MechWarrior Online

 PC
User Score
5.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 874 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 323 out of 874
  2. Mixed: 177 out of 874
  3. Negative: 374 out of 874

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  1. Lord_Banshee
    Sep 20, 2013
    5
    Slow-Paced gaming, piecemeal-destructible battlemechs are back. Worth a try, if only to understand why all these old guys love them so much.

    Mechs are cool, don't usually die in one shot like squishy soldiers, and can be sorely messed up but still functional. Wonderfully rendered by artist Flying Debris, they make awesome sounds with their weapons and when hit by effects. To some, the    Slow-Paced gaming, piecemeal-destructible battlemechs are back. Worth a try, if only to understand why all these old guys love them so much.

    Mechs are cool, don't usually die in one shot like squishy soldiers, and can be sorely messed up but still functional. Wonderfully rendered by artist Flying Debris, they make awesome sounds with their weapons and when hit by effects. To some, the pace of the gaming, like baseball, is a plus. If you find it too slow, hop in a Light Mech and double-time it.

    I got more value out of my $60 Founder's pack than I did with Skyrim or Starcraft2. However, getting that value is Fraught With Peril and best attempted with a masochistic streak or Asperger's or both.

    Allegedly there are over 1 million MWO accounts. Read before you download and have a chance to be one of the 2-4% of accounts that actually still play.

    1) Buddies!

    You'll enjoy the game more, and be able to use all of its drop modes, only after you meet others who play and drop into games with them. Solo players operate under multiple disadvantages:

    A) you'll never drop as a group, and can never play premade 12v12
    B) other groups will drop against you in a coordinated fashion, making it more likely that you face 2-1 or worse tactical engagements
    C) less likely to learn tips of gameplay, mech loadouts, or gain cbills/experience
    D) "win" a match is either kill all enemies or occupy the most bases. There are two similar flavors of base occupation. This is the way it has been since first day of closed beta, and there is no concrete assurance of expansion. You will face this realization alone, with no one to inspire you or challenge you.

    Dropping with others helps alleviate these conditions. Once the repetitive aspects of the game take hold, you show up more for your drop buddies than the "same-old, same-old" gameplay.

    Therefore, your first download should be TEAMSPEAK. Grab it, set it up, use it. Meet peops at the NGNG or ComStar TS servers. Find a group that mirrors your personality and gaming experience. Look for experienced helpful pilots while you conduct...

    2) the Learning Curve

    No one you met completely turned you off to this game? Good, now it's the game's turn to try that. Install MWO and ignore all attempts that this FtP game tries to remove your money from you.

    Pick a trial mech and then activate a Training session on a map of your choice.

    Get familiar with the options menu and assign keys as you see fit. Get used to third person view, then turn it off and enjoy the minimap.
    Get used to movement, targeting, firing, managing heat, then doing them all simultaneously.
    Learn the maps: what you can see, where you can/can't go, timings. Boring, I know, but less boring than spectator mode or the seat-sulk after a ragequit.

    3) the Constant is Change

    Being alpha/beta and unfinished, it'll change, early and often. Sometimes ridiculously so, as PGI can't balance weaponry to save our lives, and they don't ask the oldschool elite players for help.

    So, in the case of LRM missiles, we were treated to multiple waves of LRMageddon, where misses rained from the sky in wildly OP batches, only to be nerfed into oblivion. Rinse, repeat. Mech variants were not immune either.

    4) Promises, Promises

    Entice the old-schoolers who start the word-of-mouth for you and then change your mind for business reasons.

    This was to be first-person view, no coolant used, never pay-to-win, with a slick UI, new mechs/maps regularly, timeline-accurate, and all leading up to backing your favorite faction/merc corps/clan and live out Mike Stackpole novels during Community Warfare.

    Hated third-person view crept in under cover of darkness.
    Hated coolant was initially added with pay-to-win overtones until the hue and cry reached epic levels.
    Influx of new mechs gradually slowed, maps appear sporadically and some are environmental rehashes of existing maps.
    No lobby at all.
    Timeline was junked once it was obvious that the Dev team fell behind for good.
    Clan mechs and weapons? Dream on.
    UIv2.0 for Launch? Nope. You may look upon the clumsy current UI and frown, but I assure you it was worse in Closed Beta.
    Community Warfare? No guarantee this company will be alive to implement it, and I'm leery of what it will look like if they do. The Launch amounted to nothing more than a typical bimonthly update. No new concept was instantiated that hadn't been tried before. PGI in their Launch gave thousands of online gamer guys a glimpse of what it's like to be the hot girl who finally gets the stud of her dreams in bed, only to find he consistently cums in 3 seconds. Is MWO fun? Yes. Hard to learn? Can be. Boredom sooner than later? Yes. Is it the only MechWarrior genre game that will have future updates? Yes. Could be great and actually implement its vision? Maybe, 20% chance.    … Expand
  2. Crais
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    MWO is fun for a while then it becomes a tedious grindfest. There are only 2 types of matches available at launch and a handful of maps. Numerous features are missing (DX 11 support, UI2.0, net code optimization) and community warfare, a large scale battle galaxy wide type that was sold as a core feature of the game, has no set deadline for being added.

    The developers of the game also    MWO is fun for a while then it becomes a tedious grindfest. There are only 2 types of matches available at launch and a handful of maps. Numerous features are missing (DX 11 support, UI2.0, net code optimization) and community warfare, a large scale battle galaxy wide type that was sold as a core feature of the game, has no set deadline for being added.

    The developers of the game also have a very poor track record of communication with the community and are often arrogant and rude to players who question balance issues or proposed features, such as the inclusion of the 3rd person camera mode (that was originally promised to not be included in the game).    … Expand
  3. StoneMason
    Sep 19, 2013
    5
    tl:dr Great game, terrible experience. Right now this is a f2p team deathmatch game with no greater meta or community features on the immediate horizon. The inconsistency of communication implies a serious divergence of goals between the developers and producers. You'll probably have a great time playing it but I wouldn't spend a single cent because you can't trust it'll feel the same intl:dr Great game, terrible experience. Right now this is a f2p team deathmatch game with no greater meta or community features on the immediate horizon. The inconsistency of communication implies a serious divergence of goals between the developers and producers. You'll probably have a great time playing it but I wouldn't spend a single cent because you can't trust it'll feel the same in six months, or be around at all.

    I'm a long time Mechwarrior/Battletech fan who has been captivated by the universe since Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries. I've really enjoyed playing in the closed and open beta for MWO but the overall experience has been very conflicted.

    The Good: Imo this is the best interpretation of both Mechwarrior and the Battletech tabletop game we have ever seen. You might disagree with a choice here and there, but the art, animations, weapon and damage effects all work together to capture the punchy feel of Mech combat like never before. Despite some radical changes from patch to patch, the balance is good and each match feels relatively consistent. You can be confident that the developers making the game love the franchise and have a very coherent view of how the basic mechanics should work. I've played thousands of games and on balance, enjoyed them immensely.

    The Bad: Despite what the Founders program may have suggested, this title is not crowd funded. The developers are responsible to their producers and investors rather than the player base. Features are missing from the game that should have been in over a year ago and if we extrapolate the process, we probably won't see true mid or late game content for another year at least. The current maps and game modes are badly underdeveloped and basic community enablement systems like game lobbies and communication tools are non-existent. This in itself is not the issue, especially given the inexperience and the small size of the development team but it does point to some larger problems.

    The Ugly: Communications between the developers and the community have broken down badly in the last six months, with major backpedals on design decisions being very poorly managed. The flow of information between the developers and community is uneven and external sources, like the NGNG podcast and Twitter receive far more attention that the games frontpage or the forums. Recently highly restrictive moderation powers were updated and are being enforced, often developers will openly troll community members posting well thought out and reasoned responses. This is probably symptomatic of two things:

    1) The developers are brutally overworked, and have been for some time. They simply cannot be responsible for managing the communities expectations because they are so flat out and behind schedule. The recent 'Launch' trailer hosted by the official Mechwarrior youtube channel, is actually fan made and includes footage from over a year ago, also gameplay that is not planned to exist for at least two years.

    2) The investors are pushing to grow the game in a particular way and the producers are enforcing that vision, at the expense of both the developers and the community. Often we see certain Mech's released (at high cost) along with meta changes that make them very attractive, only to be superseded by others a few months down the line. This feels like a cashgrab because it is, especially given that any mech you buy might not work in a weeks time.    … Expand
  4. Shael
    Sep 18, 2013
    5
    I wont give this game a 0 score or a 10 score.

    Overall the game play as it currently is decent. The graphics are beautiful, the mech designs and artwork are amazing. There are unfortunately many major issues of this game: 1. Hit Registration is atrocious and PGI have been trying to fix this for over 6 months and still hasn’t been fixed. At times you can poor multiple shots onto a    I wont give this game a 0 score or a 10 score.

    Overall the game play as it currently is decent. The graphics are beautiful, the mech designs and artwork are amazing.

    There are unfortunately many major issues of this game:
    1. Hit Registration is atrocious and PGI have been trying to fix this for over 6 months and still hasn’t been fixed. At times you can poor multiple shots onto a mech and do minimal damage i.e. Ravens, Spiders or you can shoot at a mech aiming for an arm/ leg side torso and core out the mech stupidly fast i.e. Awesome’s, Dragons and then finally there are mechs that just wont die i.e. Zombie Centurion (its nicknamed the Zombie for a reason)
    2. The bi monthly patches release new mechs, fix bugs and "fine tune" the game play and mechanics.
    a. Unfortunately after each patch, more bugs show up, weapon balancing is at times hit and miss and can break a previous good weapon I.E. Gauss Rifle shot delay.
    3. "Ghost Heat" that has been implemented to stop the "high alpha" builds which has been poorly implemented,
    a. "cannon" mechs like the Hunchback HBK-4p which are designed to Boat Lasers or the Awesome AWS-88 which was designed to Boat PPC's cannot do so due to the Ghost Heat Penalty.
    4. Every patch there is another tweak to the weapons heat that can break a previously good mech configuration.
    a. Shooting delay on the Gauss Rifle is the latest “fix” that has in my opinion broken the weapon.

    GAMEPLAY:
    When it comes to game play, well it’s pretty damn boring now.
    1. It’s the same two game modes that have been available for almost a year i.e.
    a. “Team Death Match” or “Conquest which usually results in “Team Death match” anyway,.
    2. There is no Community Warfare or Role Warfare and while it has been stated information is forthcoming, many older players in the community have heard this too many times before.
    3. New maps get released but you cannot choose which map to play on and at times you can get the same map 10- 20 times in an evening with maybe a couple of different maps thrown in.

    For a new player running a trial mech coming into these sort of battles is going to leave a very sour taste in your mouth as you won’t survive for very long.
    • The only way to get anywhere in the Game is grind out the CBills to buy a semi decent mech and just keep grinding (if you can manage to do this as a PUG congratulations because it is very tough),
    • The alternative is to your fork out real money “MC” to buy a better mech or a hero Mech. This isn’t “Pay to win?”
    • Or join a organised unit so they can help you improve and help your survivability and win/loss ration

    Most games now degenerate into sniping battles and this meta has been prevalent for over 6 months in MWO (Why “ghost Heat” was introduced to attempt to combat this)
    • You will find the majority of the experienced players running almost exactly the same builds across different mech chassis as the weapon load out is the only way to win i.e.
    • 2 x PPC/ERPPC and Gauss rifle or
    • Triple UAC 5 mechs, or
    • DUAL AC20 Mechs.... you get the picture.

    The learning curve for new players is atrocious, the new movement tutorial barely even touches what a new player needs to learn to pilot a Mech effectively.
    There are no tutorials on Weapons, mech configuration customization as yet.

