstoppable force on the field.”
- “All in all this is a fun game; if you are a BattleTech/MechWarrior fan, then the gameplay, atmosphere, and music come together to make you feel like you are a merc out for a lark, dipping your toe in the war crimes scene and hoarding c-bills.”
- “Not to mention this game has the weakest atmosphere, acting, and campaign in any game I've played in the 2020s.”
- “My first mech game was MechWarrior 4: Vengeance, and this game doesn't have 1/10th the atmosphere, quality of characters, good music, or good missions that MW4V has.”
- “It blares over the top of everything, dulling all your senses. In previous games, I felt the music harmonized well with the sounds of the weaponry and the tense tonality of the fights. In this game, I feel there is no atmosphere at all; it's drowned out.”
emotional
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
94%
6%
Overall, players express a lack of emotional investment in the game, citing a repetitive experience and a bare-bones story that fails to engage them. While the voice acting is noted as solid and adds some depth, the writing and character development are criticized for being uninspired, leaving players feeling disconnected from the narrative and its stakes. Some players find satisfaction in teaching others and nostalgic moments, but these do not compensate for the game's overall emotional shortcomings.
- “The voice acting is solid, with a few actors you've heard, even if you don't know their names, and gives the game the emotional depth it might otherwise lack.”
- “First of all, I am a Battletech fan; second, this was an emotional purchase.”
- “Running around in my big stompy robot, stepping on tanks and shooting down helicopters, made me feel like a kid again.”
- “The base game campaign is just insipid - a boring story with boring characters we've seen many times before.”
character development
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
Character development in this game is largely absent, with players noting that the focus is on gameplay rather than intricate storytelling or character arcs. The character designs and animations are criticized for being subpar, and there is a general consensus that players should not expect a deep or personalized narrative experience.
- “Don't expect amazingly fleshed out character development, or an intricate and intoxicating story.”
- “You don't need a deep compelling backstory with love interests and personal character development.”
- “Where is the character development?”
- “Character designs and animations are so bad they would look out of place in MW2, let alone MW5.”
- “You don't buy it for the refined character development or personalized story.”