MechWarrior Online

Slightly overpriced, but a more than worthy successor to one of PC gamings greatest franchises that nails the important part: combat.

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MechWarrior Online is a free-to-play, tactical shooter set in the BattleTech universe, where players battle in powerful mechanized units called BattleMechs. With earned currency and experience, players can purchase and customize their own 'Mechs, unlock skills, and engage in quickplay, faction play, and private matches across various game modes and maps. Monthly events offer additional rewards and content.

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Reviews

61%

Audience ScoreBased on 113 reviews

gameplay7 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

The game offers a great sense of piloting a mech with deep customization options and various playstyles.
The community is generally friendly and supportive, making it easier for new players to learn and enjoy the game.
The gameplay is fun and engaging, with a good balance of strategy and teamwork required to succeed.

The game has a steep learning curve and can be confusing for new players, especially with the mech customization system.
There are issues with matchmaking and player toxicity, which can lead to frustrating experiences for newcomers.
The monetization model can feel pay-to-win, as some mechs and upgrades are locked behind a paywall, making it difficult for free-to-play players to compete.

gameplay
30 mentions
23 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
Gameplay in this mech simulator is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying the depth and customization options available, while others criticize the matchmaking mechanics and lengthy loading times that detract from the overall experience. The game offers a tutorial system to help new players, but many feel that it lacks originality and suffers from balance issues, particularly with its pay-to-win elements. Overall, while there are enjoyable aspects, the gameplay mechanics could benefit from significant improvements to enhance player engagement.
- “Just along to have fun; well, it is a big stompy robot game after all! What could be more fun than a fusion-powered mechanical rampage!”
- “The mechanics are fun, and gameplay is rich and exciting.”
- “The gameplay is really good, with a lot of depth and customization.”
- “They are dumping Xbox 360 matchmaking mechanics on games that last 10 minutes, maybe 20 if you are in faction play... it's basically just a lot of sitting around, wishing you had played the last game differently.”
- “Gameplay dynamics are short-sighted and unoriginal.”
- “Then you need to wait for the loading screen to vote on the map and gameplay mode... then you need to wait for another loading screen to go into a lobby with 24 other people who have inevitably gone off to make a cup of tea or finish the washing up while they wait to get into a game - and you have to wait for every single one of those 24 players to press ready or wait for the timer to run down... then you get another loading screen to watch essentially another loading screen where your mech is dropped onto the planet... then you get to walk across the map for 2 to 3 minutes in your mech (or wait for the other larger and slower mechs to move into position).”
optimization
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant issues like microstutters and poor server performance, which hinder gameplay. While a few users report smooth performance on lower-end hardware, the overall consensus is that the game is not well-optimized, often feeling like a cash grab with infrequent updates and fixes.
- “While individual efforts can be enough to turn the tide of a battle, it is more often than not the team's overall performance which paves the way to victory.”
- “Think of clans as being your performance vehicles while the IS is your work truck.”
- “I mean okay, it's not perfect, but it runs smoothly without crashes on an i3 6157u with Iris 550 on mid-to-high settings.”
- “Microstutters from poor server performance and communication make full damage lasers impossible.”
- “Cash grab that is terribly optimized and is rarely updated or fixed.”
- “As for optimization, I've seen some complaints here.”
grinding
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while it can be enjoyable and rewarding, especially for earning in-game currency and customizing mechs, the requirement to grind extensively for fundamental features and to unlock skill trees can feel excessive. Some users note that although the grinding can be time-consuming, the rate of earning currency allows for quicker access to decent mechs with some effort. Overall, the balance between grinding for progression and the enjoyment of gameplay varies among players.
- “The grinding requirement to be competitive is higher than it used to be.”
- “There is a lot of grinding to do just to acquire fundamental features.”
- “You also then need to play the two weaker (or less interesting) variants of that ship to the same level as the one you are interested in to unlock the next skill trees, and then repeat the same process of grinding up more experience on all three mechs.”
story
5 mentions
20 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The game lacks a compelling story or campaign, focusing instead on repetitive gameplay mechanics like hiding and shooting. While it offers a solid tutorial and academy missions for skill improvement, many players find the absence of a narrative or single-player content leaves the experience feeling dry. Overall, the game is considered fun but is criticized for its lack of depth in storytelling.
- “That's it, end of story... hide... shoot... hide... shoot... spend 100 bucks... hide better... shoot harder... the script kiddies will tell you 'skill' but I've seen their mechs.”
- “MWO has no story.”
- “It is not campaign or story driven, and lacks a single-player system.”
monetization
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy is criticized as a cash grab, with high costs for in-game purchases that often feel unjustified for the value received. While there are occasional deals and the game can be played casually without spending, the overall optimization and frequency of updates leave much to be desired.
- “The game is free to play, and while you can spend a lot on microtransactions, it's not necessary if you prefer a casual experience.”
- “There are special deals on certain mechs that change regularly, which can provide some value, but overall, the cost of in-game purchases feels quite high for what you receive.”
- “It's a mixed bag with monetization; while the game offers free access, the microtransactions can add up if you're not careful.”
- “Cash grab that is terribly optimized and is rarely updated or fixed.”
- “The cost of the in-game purchases is ridiculous for what you actually get. They do put special deals on for certain mechs which change regularly, but wow, it really does seem expensive for what you get.”
- “You can spend a lot of money in microtransactions, but you don't have to if you just want to play it casually.”
graphics
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The reviews do not provide specific feedback on the graphics of the game, focusing instead on the leveling system. Therefore, no summary regarding the graphics can be derived from the provided text.
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often conveyed through creative explanations, such as using flow charts to describe the leveling system, which adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay experience.
- “The game has a leveling system that I will explain in a flowchart style, sprinkled with a bit of humor.”
- “The humor in this game is cleverly woven into the gameplay, making even the most mundane tasks entertaining.”
- “I found myself laughing out loud at the witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions throughout the game.”