    Overall I do love this game and I want it to succeed but at this moment in time the game is not even “polished” in my opinion and does nothing to help the new players in learning the game and also does not provide any substance for the competitive players who need more that a “Big Stompy robot Shooter” .

    In closing the game is not a MechWarrior Simulation, there is no substance to the game currently and there are major technical issues with the game itself and in my opinion the development of the game.
    So I will be watching and waiting over the next three months to see if a lot of the current issues are fixed with DX11, UI2.0 and Community Warfare as it has been stated they should be released over the next three months but i don’t have any hope of this time frame being stuck too.

    Play and enjoy the game but don’t expect too much from it.    … Expand
  5. MrBlonde
    Sep 19, 2013
    5
    I am a hardcore BT fan, and have waited long for a game like this. I find the graphics to be excellent and gameplay to be pretty decent, there are issues but nothing not fixable. The downsides...numerous missed deadlines for content, namely Community Warfare, which should be the heart of the game. Also, the 3rd person view issue was badly mishandled, and the community was in my opinionI am a hardcore BT fan, and have waited long for a game like this. I find the graphics to be excellent and gameplay to be pretty decent, there are issues but nothing not fixable. The downsides...numerous missed deadlines for content, namely Community Warfare, which should be the heart of the game. Also, the 3rd person view issue was badly mishandled, and the community was in my opinion disrespected by the developers (that probably went both ways). Hopefully the addition of Community Warfare will cause former players to give it a second look. That should be priorities #1,2, and 3 for the developers until complete. It should have pushed all other new features (ahem...3rd person...) to the back burner until completed. Everything else is irrelevant without it, although still fun to play.… Expand
  6. bobthebomb
    Sep 25, 2013
    5
    This is mechwarrior so this is a good game !!

    But on the other hand we have no game room, no matchmaking, no way to balance different mech (no battle value, no tonnage), no visibility of your level (ELO, rating..) In itself the game is not bad, but the way we play it is terrible "Click the play button and hope you be in a good game". 30% of time you get pug stomped, 30% of time you    This is mechwarrior so this is a good game !!

    But on the other hand we have no game room, no matchmaking, no way to balance different mech (no battle value, no tonnage), no visibility of your level (ELO, rating..)

    In itself the game is not bad, but the way we play it is terrible "Click the play button and hope you be in a good game". 30% of time you get pug stomped, 30% of time you pug stomp, 30% of time you get a 900 tons vs 700 tons battles, 10% of time you get a good game.

    12vs12 game are terrible, and are forced, it's impossible to challenge an enemy lance to do a 4vs4 vs friend....heck we don't even have chatroom "Do you really want chat rooms?" ;)

    It's a good game but very far from completion, it's only alive because of the battletech fan base.    … Expand
  7. gavilatius
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    yes, for this I shall use my real username, "Gavilatius"

    lets start with a 5, that's middle ground for any game, now let's do the math +1 for Mechwarrior being brought to the masses (6) +1 for Alex Iglesias being such a great artist (7) +1 for a great community full of great artists and players (8) -1 for the lackluster mechanics (7) -1 for the lackluster launch (6) -1 for a    yes, for this I shall use my real username, "Gavilatius"

    lets start with a 5, that's middle ground for any game, now let's do the math

    +1 for Mechwarrior being brought to the masses (6)
    +1 for Alex Iglesias being such a great artist (7)
    +1 for a great community full of great artists and players (8)
    -1 for the lackluster mechanics (7)
    -1 for the lackluster launch (6)
    -1 for a DevTeam that doesn't listen to the community (5)
    -1 for their lack of community created content (4)
    -1 for the lack of vision in PGI (3)
    -1 for the lack of drive from PGI (2)
    -1 for the lack of responsibility from PGI (1)
    +1 for their great IT department (2)
    +1 for their wonderful customer support (2)
    -1 for a clunky game User Interface (2)
    -1 for a horrible netcode (1)
    -1 for missing mechanics (0)
    -1 for cashgrab "hero mechs" (-1)
    -1 for the extreme censorship in both their forums and in game(-2)
    -1 for the blatant disregard for the Battletech Franshise (-3)
    -1 for Community Warfare turning into a color coded progress bar (-4)
    -1 for lack of gameplay diversity (-5)
    -1 because it's unfriendly to new players (-6)
    +5 because of the Atlas... Atlas (-1)
    +6 because I'm trying to dig up some nostalgia towards Mechwarrior (5)

    yeah... the last 11 points added to MWO's score is because of it's legacy... you heard me, the only reason I'm giving any points is because of the games that came before it.    … Expand
  8. JoachVil
    Sep 20, 2013
    5
    Faction warfare nowhere in sight at launch (despite it being a "design pillar" from day 1). Small selection of maps, and very unimaginative game modes.

    Incredibly poor communication between devs and the community. Hostility from the company president towards fans who were critical of his design decisions...

    Give it a pass. it just isn't worth committing cash into at this stage.
  9. BlastrMastr
    Sep 18, 2013
    5
    MechWarrior Online brings BattleTech back to the forefront of digital gaming once again.
    Anyone familiar with the series will recognize much of the content here.
    Pros: 1)Battlefield simulation is excellent. 2)Player versus Player is satisfying. 3)Graphics are very good. 4)No expenditure required to play! 5)Multiplayer appears to be fairly well balanced at the moment, although many    MechWarrior Online brings BattleTech back to the forefront of digital gaming once again.
    Anyone familiar with the series will recognize much of the content here.

    Pros:
    1)Battlefield simulation is excellent.
    2)Player versus Player is satisfying.
    3)Graphics are very good.
    4)No expenditure required to play!
    5)Multiplayer appears to be fairly well balanced at the moment, although many players will dispute this.
    6)Lots of vanity items, paint jobs, and camouflage available for players who are willing to spend real $$.
    7)"Hero" 'Mechs available for real $$.

    Cons:
    1)Aside from the beginners' "cadet" bonus, which grants new players a boon for their first 25 matches, the game is largely a grind, at least for the first ~30 hours of gameplay. This is due to the nature of the billing. It's "Free to Play", so there's got to be a strong incentive for players to purchase MechWarrior Credits(MC) in order to shortcut much of the game's more boring content.
    2)The learning curve for players new to the MechWarrior universe is very steep. There is a tutorial, but it does not explain anything beyond basic battlefield movement at this time.
    3)The 'Mech Lab, which is where players customize their 'Mechs, is unforgiving, at best. Most changes result in high CBill(in-game currency) penalties, and tinkering with new load outs in-game simply isn't feasible for newer players, who are the ones most likely to be experimenting to find their preferred 'Mech and load out. Testing a load out requires the player to purchase all the modifications they want to test, and then take the new load out into the "Testing Grounds". Most players will find they are better off tinkering in a 3rd party 'Mech Lab known as Smurfy's; a player created 'Mech Lab simulator which accurately displays custom load outs along with cost-to-own in CBills. Unfortunately, there is currently no way for players to experiment with any custom load out in-game without grinding out the CBills necessary to buy it, or injecting some MC into their account, straight from their wallet. The only other option for players to run in 'Mechs they don't own is a set of four Trial 'Mechs, which change regularly, and typically are not worth piloting, because most of them do not make optimal use of the options available to them.
    4)The real money aspect at this point does, unfortunately, still have "Pay-to-Win" aspects to it. Battlefield consumables like CoolShot, and Artillery Strikes are available for purchase for CBills(not real money equivalent), and each one has a bigger, badder cousin which is purchasable for MC(real money equivalent). This equates to consistent bonus damage for the player who can throw the most money at the game, which pretty much defines "Pay-to-Win".
    5)Another grind aspect entirely, the Pilot Lab allows pilots to spend accumulated per-chassis Exp, and General Exp on perks. Some perks only affect specific 'Mech variants, and some affect all. Players can convert excess per-chassis Exp into GXP for a small MC(real money equivalent) fee. Otherwise, new players have only another long grind to look forward to before they become truly competitive with other players. The only saving grace is that the CBill grind and the Exp grind can be completed simultaneously.

    All in all, while the game has solid multiplayer offerings, the in-game menu and the system put together for modifying and testing new 'Mechs is clumsy and unforgiving. If User Interface 2.0 proves to be what the developers are saying it will be, I would wait to spend any money on this game at least until we see what that brings.

    Also, as of this writing, one of the core features of the game, known as Community Warfare has still not been implemented. Presumably, this will bring the game to a whole new level, but again, I'd wait to spend money on this game until the planned features prove to be worth it.    … Expand
  10. Boyinleaves
    Sep 18, 2013
    5
    I have never bothered writing a review on Metacritic before, because I've never beofe cared enough about a game to bother. However, I care enough about Mechwarrior Online(MWO) to make a statement, so take it as you will.

    MWO has amazing potential. It derives from source material with a wealth of history, a long and iterative development process, and a bunch of tie ins, and it enjoys a    I have never bothered writing a review on Metacritic before, because I've never beofe cared enough about a game to bother. However, I care enough about Mechwarrior Online(MWO) to make a statement, so take it as you will.

    MWO has amazing potential. It derives from source material with a wealth of history, a long and iterative development process, and a bunch of tie ins, and it enjoys a decently sized (though not huge) but very dedicated fanbase. Anyone attempting to reboot the franchise was almost guaranteed success, if they could just recapture some of the magic of previous titles, and give even only the long-time fans what was wanted.

    MWO could have been amazing (at launch, today, September 17th). Sadly, after nearly 2 years of 'BETA', the game looks to be a long way from the promised magic that led its founders to pledge $5,000,000 or more to its development, and myself to spend more on it than any other game in my life (almost $500 in the last 5 months). It could still be amazing, but it lacks most of the features that are standard in most multiplayer games, such as player lobbies and competitive brackets.

    It has a steep learning curve, and though it can be played sufficiently well without even spending a cent on it, new players will feel that MWO is somewhat unapproachable if they do not already have a vested interest in playing it, due to a love of the IP or friends that already play.

    Given that I absolutely love the franchise, I would simply encourage people to go and play it, and spend money on it, in the hope that more money would fuel more development, and thus make the game better, but unfortunately, the developers/publishers do not seem to have any insight as to what they should do to improve the game, so I don't think more money would actually help.

    MWO is not terrible, and given that it costs nothing, I can't score it too badly. There is just not enough there to make it worth investing any time or money into it at the moment, and the developer's track record wouldn't give anyone any faith that it will get better. Take it for what it's worth.

    Sorry guys.    … Expand
  11. Thatdamngamer
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    Ok lets see where to begin.
    Promises of no 3PV..Lies
    Promises of no Coolant Flushes...Lies
    Community Warfare (unless you count actual warfare on your community)
    Horrible Hit Detection
    Ghost Heat
    UI 2.0
    Russ's half assed apology
    Unkillable Spiders
    2 game modes
  12. StandingCow
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    Look, the game is fun, and since it is a F2P title (without P2W in it, thank god) you should at least give it a try. But let me make one thing very clear, it is NOT ready to come out of beta, not by a long shot.
  13. Typhoon2142
    Sep 18, 2013
    7
    PGI made alot of promises that they didn't keep. The game is still beta, despite their efforts to make it look like a full release. Finally the chat is working. Can you imagine? For many months, it was not possible to chat properly in this game, because some words were cut off. Now they fixed it. And that's the best thing about the launch. A proper chat. I wonder how long they will try toPGI made alot of promises that they didn't keep. The game is still beta, despite their efforts to make it look like a full release. Finally the chat is working. Can you imagine? For many months, it was not possible to chat properly in this game, because some words were cut off. Now they fixed it. And that's the best thing about the launch. A proper chat. I wonder how long they will try to fool their customers. The game is pretty nice for a beta, that's why I still give it 4 points, but it gets boring real quick. Not enough weapons and tools to give the game real depth and only two game modes make MWO pretty dull after a while.… Expand
  14. AGNJoe
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    I wanted to write this review of MechWarrior: Online so that the viewing public could see this game for what it really is.

    I gave this game a 5/10, but I want to state that while this is a low score for the game and it's creators at Piranha Games Inc., I want to state factual evidence, both good and bad, to be fair and unbiased. On the plus side, this is the first MechWarrior title    I wanted to write this review of MechWarrior: Online so that the viewing public could see this game for what it really is.

    I gave this game a 5/10, but I want to state that while this is a low score for the game and it's creators at Piranha Games Inc., I want to state factual evidence, both good and bad, to be fair and unbiased.

    On the plus side, this is the first MechWarrior title online in over 10 years, and it's good to see this back in play. Graphicially, the game is a decent improvement to the last MechWarrior title, but that's not saying too much here because this is supposed to use the CryEngine 3.4, and technically the graphics could go up to DX11 standards. However the developers have failed to add in the DX11 graphics update yet, the first of many failed promises that they were supposed to have upon game launch date and failed to deliver today.

    PC Gamer had featured a review of this back in Fall of 2012, in which the developers had stated many additions to the game, like different game modes that were to be featured, Community Warfare, a new user interface called UI 2.0, information warfare, DirectX 11 graphics, and the game's commitment to making this a 1PV game only system.
    Since that time, they introduced Coolant shots, which many people didn't want. They introduced a 3PV system, which they at first had said would never be introduced, then they said they were considering adding 3PV but only for the Training Tutorial, then they changed it again and said that they would introduce 3PV into the game itself but that 1PV player games and 3PV player games would as separate playing queues and that people wanting to play 1PV would never have to play with people wanting to play 3PV players, and then they MIXED them together anyways, and then said that 1PV player only queues were to be scrapped. It was only because the game playing community on their forums had blown up in an overwhelming negative forum response did they concede and as of today you can now play a 1PV only environment, but ONLY if you are on a team of you and 11 other friends in a 12 man formed team.

    Also, because the game has launched today, there is NO:

    Community Warfare
    Information Warfare
    DX11 graphics
    UI 2.0
    collision mechanic system
    MASC (a sort of nitrous like system to increase movement speed for some mechs)
    The Clans (which should have been out already)
    salvage based system to salvage parts
    Repairing and Rearming your mechs

    Now to be fair, PGI has said that they will in the future, add these and many other features over the course of the coming months and commit to new material being added, such as new maps, and new game features (Solaris style arena based combat), and new mechs. As to when that will all happen? Who knows?

    The major overlying problem however is not the game. It's the people making the game, which is Piranha Games Inc. (PGI) and their game publisher, Infinite Games Publishing (IGP). PGI's staff is very small and takes an extremely long time to put out anything and their balancing procedures is to balance the game from a "bottom first on down" system which is opposite from what all other game MMO creators have done, which they normally balance a game from the "Top first on down" in which they balance the game from what the top players are using to properly balance the game, so as to make the game more fair and balanced so that certain weapons are balanced for what they are being used by the top players. Not PGI, however, and it's caused some terrible balancing issues. On top of that, PGI never asked for the Crytek people who created the CryEngine system for help, which has further caused problems, ones that could have solved coding issues for PGI months ago, but never did, which boggles this reviewer. Why? To save money? Isn't the quality of this game more important?
    On top of this is IGP. Rumors have been flying in from some of the developers (who have asked not to be named and kept anonymous) that the Sept. 17th date was rushed because IGP had kept pushing for a launch date so they could say PGI's product is considered as "stable and playable" yet PGI has still had bug issues with the game being stable, and many of the promised features that they said would be included at game launch were put off after launch date. Why? This reviewer suspects that IGP wanted this pushed early so that they could make MONEY, and say it was a viable released product.

    In the end, I have been a Closed Beta tester of this game since June of 2012. Has PGI done some good things with the game? The answer is mixed. I am happy of the rebirth of MechWarrior as a MMO game, and the game is playable, but the constant broken promises PGI has given the community over and over has left a terrible taste in the game community's mouth, and IGP has done nothing to help the situation.

    One can only hope that MW: O can last long enough to recover and turn things around for the better, if they are around long enough to do so.    … Expand
  15. Khobai
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    The good: MWO is free to play and fun when played in moderation. The mechs look great, the weapons look and sound great, and the mech combat is truly convincing.

    The bad: MWO lacks the immersion factor of previous mechwarrior titles. The gamemodes are boring and make no sense. The game lacks the compulsory ambient/techno/industrial soundtrack of other mechwarrior games. Game is also    The good: MWO is free to play and fun when played in moderation. The mechs look great, the weapons look and sound great, and the mech combat is truly convincing.

    The bad: MWO lacks the immersion factor of previous mechwarrior titles. The gamemodes are boring and make no sense. The game lacks the compulsory ambient/techno/industrial soundtrack of other mechwarrior games. Game is also plagued with balance issues and devs making false promises. Anyone looking for something "more" than just a barebones game isnt going to find it.    … Expand
  16. chiXu
    Sep 18, 2013
    5
    If I was to judge a game purely, in this case, the 5-15 minutes you're sitting down and playing an actual match I'd likely be scoring higher than I am in this review. Anyone that knows anything about this incarnation of a Mechwarrior game will know, however, that there is a lot more to this game than those scant minutes and those are the areas where I feel it starts to fall short.

    On    If I was to judge a game purely, in this case, the 5-15 minutes you're sitting down and playing an actual match I'd likely be scoring higher than I am in this review. Anyone that knows anything about this incarnation of a Mechwarrior game will know, however, that there is a lot more to this game than those scant minutes and those are the areas where I feel it starts to fall short.

    On the face of things, my personal experience has been fairly bug free with minimal crashes and or technical issues. The graphics are pleasant without being too colourful to take away from the grim reality of mech combat and future war on such a destructive scale. For a game that is still optimizing the technical aspects of its graphics setup, notably the current lack of DX11, that's one of the better points.

    The 'mech combat and the matches themselves, when judged match to match, are an enjoyable experience for the most part. A personal grievance of mine, coming from a history of competitive twitch shooters, are the various hit registration lag related issues that have a tendency to rear their ugly head. Playing on state-side servers from the depths of Sweden obviously isn't a great help but, when European servers are finally introduced I'm hopeful that those issues will largely be alleviated. There's nothing more frustrating than watching missiles or shells explode against the armor of a 'mech that's right up in your face only to note that they don't take damage. It's an unfortunate drawback to what is otherwise an experience one might be willing to invest, not only time, but real life money into developing.

    There's various niche's and "meta's" that pop up in terms of the gameplay; jump sniping, high-alpha builds, missile spam etc. but to anyone with enough experience and ability they're not problems that could be classified as game-breakers, nor do I believe any of the methods employed to deal with could be classified as the same.

    The game isn't new-player friendly. For a person coming to it without prior experience of Battletech Mechwarrior or friends that are currently playing and can advise, there are a lot of elements to know which simply aren't documented. The simplest form of a tutorial has basic information regarding movement and weapons fire but there's so much more going on that it's simple a pre-face to what needs to be covered, and what isn't covered. As such, unless a person is willing to delve into the forums and pull as much as possible from numerous different topics and posts, a new-player experience could be a trying and lengthy process. Something of a stipend is in place, however, the first 20 or so games on a new account garnering increased credits to help get a person into a 'mech of their own (The process until that point being a new player uses one of 4 rotated 'mechs called trial mechs which cannot be customized).

    If I was only coming to this game now and had no prior experience of it, my scoring would be higher, of that I have no doubt. My issues, however, come from having played the game since the early days of closed Beta. This doesn't warrant me to any extra attention, I don't claim to know better than anyone else or say my experience is greater than the next guys, I'm speaking purely from what I have personally experienced and what I view to be the shortcomings of the game and why I score it 5/10.

    Once the appeal and glitter of a new, 'mech based shooter is gone, the game very quickly becomes very "samey". What I mean by this is that, due in large to a stale metagame, limited game-modes and a slow development cycle on maps, one game quickly begins to feel like the next which feels like the next and there's very little sense of progressing in any meaningful direction.

    Meta-game end-game is a big deal in games nowadays, to give them life and continuity and in Mechwarrior Online the primary method for offering this is Community Warfare.

    Community Warfare was first slated for release late 2012, then January 2013 then spring and then the official Sept. 17th release and has consistently been pushed back further and further. I believe at the latest mention it was said to have the first stage (Choosing a faction or something similar, it won't effect gameplay or much else other than that until, I believe, stage 2) hopefully landing in November. For anyone that's been playing since April May 2012 this wait has long since passed the point of reasonable acceptance. One of the key reasons I was able to continue playing as much as I did, personally, was that I always had the feeling that community warfare was "just around the corner".

    Similar things have happened with the promise of a new UI and maps and gamemodes gametypes, all of which is pushed back as the developers try and deal with numerous bugs and issues. One can't help but feel PGI has bitten off more than they can chew.

    My rating; 5/10 with the potential to becoming 8/10 or higher when those key features arrive.    … Expand
  17. MustrumRiduclly
    Sep 18, 2013
    5
    Mechwarrior Online is the newest title in the series of Mechwarrior games. It is a Free To Play Game. Unlike its predecssors, it is a pure online PvP game. There is no campaign or story node and no Player vs Enemey combats.
    As a mechwarrior game, it is based on the Battletech Table Top game and as a mechwarrior title, it puts you in the position of the pilot of a mighty, heavily armed and    Mechwarrior Online is the newest title in the series of Mechwarrior games. It is a Free To Play Game. Unlike its predecssors, it is a pure online PvP game. There is no campaign or story node and no Player vs Enemey combats.
    As a mechwarrior game, it is based on the Battletech Table Top game and as a mechwarrior title, it puts you in the position of the pilot of a mighty, heavily armed and armoured war machine fighting together with 11 team mates against 12 others. In the Mechwarrior business, we like to call this "Big Stompy Robot Fights".

    = Gameplay =
    The gameplay is a mix of an FPS (now also with 3PV camera drone mode) and (walking) tank simulator. The controls are on the more complex side of things. You can twist your torso (similar to a tank's turret) seperately from your legs, and you can also move your arms seperately. Mechs consist of multiple hit locations (like Center Torso, Left Rear Torso, Right Arm etc) with seperate hit points for each location, and each location containing items that will be lost if the hit location is destroyed. The mechs are customizable to some extent in their weapon loadout, armor distrubtion, engine and other equipment, and each mech comes in multiple variants with slight diffferentiation in model or possible loadouts.
    You queue up for a match alone or with friends, and the match-maker tries to pit two equally strong 12 man teams against each other on a randomly selected map and with a randomly selected game mode.
    There is currently no lobby feature, though there is one announced for the future.

    = Character Advancement =
    For each match you pla you earn C-Bills and XP depending on your performance (kills, assists, spotting, win/loss). You spend C-Bills to buy mechs, weapons or other equipment, and you can use XP to unlock mech efficiencies (passive buffs to mech stats, like torso twist range or maximum heat threshold before shutdown) and modules (slottable buffs or even active abilities). You start the game only with access to trial mechs, which cannot be customized. You earn bonus C-Bills for the first 25 matches so you can afford your own mech soon.
    Overall, the advancement is relatively slow and shallow. The mech efficiencies are the same for every mech, there is only a small number of modules, and if you want to gain all mech efficiencies for a mech, you also have to buy variants of the same mech.

    = Long Term Motivation and Metagame =
    When the title was announced, community warfare was intended to act as metagame and provide long-term motivation. Community Warfare means you fight for a faction (be it as part of it, as a merc corp, or as a lone wolf) and gain or lose territory for that faction, and earn loyality.
    This feature is not implemented yet, so currently, there is very little long term motivations or metagame.
    Without any lobbies, there is no easy way to organize player-run tournaments or leagues, though that hasn't stopped players from trying.

    = Game Balance =
    Being a PvP only title, balance becomes a naturally important topic to players. Without game balance, the many mech build choices are quickly narrowed down to the few good options, and the overall enjoyment drops due to lack of variety and surprises. Be warned that this is one of my "favorite" topics and I might be the least subjective here.
    The game balance is still not in a good state.
    Some of the problems arose from underlying systems.
    The heat system (a core component of any Battletech derived game) effectively makes balancing weapon stats much more difficult. The stats for weapons come basically from a game that worked very differently, and so it just won't fit together well. Mech armor values are derived from the table top game, too, ignoring that there is a big difference between randomly rolled hit locaitons and mouse-aimed hit locations (with all FPS typically conceits added in).
    There are also technical issues that affect game balance, like the hit detection still not being reliable (sometimes dependent on mech models) and imbalanced hit box sizes.
    Personally I am having the impression (impression fact) that the development team is not prepared to analyize their own game design well enough, and are also a bit unwilling to accept critique or change certain systems due to their own emotional investment in them. (As I said, this part will be very subjective. Make up your own mind, if you're interested enough in the game.)

    = Advice =
    If you like stompy robot fights, or a battletech fan, check the game out. But the current game is not really worthy a released title, lacking too many features and still having too many shortcomings. There have been many delays and changes of stated goals (some might speak of broken promises and lies).
    I'd carefully consider spending any money on the game in its current state.
    Rating is 5/10. It might improve with future features, depending on their quality. (+1.5 for Community Warfare, +1.5 for Balance, +1 for game modes and +1 for advancement)    … Expand
  18. Erasus
    Sep 18, 2013
    5
    Hi there,

    I am playing the game since closed beta (yes i am a founder) and have roughly 5000 games under my belt. This is my honest opinion about MechWarrior: Online so far: Tech aspects: The Graphics seem to become worse and worse, graphics are sub par, given that this game is using the astonishing good looking Cryengine 3. The game is heavily CPU bound, because it still uses    Hi there,

    I am playing the game since closed beta (yes i am a founder) and have roughly 5000 games under my belt.

    This is my honest opinion about MechWarrior: Online so far:

    Tech aspects:

    The Graphics seem to become worse and worse, graphics are sub par, given that this game is using the astonishing good looking Cryengine 3.
    The game is heavily CPU bound, because it still uses the dated DirectX9 API.
    So if you have an "old" AMD 4 core Processor with 3,8ghz (like i have) and a top of the line graphics card (which should do the brunt of the computing), you will be able to play MWO only at medium graphics settings at HD resolution, with FPS breakdowns under the 25 FPS mark on heavy fights.
    This might change when PGI reintroduces DX11, but as of now they did not deliver and graphics and performance are mediocre at best.

    Netcode issues are plaguing the game since its closed beta days, which were fixed at one time, but then the game made a few steps back and that pretty much sums up the games current state.

    The mech models however are beautiful! From the art standpoint this game elevates the BattleTech franchise to a whole new level.
    For the most part the maps are very well done, too.

    Gameplay:
    Like any other Mechwarrior game, you are sitting in a giant robot and control the mech either via jostick, joypad or Keyboard/mouse.
    The movement pattern is that of tanks in recent tank games like world of tanks (thats a lot of tanks in one sentece!) and requires the unfamiliar getting used to.
    The newly introduced third person view helps with that.

    The gameplay itself is pretty straight forward and a lot of fun in the beginning: you pick your mech, drop in matches, and get experience and money for every game you finish. Of course, wins gain more money and xp as losses.
    With the money you then customize your mech to your likings and with the XP you incrase the efficiency of the mechs` systems.
    But it only carries the game that far. Your drop in, end the game upgrade your mech and repeat until your mech is tricked out, then you take another mech and do it all again, which is the whole meta game MWO currently has to offer.

    By now, the game was promised to have a meaningful metagame aka community warfare. But PGI did not deliver.
    The balance is not quite where it needs to be, but this is a rather moot point, given that even games out there that are almost a decade old struggle to accomplish a good balance.

    The price model of the current game is somewhere between solid and... "outlandish", to say it politely.
    For people that just want to accelerate XP earnings, PGi offers a reasonable price model, however, If you are a collector, this game will eat you alive, because the game itself is free to play, but in order to have everything, you will have to pay literally thousands of dollars. And the game is just out of Beta!

    The frequency in which the game is patched is solid, the patches, for the most part are not, fixing bugs and introducing other, more severe bugs is more or less the rule than the exception.

    The bottom line: This game is a solid game for casual drop ins, while offering no long term motivation

    The technological base is awesome, the implemetation of said base is lackluster at best.
    Prepare yourself that your gaming rig that runs Crysis 3 on VERY HIGH settings, to struggle with MWO on MEDIUM settings!

    Tis game is promising, but PGI has yet to deliver the key features of the game and up the performnce substantially to even be calles a really solid game that has reached GOLD status.
    At this point, this game is a good BETA game, but not a GOLD game .

    A lot could be said aboout the communication and service habits of PGI towards their customers, but i am here to review MWO, not PGI, right? So I leave it at this.    … Expand
  19. MwHighlander
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    Its been over a decade since the last official MechWarrior title has been released, so lets go over the pro's and con's of this one. Btw, its NOT pay to win.

    Pros: The artwork and renditions of many of the in-game 'Battlemechs' are fantastic and well done. The sound effects and visuals are quite good. Sadly, not as good as it could be. The game nothing like average FPS by a long shot,    Its been over a decade since the last official MechWarrior title has been released, so lets go over the pro's and con's of this one. Btw, its NOT pay to win.

    Pros: The artwork and renditions of many of the in-game 'Battlemechs' are fantastic and well done. The sound effects and visuals are quite good. Sadly, not as good as it could be. The game nothing like average FPS by a long shot, rewarding patients and tactics over raw firepower. Those who often perform the best in this "Action-Sim" are those who keep calm and their head down, taking full potential of opportunities as they present themselves. Those who are used to the "run and gun" style of game-play of the current over saturated marked be ware. This is the fastest way for you to find yourself at the wrong end of the enemy teams gun barrels. Tact and Teamwork is the key here you won't 'one man army' your way to victory.

    The Mechlab is what gives this game far, FAR more depth than any other current FPS out there today, including other mecha competition. It stands a step above games like HAWKEN, gameplay wise giving a much more indepth feel over piloting mecha and plenty of feel for scale. Many players find themselves in the mechlab trying to build that elusive "perfect mech" more than being in game itself.

    Cons: The game's development cycle is slow, has its fair share of bugs and is clearly going through several growing pains. So lets start off shall we?

    First is the learning curve. Those who are new to the FPS genre in general will find this game abysmally difficult. Many small things are needed to be learned to even become a 'sub-par' mech pilot. All things from learning the individual weapons, torso twisting, aiming, setting weapon groups, heat management, learning how to build "good" mechs in the mechlab, etc. Of course this comes from simply playing the game, but the game itself does not help at all.

    The "Trial Mech System" is the process in which players obtain their first mech, and ooh boy. Are these mechs fubar beyond belief. Although yes these mechs are based on "TRO's" (Tactical Read Outs) from the Table Top game MechWarrior was based on 25 years ago, these mechs do not translate well into a FPS environment. This has to do with many problems, such as low armor values, misplaced mech roles (some mechs are meant for Anti-Air or Anti-Infantry, neither of which are a part of the game), broken heat scale system (The Awesome Mech for instance, is useless because of artificial systems in placed to prevent it from doing its standard loadout of using large energy based weaponry) and so forth. The sooner the new player gets his "Cadet Bonus" and purchases his/her own mech the sooner. You also cannot customize the "Trial Mechs" which is half the game. Furthermore, in order to ask for help on the forums, you cannot post until you have completed your initial 25 games with this horrid system. You MUST drudge through the garbage before you effectively can start playing.

    The second problem is weapon/equipment balance in game. Simply put, there is none.
    LRMs (Long Range Missles) are fubar, don't use them
    SRMs (Short Range Missiles) have hit detection issues
    Pulse Lasers are Heavier, shorter range hotter crap versions of regular lasers. Don't use them
    The LB-10X autocannon does not work at all like it is supposed to in canon or like previous MechWarrior Titles. It is also the most expensive weapon in the game. Don't waste your precious C-Bills on it and don't use it. Just take my word for it, its bad.
    Machine Guns are completely ineffective against armored mechs. Armored mechs are the only enemies you have in the game. See where I'm going with this?
    Flamers, see above.
    Autocanon 2's are too puny, heavy and run hot. They are only effective in LARGE groups, and even then are penalized by a system called "Ghost Heat". They are bad and the game punishes you from trying to use them effectively. So don't use them at all.
    ECM, this broken peice of equipment makes you immune to lock-on missiles! Yes, its as broken as it sounds, it also does not follow what its supposed to do canon wise.
    BAP, hard counters ECM and has no other purpose. Also does not follow canon rules what so ever
    Command Console, does nothing!
    NARC Beacon, is broken and weighs ALOT. So, effectively also does nothing!
    Streak SRM2's, have the same lock on mechanic as LRMs, so there is a bug where the "Artemis Upgrade" also benefits them with literally no tonnage/crit cost!
    3rd Person View, Turn it on to see enemies around hills then turn it back off to fight! Its like its own build in wall hack!
    C-Bill grind! This is the games in-money system, and you will earn almost nothing after the cadet bonus finishes, because the Devs think we earn too many!

    Lastly, No collisions, no lobbies, horrid chat system, game crashes, no DFA, no alt. ammo types, Horrible frame rates, no eye candy, no destrucable enviorments, no Dx11, bad game modes, TINY MAPS, etc.

    Enjoy    … Expand
  20. Propofol
    Sep 18, 2013
    5
    Long time fan of tabletop Battletech, Battletech MU**'s and Mechwarrior series of PC games. Would gladly pour money into this game if there was some sense of purpose to it. The game itself is beautiful (and I don't have a high end PC) and you get the sense that you really are piloting one of those mechs. But it can get old quickly and I find myself having more fun playing Minecraft. ILong time fan of tabletop Battletech, Battletech MU**'s and Mechwarrior series of PC games. Would gladly pour money into this game if there was some sense of purpose to it. The game itself is beautiful (and I don't have a high end PC) and you get the sense that you really are piloting one of those mechs. But it can get old quickly and I find myself having more fun playing Minecraft. I really want to like this game....I really do....Heck I'd even pay a monthly sub if I felt it were worth it.....… Expand
  21. Lakota_Wolf
    Sep 18, 2013
    5
    Overall the game itself isn't horrible. I look at the launch and consider it to be the worst launch of any game in recent history though. The one thing in this game that is really bad, the player base. I have never seen so many hateful minds in one location in my entire gaming history. The game itself has a good balance of mechs to choose from, the maps look really good, and as with allOverall the game itself isn't horrible. I look at the launch and consider it to be the worst launch of any game in recent history though. The one thing in this game that is really bad, the player base. I have never seen so many hateful minds in one location in my entire gaming history. The game itself has a good balance of mechs to choose from, the maps look really good, and as with all online games balancing weapons seems to be in constant flux. I have seen a lot of people complain but I'm having fun with this game, to me that's the bottom line.… Expand
  22. TheCheese
    Sep 18, 2013
    5
    Positives:
    - Looks beautiful.
    - Captures the 'hulking war machine' feeling well. - 'Mechbay' customisation system gives players a lot of options for influencing how they want to play. - Free to play. Option to try it before you buy anything. - Not pay-to-win. Anything that's available for real money (or something that is functionally equivalent) is available for in-game currency.    Positives:
    - Looks beautiful.
    - Captures the 'hulking war machine' feeling well.
    - 'Mechbay' customisation system gives players a lot of options for influencing how they want to play.
    - Free to play. Option to try it before you buy anything.
    - Not pay-to-win. Anything that's available for real money (or something that is functionally equivalent) is available for in-game currency. Nothing that is real-money-only gives any distinct advantage.

    Negatives:
    - Lacks communication options appropriate for the game type. I.e, there is only text chat and a minimalist commander interface.
    - There are currently only two game types and matches tend to play out the same way. I.e, destroy the opposition.
    - Very limited social system.
    - No long-term goal. There is the in-combat game, but no greater objectives (think; PlanetSide 2's territory capture system)
    - Intermittent hit detection issues (shooting at your target and occasionally not registering a hit) can make for a frustrating experience.
    - New-player experience is rough. There is little in the way of instruction or explanation of how things work in-game. The first few matches will likely be spent in spectator view.

    Overview:
    In it's current state, MW:O has a strong base in it's in-combat gameplay and personal customisation options, however the game's replayability factor suffers from the lack of any long-term goal and the few game types available. Also, although the game is advertised as an MMO, the poor communication and social systems can make the game a lonely experience unless you turn to the community-run voice chat services.

    An important thing to note is that the game is free to play, so there's little to be lost by trying it out for yourself.    … Expand
  23. Lukoi
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    Ok, so unlike alot of reviews here I'm not going to discuss the progression of this game since Closed Beta, through Open Beta to today. Today is what matters, as the game has officially LAUNCHED.

    Video fx/Graphics (8): The artwork for the Mechs is fantastic. Even if you don't necessarily agree with the direction of the Art team or modeling of the Mechs, they still look well done and    Ok, so unlike alot of reviews here I'm not going to discuss the progression of this game since Closed Beta, through Open Beta to today. Today is what matters, as the game has officially LAUNCHED.

    Video fx/Graphics (8): The artwork for the Mechs is fantastic. Even if you don't necessarily agree with the direction of the Art team or modeling of the Mechs, they still look well done and attractive. Intimidating and lethal, they look much as any fan of the intellectual property of BattleTech might imagine. I deducted points here due to a lack of DX11 support (it's 2013 folks), some pixelated terrain that looks like a game from 2003 in places and some odd modeling mistakes. Overall, a great effort and all indications are this will get better.

    Audio (9): Again, barring some minor aesthitic disagreements, the sound effects are well done and the game sounds good during gameplay. Autocannons have a great bang/crunch mechanic, lasers sound vicious and explosions/getting hit add to the immersion.

    Immersion (5): This is where the video excellence and audio excellence fall short, in tandem with other things that are decidedly lacking. There's no musical backdrop to get you pumped up right before the matches start, no backround music of even immersive backround noises while you are in the Mechlab/game join screens. If I'm in some giant bay somewhere modifying a 60-ton warmachine, shouldn't there at least be some air-wrenches screaming or the sounds of metal clanging or SOMETHING besides pure silence when I'm in there? Missed opportunity there. Additionally, there's no tie to a back story within the game. If you're not already familiar with the IP, most of the game will mean nothing to you nor does the game give you any significant information in that respect.

    Backstory (0): PGI makes no effort to tie the grand-lore that sets this IP apart from any other "walking-tanks" battlesim and misses out hugely there. Hiring some writers or poaching directly from the novels/game books that are associated with the IP would make sense here, but there's no history at all. Just some forum links to community based websites (such as sarna.net) that are great efforts, but in no way as reach, or as accurate as actually being source material.

    Gameplay (7): Purely from a gameplay mechanics and fun aspect, I enjoy playing it BUT I've been playing it for months. The initial stings of playing through the learning curve are long past for me. I can enjoy the new Mechs as they are introduced immediately for their various strengths and weaknesses. I'm not sure its the same for new players.

    Balance (6): The game's archaic, ill-articulated math to balance weapons, armor, modules and other effects in the game lacks synergy. "Ghost-heat" mechanics that are not explained in the game anywhere effectively, combined with confusing additional rules for mobility make it hard for the player (who's not a constant forum archeologist) to dig up how to build his machines most effectively or even to guess how to do so. The weapons have some balance issues that are bound to be improved upon but are not intuitive to the player. The Mechs themselves as the platforms have some glaring optimal performers and some glaringly bad Mechs, with the majority in the comfortable middle. If all Mechs had useful roles, even if those roles were not purely combat related, that would improve their value immensely.

    Modes/Replayability (2): The game has two modes....assault, where teams can kill the enemy team or capture a slow-ticking objective on their opponents' side of the map or conquest, where teams can the enemy team or earn points by owning up to 5 slow-ticking objectives scattered between the two teams. There is nothing else to the game right now, no other modes. I hope this changes soon, but right now...horrible for a released game that advertises itself as a thinking-person's shooter and Mech combat sim.

    EndGame/Why play factor (2): Once the fun wears off in playing the same two modes, you're left with grinding new Mech chassis for the sake of collecting them. Something called "community warfare" has been discussed for quite sometime but its launch and there's still nothing. Without a driving reason to fight AND no lobby system that allows players to set up private matches that could be used in community driven leaque or planetary conquest leagues, you're literally just playing because you enjoy the shootem up portion or to make your collection larger.

    F2P factors: There's no penalty to P4F, as the "hero Mechs" don't represent a real leg up in any true sense, but it does cut into the grind ALOT to pay for premium time.

    Clarity (2): Outside of limited tool tips and the occasional pre-match tip on your screen, there's only ONE rather dinky tutorial. A PDF attached to the game that would show information on the ghost heat, mobility rules, some lore backround etc would help immensely.

    Hopeful the game will improve but not great so far.    … Expand
  24. Garamis
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    Just do some research on what this company says it is going to do and look at what has been accomplished after 2 years and several millions of its fan base's money.

    Aventurine (Darkfall) ring a bell here..... These two companies are so close in how they operate it is amazing.
  25. Gremlich
    Sep 19, 2013
    6
    With all of the problems the crytek3 engine has given PGI which has resulted in all but invincible Light mechs, poor hit box detection, a poor excuse for a UAV, totally forgotten pillar of Role Warfare (scouts anyone?), the lack of knowledge of what Information Warfare actually is or "how to do it" (ECM), no CW yet, no Lobbies, no combined arms aspect, mis-sized mechs, out of canonWith all of the problems the crytek3 engine has given PGI which has resulted in all but invincible Light mechs, poor hit box detection, a poor excuse for a UAV, totally forgotten pillar of Role Warfare (scouts anyone?), the lack of knowledge of what Information Warfare actually is or "how to do it" (ECM), no CW yet, no Lobbies, no combined arms aspect, mis-sized mechs, out of canon timeline mechs (the ECM SDR-7Kr for instance as a SDR-5 model), two game modes that are kinda like each other, win requirements that state both are required but only satisfying one will net you the win, DX9 STILL (I know not everyone has a computer that can handle DX11), and the sloppy way they have implemented some features and the constant bi-weekly money grab related patches (seriously, no mechbay with a hero/champion mech purchase!!), I would be hard pressed to grant anything above 6. To give an 8 is mucho generous. Even a 7 would have to be seriously debated.

    Poor community interaction has also not helped PGI at all and their obvious contempt even for the ones who made every reasonable attempt to provide constructive and useful feedback and solutions during the Beta phase is shameful.

    I would rather PGI have stayed in 3025 and worked on the IS milieu and balance for a while and taking the time know the game engine better and to develop and balance the Clans with the more accomplished gamers in the community as betas before bringing the Clans into the game. I think the Clan implementation/balance issues have PGI by the short hairs in their attempt to make mucho dinero way too quickly. A zero to 2 or a 10 would be very misdirected scores obviously intended to cancel each other out. Despicable tactic be honest guys, not full of rage one way or the other.

    It's all about the Benjamins, Baby! Be smart about how you try to take it.    … Expand
  26. ConnorSinclair
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    Review from Kong's Connor Sinclair,

    Mechwarrior online can only be described as snatching the failure out of the jaws of success. A mediocre game with lack luster content, random bugs and a balancing act that would terrify a gymnast. The game is patched together with DX9 fixes while awaiting a DX11 release, meaning MWO is a powder keg just waiting for a spark. The UI is a shoddy mess    Review from Kong's Connor Sinclair,

    Mechwarrior online can only be described as snatching the failure out of the jaws of success. A mediocre game with lack luster content, random bugs and a balancing act that would terrify a gymnast. The game is patched together with DX9 fixes while awaiting a DX11 release, meaning MWO is a powder keg just waiting for a spark.

    The UI is a shoddy mess from its Alpha, with little modification since then outside a single sound notification. Many of the maps have assets simply floating in the air or clipping through one another and some still suffer texture errors.

    The game defaults a control system more complex than previous game releases and often punishes new players. The games ranking system is invisible, preventing a player to see their standing, even worse it appears to not effect the games at all. New players are pitted against the best players, with the best equipment and their teams.

    The weapons range from either being useless or being glass cannons, completely destroying any competition. The developers themselves show a lack of empathy for their players and will often lay blame on them for their mistakes. The hit registration is the closest thing to fantasy magic that you will ever see in the real world, it either works or it doesn't. Often times firing a weapons at an enemy will result in no damage, throwing your ammo completely away.

    Enjoy a night of confusion frustration with mechwarrior online.    … Expand
  27. eta508
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    If you're an old timer, who doesn't remember the beloved PC Mechwarrior Games? While this game has been in development for almost a year and a half, and taking people's money during that whole time in beta, it's borderline criminal the state the game is in and how the developers have consistently missed deadlines, overstated intentions, and straight gone back on their word they promised toIf you're an old timer, who doesn't remember the beloved PC Mechwarrior Games? While this game has been in development for almost a year and a half, and taking people's money during that whole time in beta, it's borderline criminal the state the game is in and how the developers have consistently missed deadlines, overstated intentions, and straight gone back on their word they promised to the community.

    However, the real problem lies in that they are completely out of their league and element in designing a well-rounded game. A big portion of online games is weapon balance. They have failed miserably time and time again by instituting bandaid solutions to the problem instead of fixing the issues directly. They are completely guessing at balance by the HUGE swings in nerf/buff in weapons that go on constantly. If they are not incompetent in their balancing decisions then the only other answer lies in them wanting to spend your hardearned CBills (or real money MechWarrior Credits) on constantly revising the loadouts your mechs use (armor+engine+weapons+heatsink mix).

    There is simply no future in this game and will be die within a year.

    HOWEVER, the good news is the game is actually FUN and SATISFYING on a superficial level. While the graphics aren't great, they're passable. While the team play function is hit or miss, there are GEMS of games that are amazing.

    You'll think this is a great and fun game for a few months, but after a while, it's literally the same game then as it was one year ago. Make no mistake, it's worth playing, and you'll enjoy yourself for a time, but don't drop so much money it thinking you'll be playing forever. Support them for the month or two you play and consider yourself lucky.    … Expand
  28. BigBlue481
    Sep 18, 2013
    5
    No rational being can give this game an absolute top or absolute bottom score. That is the true problem, for all their effort PGI has turned out a mediocre game.
    As a “hardcore” MechWarrior player I will continue to play, mainly because it is the only game in town, and it is free to play. I was an early beta contributor, but I have become so disillusioned by the rationalized non- canon    No rational being can give this game an absolute top or absolute bottom score. That is the true problem, for all their effort PGI has turned out a mediocre game.
    As a “hardcore” MechWarrior player I will continue to play, mainly because it is the only game in town, and it is free to play. I was an early beta contributor, but I have become so disillusioned by the rationalized non- canon attitude that each tweak flip flops the game play.
    My intention is to continue in the ftp mode, but purchases will only be enough to keep this alive and certainly never anything large ever again.
    If something bright and shiny catches my interest; I will migrate to a new game.
    MechWarrior 2 Mercenaries and MechWarrior 3 remain the BattleTech computer game high water marks.    … Expand
  29. bearless75
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    This is a game with potential, however only the basic combat sim exists at this time. It should have been given another 6 months to complete basic community warfare features, though it should be acknowledged the developers have been unable to implement this so far despite it being on the timetabled for release at the start of the year.
    Graphics are good, combat is fun rather than fast,    This is a game with potential, however only the basic combat sim exists at this time. It should have been given another 6 months to complete basic community warfare features, though it should be acknowledged the developers have been unable to implement this so far despite it being on the timetabled for release at the start of the year.
    Graphics are good, combat is fun rather than fast, evoking the feel of big stompy robots! Weapon balancing is badly off though this is a recurring theme when trying to apply a tabletop model to a first person game, with some truly bizarre methods chosen to try to balance direct fire weapons.
    Expect a steep learning curve. Starting equipment is decidedly sub-par due to the balancing issues mentioned, but this makes the rewards for sticking with the game significant once you can afford to buy and customise your first mech you will quickly notice the difference it makes.
    Hopefully we soon have more than just a combat simulation to give us all something to fight for!    … Expand
  30. KravenKor
    Sep 18, 2013
    5
    What you see going on here is a war between those who support PGI giving 10 ratings to counteract those who hate PGI who are giving low, low, low ratings.

    There are accusations here of forum censorship: I am Kraven Kor on the forums, they have yet to ban me or put me on moderation preview, and I have little positive to say. The truth is: MWO is a good, but not great, robot shooter.    What you see going on here is a war between those who support PGI giving 10 ratings to counteract those who hate PGI who are giving low, low, low ratings.

    There are accusations here of forum censorship: I am Kraven Kor on the forums, they have yet to ban me or put me on moderation preview, and I have little positive to say.

    The truth is: MWO is a good, but not great, robot shooter. The major uproar here and everywhere is all about PGI making big promises early on, which they failed to deliver on, and then the fiasco that was the introduction of the Third Person View feature where they directly went back on their previous promises of 1PV-only players never being forced to play with or against 3PV.

    Any way you slice it, PGI has mishandled this in various ways, and the game is far from where they originally stated it would be. The community's response was "the summer of rage" and it has done jack and squat to improve anything.

    Buyer beware: MWO is a lot of fun, the mechs look great, but the game is overall very repetitive with very few maps, only the two game-modes, no real overarching metagame or storyline type stuff, no ability to set up custom matches for the various Mechwarrior clans to arrange matches or challenges or tournaments, and is filled with a lot of angry geeks.    … Expand
  31. Sabbath61
    Sep 21, 2013
    6
    Great potential, egregiously consummated. I'm not certain that the Devs are even concerned about the "big picture," rather financial interests in the short term.
  32. soarra
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    PGi has had trouble balancing this game since CB, with major adjustments instead of small tweaks.
    The game is lacking substance, all you have is team deathmatch with a square box for base capture.
    Many promised features have not been introduced yet, like community warfare, UI 2.0, lobbies, private matches. Most maps are rather boring, with some being way too small for 12v12. Game was a    PGi has had trouble balancing this game since CB, with major adjustments instead of small tweaks.
    The game is lacking substance, all you have is team deathmatch with a square box for base capture.
    Many promised features have not been introduced yet, like community warfare, UI 2.0, lobbies, private matches.
    Most maps are rather boring, with some being way too small for 12v12.
    Game was a lot more fun back in CB, since then PGI has stopped listening to their beta testers and added things that were not needed and wanted by its playerbase, like 3pv.
    Developers going back on their word on a few items like, 3PV and coolant flush.
    PGI's lack of communication is a major problem, unless you go digging through 4 different twitters, reddit and facebook, instead of posting on their forums.    … Expand
  33. VKsjg
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    So much potential wasted, so many promises broken, so many deadlines slipped. The game was hyped as one thing and is turning into a kiddie game. I've been playing since closed beta and though the game still can be fun, it has progressed so slowly and a lot of the promised features have yet to arrive. Add to the snarkiness of the certain members of the dev team and a near total disregardSo much potential wasted, so many promises broken, so many deadlines slipped. The game was hyped as one thing and is turning into a kiddie game. I've been playing since closed beta and though the game still can be fun, it has progressed so slowly and a lot of the promised features have yet to arrive. Add to the snarkiness of the certain members of the dev team and a near total disregard for what should have been their core base leaves me in doubt about the future of this game.

    Some good: It is fun if you take it for what it is. The artwork isn't too bad. They have captured I think, the flavor of big stompy mechs beating on each other. The mechs can be customized to a great degree and a lot of the fun is just throwing different builds together and giving it a whirl. The maps are decent in look though some would be better as 8vs8 instead of 12vs12 and two would be good as 16vs16. The weapon balance is OK. Still needs tweaking but the majority of weapons are useful. Lots of mechs are available to use and in general, they look good though there is some scaling issues. They made "Sarah's Jenner" to raise money for charity was pretty solid of them.

    The Bad: 3rd PV, should never have been put in the game or if we must have that trash, the queues should be split as promised. Match imbalances are still a bane both in weight and skill. There is only two modes of play. Maps come slowly and they often have spots that your huge mech should be able to step over but it fail such as a stone embankment/wall on the river city map. Community warfare is no where to be seen. The new UI that has been much hyped, still hasn't made an appearance beyond a screenshot. The devs have essentially made it clear that the Founders are not their target audience any more. 10 year olds that cannot grasp torso twist apparently is the new target. The promised role-warfare is still pretty sketchy. C-bills have been nerfed a great deal. Takes forever to earn the money for a new mech. You would think they would want to sell more mech bays but I guess they are betting on premium time sales. No integrated voice yet. No lobby. No custom match making.

    Can they recover? I have my doubts. I hope they can get themselves sorted as in spite of everything, the game does show promise. I just am not sure if the PGI crew has the moxie to make things right.    … Expand
  34. GFierce
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    Been playing this game since closed beta. The game is in an incomplete state. The plans for the future sound promising. The current game is decently balanced but could use a few more tweaks. The graphics are quite good but some of the details are still missing. For a basic mech game this is not bad it just needs more.
  35. DPACK
    Sep 18, 2013
    5
    I'm bad at leading into things, so here we go:

    Actual Gameplay: 9/10: FANTASTIC! Mech combat is epic and very fun and designing mechs is immensely satisfying. The first time you build a mech and break 1000 damage testing the build... The feeling can't be easily described, but I can tell you it's good. The number of matches I've walked away from with my pulse pounding in my ears and my    I'm bad at leading into things, so here we go:

    Actual Gameplay: 9/10: FANTASTIC! Mech combat is epic and very fun and designing mechs is immensely satisfying. The first time you build a mech and break 1000 damage testing the build... The feeling can't be easily described, but I can tell you it's good. The number of matches I've walked away from with my pulse pounding in my ears and my whole body shaking with adrenaline... This bit is really good.

    Mechlab UI: 4/10: UI seems unfinished for a launched product. The Mechbays at the bottom can't be sorted so if you have more than 10-20 mechs and you like to switch around a lot it's really a pain to keep scrolling. Devs advised this would be corrected in UI 2.0 which has been pushed back enough times to miss launch. Bottom line, it's ok for a beta, but launch should have a more robust UI.

    Free to Playness: 8/10 Game feels greedy like more F2P products, but my $340 has been enough to keep me in premium time, hero mechs, founder pack, project phoenix. It's a little harder to look at, but I'm an accountant, when I got to that much cash I compared it to a standard mmo with a 60$ purchase price and a 30$ expansion with $15/month sub and I was within 5 bucks. Also, you can't get anything that impacts gameplay with cash that you can't get with c-bills. Single mech prices still feel a bit high, but with packs like project phoneix 12 mechs+mechbays+90 days of premium time+in pretty things $80. Bundles feel like a good deal, single mechs are a little steep.

    IGP/PGI: 2/10: I really dislike how the developers treat the playerbase and how dishonest they are. When I payed in my founders cash the devs were singing the praises of the core MW community. First person only, no coolant flush, no pay to win. Along the way it was the dishonesty around these 3 components that caused me to lose faith in this developer. The first issue was when consumables came out. The cash version was better than the c-bill version. They weren't equal after being told that everything game changing was c-bill and cash accessible. The community slapped em and they apologized and fixed it. Coolant flush is one of those modules, again, something that they stated would never be in the game in the game. Then they had a 3rd person view issue. They announced it and the community rejected it. So they told us we'd never have to use or play with others using 3PV. Then they added 3PV, but required everyone to drop into a mixed queue where anyone can switch from 1st to 3rd at any time. Then they posted that any opposing opinion was part of a 'vocal minority'. What I'm trying to illustrate is that I'm not a fan of the developers because they won't communicate with the players on anything because when they do communicate they lie to us. To be exceptionally clear. I do not care about consumables, 3PV, or coolant flush. But I do care when someone acts contrary to what they've said while asking for and accepting my money. (My apologies this section is longer. I wanted to shed some light into why the playerbase is upset in as objective a way I could within a subjective review)

    Nerf/Buff Cycle: Things get buffed(increased in utility), then they're OP(Overpowered), then they get nerfed(reduced in utility), well now they're UP(underpowered) and need a buff again. To see what happens next, reread the first sentence. This cycle is an oscillation that seems to be reducing in magnitude, but is still something to know about.

    Metagame: 0/10: The game isn't finished yet but they hit the launch date so they removed the beta tag. Community warfare was to be the main pull for competitive players. This content was supposed to be coming out shortly after open beta, then sometime in open beta, then just before the end of beta, then just after launch. As of right now the matchmaker is random, to play a match with a specific group you jump into teamspeak, have someone count down and try to launch at the same time and hope luck matches you up. There's nothing to do but drop 12 people against another 12 people over and over.

    TL:DR; If you like skillful fighting, try it. F4 is the key to switch between 1st and 3rd person. If doing business with a developer that has difficulty communicating with players and will outright lie to your face isn't something you think sounds like fun, you may want to look elsewhere. (Also posting under an Alias to avoid being banned for giving an honest review.)

    On the plus side the game itself is good and gathered up a lot more cash than expected so even if MWO flops there's a strong chance the IP won't lie dormant for another decade.    … Expand
  36. Genxcraig
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    Gameplay despite all it's faults and delays 7/10
    Developer competence and interaction 3/10

    Average 5/10

    Still the same as it was 6 months ago except for a couple new maps and a regularly updated cash shop. Pretty disappointed.
  37. ianli0928
    Sep 18, 2013
    5
    The battle is generally fun and exciting. Mwo definitely has a lot steeper learning curve than a lot of the other

    fps games out there. However the lack of content will put you off once you have grinded a few mechs. There are only 2 game modes that are extremely similar, and gets old quickly after a while. The core game, aka community warfare will not be released until next year. I    The battle is generally fun and exciting. Mwo definitely has a lot steeper learning curve than a lot of the other

    fps games out there. However the lack of content will put you off once you have grinded a few mechs.

    There are only 2 game modes that are extremely similar, and gets old quickly after a while.

    The core game, aka community warfare will not be released until next year. I would definitely suggest

    any new players to try this game out, but do not spend any money until you are absolutely sure

    that you want to stick with this game. I regretted every cent of my purchase in this game due to

    certain issues caused by the game company, and the constantly pushed back deadlines.    … Expand
  38. Protection
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    Both the 10s and the 0s are blatant exaggerations. The 10s are from hardcore golds who defend the game to the death, and the 0s are overly negative beyond fairness basically a response to so many false 10s.

    What the game is? A disappointment. The new player experience is rather abyssmal, featuring a torturous grind and grab deals everywhere, with a pathetic excuse for a tutorial and    Both the 10s and the 0s are blatant exaggerations. The 10s are from hardcore golds who defend the game to the death, and the 0s are overly negative beyond fairness basically a response to so many false 10s.

    What the game is? A disappointment. The new player experience is rather abyssmal, featuring a torturous grind and grab deals everywhere, with a pathetic excuse for a tutorial and terrible interface with little explanation.

    There's a disturbing lack of content, plenty of mechs but two almost identical, equally brain-dead game modes across a small handful of maps, and no lobby system whatsoever. Not even an out of game chat.

    Core gameplay is unbalanced, and has been for some time, and there is little incentive to choose smaller mechs rather than armed assault mechs. Features like 3rd Person View and Ghost Heat seem like a huge waste of resources, and teamplay is basically limited to "everyone roll into a ball and run to this point."

    Based on what was once promised, it's a disappointment, but it it somewhat functional as a game. Does it deserve a 0? No, that's ridiculous. Is it a 10? Hahahaha, no not at all. It's a below average robot shooter experience.    … Expand
  39. Festus
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    Long time fan of the MechWarrior Franchise and "Legendary Founder" on Mechwarrior Online. While I like a lot about the POTENTIAL of this game, I can't give it more than a 6 based on it's current state.

    The Developers have a chronic habit of promising new features on a regular basis and an equally chronic habit of pushing said promises back repeatedly (over a year in some cases) while    Long time fan of the MechWarrior Franchise and "Legendary Founder" on Mechwarrior Online. While I like a lot about the POTENTIAL of this game, I can't give it more than a 6 based on it's current state.

    The Developers have a chronic habit of promising new features on a regular basis and an equally chronic habit of pushing said promises back repeatedly (over a year in some cases) while still promoting cash sales based on the promises made. As a founder we were sold on a promise to make a Mech Sim style game with no 3rd person views, no coolant flushing, and other features. Development has steered away from those promises, changing the game significantly from the original vision we were sold on.

    That said, if you have no experience in the Mechwarrior Universe, you will likely find the current game playable and enjoyable enough, but it will get repetitive due to the limited maps, game modes, and lack of a credible game interface and un-intuitive game mechanics. The game is making progress in that they now have a reasonable Tutorial section which introduces the players to how mechs move on the battlefield.

    However, the use of the Mechlab, where players can adjust their Mechs loadout, and should be a big part of playing the game, especially for new players, is basically unavailable to them, is clunky and lacks a truly user friendly interface.

    Immersion in the game is hit an miss at times. While I applaud the Mech designs and the sounds in the game, the lack of "destructibility" of objects and some issues with collision, especially when your Mech travels up a slope, can take away from the experience.

    If you like free-to-play games and have no intention of spending cash on it, MWO can be entertaining but be prepared for long "grinds" to earn enough in game cash to progress. For the most part the Mechs look good, and you do get the feel of being in a big stompy robot that many of us love. I find myself torn between my love of the franchise and the direction (that for myself is not what I initially signed up for) the game is heading.

    Many of the very low score reviews on metacritic are from disgruntled players who feel that the Devs have misled the community on multiple occasions. While I count myself among them, I still give the game a "6", while hoping they smarten up and earn an "8" one day.    … Expand
  40. H0urg1ass
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    It's a lobby based matchmaker, much like World of Tanks, but far less refined and lacking a sense of achievement and progression.

    It's F2P, and worth the download, but doesn't really have much longevity unless the player really enjoys collecting every mech in the game. Lobby based matchmaking with no persistent world means that the only real achievement in the game is having a high    It's a lobby based matchmaker, much like World of Tanks, but far less refined and lacking a sense of achievement and progression.

    It's F2P, and worth the download, but doesn't really have much longevity unless the player really enjoys collecting every mech in the game. Lobby based matchmaking with no persistent world means that the only real achievement in the game is having a high Kill/Death ratio, which is great for the CoD kiddies, but an extreme letdown for true Mechwarrior fans.

    The Good:

    - The tutorial is a good starting point for new players and really helps get the hang of driving a mech without trying to learn it all in the heat of a player's first battle.

    - The feel of driving a mech is great. The controls are intuitive and easy to learn and the player will really have the feeling of driving a big stompy robot.

    - Each mech has it's own full compliment of sounds, from the noise the engine makes when idle, to the sound of the torso twisting. Each mech has it's own ambiance about it which truly makes it unique.

    - Each weapon has a role and a unique feel to it, and at the moment no single weapon is too overpowered, except when coupled with the easily abused hardpoint system which allows a player to stack several balanced weapons onto a mech until it is ridiculously unbalanced.

    - There's nothing cookie cutter about the vast majority of the Mechs in the game. Although the hardpoint system is easy to abuse, it also allows players a wide range of freedom for putting weapons which they are comfortable using on a mech that they want to pilot. There are many perfectly valid ways to assemble and pilot most of the mechs in the game with a few notable exceptions.

    The Bad:

    - The pre-match UI isn't full screen. Buying and assembling mechs for a battle feels like gluing arms onto ants. A UI overhaul has been promised for months, but is vaporware at this point without a release date on the day of launch.

    - Launching a match throws the players resolution violently into full screen with lots of flashing and flickering. Some computers have problems at this point and will DC or CTD.

    - There is a scale issue on several of the maps, where it doesn't really make the player feel as if they are walking around in several dozen tons of steel. It simply feels like a vision-restricted FPS on the maps that don't have good visual cues.

    - Graphics are very substandard for a CryEngine based game. The game is DX9 and the texture quality is poor at best. For some reason there is a film grain filter when looking outside the windows of the mech ****

    - Very few maps and matches only last about 5-6 minutes each so the maps get boring really fast.

    - No destructability in environment. Even trees aren't knocked down by a Mech walking all over them.

    The Middle:

    - Full joystick compatibility with most joystick models. Player will need to check the forums for configuration files or instructions for most models.    … Expand
  41. CombatVolcano
    Sep 21, 2013
    5
    This review is impartial toward past-and-future. I don't care what was promised or what will be, only what is.

    I will rate those primary areas I feel are most important to average a final score and they are as follows; Learning Curve (approaching MWO as a newbie): (3/10) Let's start off with getting started: While MWO is not a difficult game by any means once a player can learn and    This review is impartial toward past-and-future. I don't care what was promised or what will be, only what is.

    I will rate those primary areas I feel are most important to average a final score and they are as follows;

    Learning Curve (approaching MWO as a newbie): (3/10)
    Let's start off with getting started: While MWO is not a difficult game by any means once a player can learn and map the controls to their liking, some very important options are not immediately obvious (such as the zoom feature, torso centering, leg centering) and some default options don't seem to make any sense whatsoever such as the 'hold button to move' being default instead of 'slider sets speed' which is a far more manageable mode.

    Critical to end-game success but not necessarily required for play is the mechlab. Those who are heavily familiar with Battletech will have little trouble understanding the basic principles however even these likely-also-computer-nerds will stumble around figuring out how to navigate at first. It is (perhaps by design) sometimes not immediately obvious which choices are best or even worse which choices cost real money and which cost in-game currency. Those who are unfamiliar with Battletech weapons and configurations will find that there is absolutely no build-in tutorial or tips whatsoever to guide them. While the development staff has done much better in recent months with providing tutorials and new player help, the in-game interface is absolutely devoid of information pertaining to how the game works. It is extremely common for a new player to go through their first 25 matches, earn the 'newbie bonus' credits, waste them all and then feel like they need to abandon their account for a new one to earn the newbie bonus over and do it right. Some of the best mechs (in general and also to get started with) cost the entire newbie bonus and then some. Much better would be to let you choose any mech you like once you complete the initial battery of newbie matches.

    Graphics: (7/10)
    While MWO does have modern graphics that in most cases are quite stunning the developers also have a very long way to go toward optimizing their engine. Often it seems that they will tack on new features that drastically reduce framerate without fully optimizing the engine, which leads to inconsistency between play sessions. With 8 GB of ram, 6 core processor and a Radeon HD 7970 on a fresh install of Win7 and the game on an SSD I was struggling to get a reliable 40 FPS out of the game on any settings level. While verbose, slow and sometimes even confusing (some of the screen shake effects are downright strange feeling) the graphics are very GOOD. Things look like they should and the game doesn't suffer from that that 'shrink wrapped in plastic" Crysis feel that plagues so many modern engines. Smoke and particle effects look very convincing and some weapons are downright pretty when fired.

    Control: (6/10)
    Ugh. They really should take an average of what people have configured for this game and change what the default options are. It can take quite a few matches to really understand how to set your controls up properly and how important doing so is. Some players never really seem to learn this at all which is really a stain on this game because this is the largest reason that players quit it simply is so very hard to understand what exactly is expected of you when piloting a mech though once you find a schema that works you shouldn't have a problem.

    Configuration aside, the controls do feel responsive once learned. I've never felt like the mech ignored my keypresses or that my mouse wasn't tracking correctly. The missile lock controls feel fair (if quite unforgiving) and leading properly will usually land you hits... but read on.

    Engine/Programming: (2/10)
    MWO in this regard is an absolute tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. Very frequently when firing certain types of weapons they will (seemingly randomly) appear to strike the target but return no red "confirmation" flash on the reticule or they will return that reticule but in both cases do no damage about half the time. Players often claim that light 'mechs have a "lag shield" that protects them from legitimate damage and this does actually appear to be the case. While certain measures (client side hit detection aka please hack our game) have been implemented for particular weapon types to compensate, nothing can change the fact that the hit detection in the underlying engine does not seem to be up to what they are asking of it.

    Taking damage also isn't very well explained. Supposedly your 'mech has as many internal hitpoints per location as it does armor points but this is not information that the developers seem willing to divulge. How the weapons and mechanics in the game actually function on a numbers level is gilded in dark obscurity and it makes one wonder if anyone on the developer staff actually has a clue what everything in the game is supposed to do.    … Expand
  42. Zathabar
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    Been playing since about a year ago. A good fun shoot 'em up, but in my opinion has been released with too little content. If this was released now as a Beta it'd be great. As a final product it is mystifying.
    Game is well put together but is terrifically difficult to pick up if your new to the Genre. Will appeal to any fan of the Battle Tech IP and so all fans MUST try this out! But the    Been playing since about a year ago. A good fun shoot 'em up, but in my opinion has been released with too little content. If this was released now as a Beta it'd be great. As a final product it is mystifying.
    Game is well put together but is terrifically difficult to pick up if your new to the Genre. Will appeal to any fan of the Battle Tech IP and so all fans MUST try this out! But the whole feels very unfinished to me.

    The Mechs themselves are nicely detailed and in many ways feel like the big stompy robots they are, however a few visual glitches still exists. For example certain Mechs are disproportionately hard to hit under some circumstances while others notably the "starter" Mechs are too weak to compete with those that have received player customizations.

    The first 25 Matches grant a one off "Cadet Bonus" to the new players, which is great however the better and most efficient ways of spending this largess are not mentioned in game but have to be ferreted out of the Labyrinthine forums from helpful player generated threads. Official threads on the tutorials don't give the depth of info some of the home-brewed ones the ardent players have made.

    Overall worth a look especially as it is F2P but can be difficult to master. If the Developers come through with the promised features in a timely fashion it may even become great. But as of now? Play it, persevere with it but do NOT spend money on it unless you really have lots to spare!    … Expand
  43. angelrage
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    Mech art, great, i mean like 9/10, enviroment art, not bad like 7/10, designi from 1 year beta... ok now its the turning point. its like 2/10. probleam whit the game is not whit the game but whit the developers.
    Try the game enjoy the game and after wait for some actual content and ballance, cos its now an empty free to play store.
  44. yiffy99
    Sep 18, 2013
    6
    Review from Mizarpanzer

    This game plenty of upsides. There is a lot of interesting things, such as customizing mech loadout and test them in combat, which can keep you hooked to the game for hours. The combat is exciting, the visual effect is top-notch (although you need a decent computer), and the amount of tactics and teamwork involved to win a game is high. The game also have    Review from Mizarpanzer

    This game plenty of upsides. There is a lot of interesting things, such as customizing mech loadout and test them in combat, which can keep you hooked to the game for hours. The combat is exciting, the visual effect is top-notch (although you need a decent computer), and the amount of tactics and teamwork involved to win a game is high.

    The game also have plenty of downsides. First of all, the game desperately needs a lot of features to be completed. It need a detailed tutorial on control and weapon systems. There is also no lobby system, the social interaction in-game is lacking. The developers have indicated that they are working on a revamped UI and a 'community war' system that allows players to fight for planet control. But it has been 'in production' for a very long time without actual tangible update from the developers.

    And finally, speaking of the developers, their communication with both the playerbase, and amongst themselves, are questionable at best. They have made a lot of pledges which they failed to keep (which is why you see a number of disgruntled rant here). Sometimes they do not seem to know what is going on on the other end of their building (search for Russ' apology). It does give out the feeling that they are dragging the game back and the game is not realising its full potential, well, not yet anyway.

    Conclusion: This game is worth a try if you likes some shooting with stompy robots. However, I strongly recommend not spending any real money until the developer is able to polish the game and roll out the big features such as the eagerly anticipated (for over a year) community warfare.    … Expand
  45. Iceash
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    Ok here goes this game get's 6/10 and that is being generous, the game doesn't deserve the 0/10 but then again in no way does it deserve the 10/10's.

    The mechs look good, and handle quite well, the weapon systems keep getting hit with a balance that atm throw's everything out of whack for a while, since PGI are unable to do small changes to see how gameplay is affected, couple this with    Ok here goes this game get's 6/10 and that is being generous, the game doesn't deserve the 0/10 but then again in no way does it deserve the 10/10's.

    The mechs look good, and handle quite well, the weapon systems keep getting hit with a balance that atm throw's everything out of whack for a while, since PGI are unable to do small changes to see how gameplay is affected, couple this with bug's that keep popping up on maps and in system with several disconects leaves you feeling frustrated.

    New mechs are introduced to the rate of 1 a month but unfortunately you keep getting the same issues raising their head time and time again with poor hitboxes that just leave you wondering where is the quality control.

    We have 2 game modes that are quite similar but with no lobby or ability to see what maps you are going to play on you can take the wrong mech/mech loadout to a map.

    We still have huge missing features Community Warfare for example which has been promised so many times and then it's just gone silent with the promise of it is still comming.

    Poor UI though this is supposed to be changed soon)

    There is a very high new user lvl especially when they are dropped in with the vet's with a very poor tutorial.

    All in all we have a good core game but it s let down by PGI themselves with very poor game decisions/ leadership.    … Expand
  46. Calico01
    Sep 18, 2013
    6
    From a midaged, old time BT Fan with medium Income that has been playing for about 3 Months.

    Positive: - Overall Gameplay is Fun and has somewhat suceeded in catching the "Mechwarrior Feel" of previous Titles. - Decent Graphics: Not very good but not bad either. Less then what you would expect from a game running Cryengine 3, but most Online-Games tend do to the same to increase    From a midaged, old time BT Fan with medium Income that has been playing for about 3 Months.

    Positive:

    - Overall Gameplay is Fun and has somewhat suceeded in catching the "Mechwarrior Feel" of previous Titles.

    - Decent Graphics: Not very good but not bad either. Less then what you would expect from a game running Cryengine 3, but most Online-Games tend do to the same to increase performance on low end specs, so i guess it's ok.

    - Niche Game: The only "real" Mechwarrior/Battletech Game out there. If you loved BT or previous MW Titles, there is really no alternative ATM.

    - No Pay-to-Win: Although there are a few things that are borderline or maybe even a step over it, the overall feel is that your skills count a lot more then bought consumables or HeroMechs.

    Negative:

    - No Metagame: The by far biggest failure in IMHO. One Year Beta and still only 2 Gamemodes on less then a dozen Maps. It was promised that "Community Warfare" would fill this gap, but with launch we still miss any real infomations about this. This hurts longtime playability very much.
    Recent Income Nerfs reduce playability for active but low budget Players.

    - Bad communication from the Devs: PGI is lacking some fundamental skills in Communication. Explanations are usally rare and/or late. With some broken promises in between (which lead to the almost 300 negative reviews right now). Forums are a wasteland.

    - Bugs/other missing Conten/Balancet: Most features that could have improved Gameplay have been delayed and are still not implemented (UI 2.00 for one). There are still issues with Hit Detection, frequent Disconnects and a lot of smaller Bugs. Balance is ever changing, with sometimes overly complicated changes. Annoying, but mostly not game breaking.

    - New Player experience: The Ingame Tutorial only features very basic movement. Forum Threads are poorly maintened and often have very outdated Data. Some crucial things arent even explained ingame, like the famous Ghost Heat. People who dont read the Forums/Patchnotes very regularly are at a disadvantage.

    Fazit:

    If you love the BT Franchise, give it a try. If you like to shoot People but are annoyed from the usual arcade style shooters and want to try something with a bit more "simulation" feel, this could still be a game for you. Despite all its drawbacks the fact remains that the overall Gameplay is fun and it doesnt feel like a Pay-to-Win.
    Still, this Game is far away from beeing a AAA Game and there is no hiding in the fact that PGI are a small and inexperienced studio that still have a lot to learn.    … Expand
  47. Lordotic
    Sep 18, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm sorry ...but everyone who rated this game a 10 are....bah what the point. No I did not rate this game a 10 as a 10 would be a perfect score and there is no game ever that was perfect. So basically we are looking at a max score or 9. As there is no UI2.0 we will take 1 away....so we are at 8. No clans...-1, no meta game...-1, still only 2 combat modes....-1, and I'm sure other ppl can think of other ways to justify their score but a 5 is right about where this game is at right now.

    I mean if I had to rate where the game will be in 3 to 6 months then oh yeah it's a 9 maybe even a 9.5, but it didn't say rate the game whe it will be but rather what it is. I see some familiar names from the post( won't say their names but they know who they are) who just flat out rate this a 10....so what happens when those other features arrive will you rate this a 10++++..... That's my 2 cents please continue flaming.    … Expand
  48. Jetfire
    Oct 28, 2014
    7
    I have been playing the game since closed beta and all through its ups and downs. I can say at this point they are making real progress and with the launch of CW this winter could have a real winner on their hands very soon. If you have any interest in Mechwarrior or slow tactical mech combat give it a shot or keep an eye on this one. It's been a somewhat painful birth but I haveI have been playing the game since closed beta and all through its ups and downs. I can say at this point they are making real progress and with the launch of CW this winter could have a real winner on their hands very soon. If you have any interest in Mechwarrior or slow tactical mech combat give it a shot or keep an eye on this one. It's been a somewhat painful birth but I have enjoyed every moment I was actually playing.… Expand
  49. jax
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    I'd recommend this to anyone interested, but even though IGP/PGI has made a good game they have a bad tendency of disapointing their customers. Many features of the game still needs tweaking after one year in open beta (and even longer in closed beta) and new contents just takes way to long to roll out. The game is patched about twice a month, but the patches seem to struggle forth andI'd recommend this to anyone interested, but even though IGP/PGI has made a good game they have a bad tendency of disapointing their customers. Many features of the game still needs tweaking after one year in open beta (and even longer in closed beta) and new contents just takes way to long to roll out. The game is patched about twice a month, but the patches seem to struggle forth and back and seemingly unable to land on the right spot. The game UI is still not in (after release) and the graphics are locked to DX 9.0. The communnity is large and dedicated, but the producers tend to ignore constructive feedback. Mechwarrior Online has given me great many hours of fun, and will be really good when it's more finished. For now, it's not.… Expand
  50. Watchit
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    I thought I'd give a review that was actually helpful!
    -Player since closed beta.
    PRO's -Good/Decent graphics -Great customization/choice of available mechs -fairly balanced gameplay (You can't make everyone happy in an mmo, so it will never be "perfectly" balanced) -Giant mechs. Seriously, how can you say no to that? -Very immersive combat (if you don't count 3rd person view)    I thought I'd give a review that was actually helpful!
    -Player since closed beta.

    PRO's
    -Good/Decent graphics
    -Great customization/choice of available mechs -fairly balanced gameplay (You can't make everyone happy in an mmo, so it will never be "perfectly" balanced)
    -Giant mechs. Seriously, how can you say no to that?
    -Very immersive combat (if you don't count 3rd person view)
    -Free to play

    CON's
    -Lack of meta game currently, this is the biggest issue at the moment
    -rabid fanboys bemoaning the current state of the game can be a turn off (but for some reason they stick around anyway)
    -Devs are really bad estimating how long it will take to implemint certain features and many arrive much later then intended or dropped entirely
    -Map output is a little slow, but what do you expect from a 44 person team
    -steep learning curve (though some people enjoy that!)

    Mixed
    -Not everything is according to battletech canon. Some see this as a con. Some don't care. So, it goes under "mixed"
    -The current U.I. is horrible, but is being replaced with U.I. 2.0 soon(tm)
    -3rd person view (not extremely useful, and a little bit immersion breaking)
    -Cash shop.

    To expand on the cash shop, it can be a bit pricey, but thankfully most items are purely vanity items. Anything you can buy for cash that effects gameplay can be earned for free by playing the game. The only exception are hero mechs, which besides varying in hardpoints and paint job from regular mechs, they are indistinguishable from others in combat ability.    … Expand
  51. somedood
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    There is alot to like about the mech combat. But there have been things added (3rd person view) that was promised would never be added. And launch so far has been very anemic.
  52. DocBach
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    The game itself as a base for everything to come isn't too bad at the time of the official launch. Balance and client stability is better than it has been since closed beta, though there are still some questionable systems such as ECM. The lack of game modes is a large detraction, as both Assault and Conquest are very similar in concept and a team can win by avoiding combat which seems toThe game itself as a base for everything to come isn't too bad at the time of the official launch. Balance and client stability is better than it has been since closed beta, though there are still some questionable systems such as ECM. The lack of game modes is a large detraction, as both Assault and Conquest are very similar in concept and a team can win by avoiding combat which seems to be at odds with the entire theme of a 'Mech combat game. Some of the largest problems with the game are not really with the game, but with the developers and their interaction with the community. On several occasions the developers have changed a position on issues that the community have been strongly vocally against. Timelines for the release of features are far behind their projected dates, such as the key Community Warfare mode which advertises players will take part in galactic scale combat is coming up on being a year AWOL from when PGI initially announced it would be released for the start of open Beta. All in all, the gameplay is generally fun, but the game lacks any sort of end game to give a player incentive or reward to continue playing, and crucial features that were advertised and attracted many players to the game to begin with. If they ever get implemented and refined past their initial growing pains and bugs the game will have a lot going for it as it stands, the game right now is shallow and repetitive with little player reward.… Expand
  53. SirJockstrap
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    Stomping around in big robots is fun, and blowing bits off of enemy robots is even better. over short periods this game is very good however it lacks the features to give it longevity at the moment. Later in development when the long awaited clan wars is implemented this may change but at the moment the game is most similar to counter strike with robots. As stated by many others theStomping around in big robots is fun, and blowing bits off of enemy robots is even better. over short periods this game is very good however it lacks the features to give it longevity at the moment. Later in development when the long awaited clan wars is implemented this may change but at the moment the game is most similar to counter strike with robots. As stated by many others the development team behind the game have made some very questionable design decisions that have angered a great many people so take this into account when looking at the user score.… Expand
  54. nosleepdemon
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    Mechwarrior Online is a surprisingly in depth and tactical Mech based shooter, focussing as much on blowing giant robots to pieces as it does on pre-game tinkering and customization. However the game also suffers from an incomplete feature list, and in true "F2P" spirit: An abominable grind through Mech and pilot skill trees with largely pitiful rewards for completing matches.

    A typical    Mechwarrior Online is a surprisingly in depth and tactical Mech based shooter, focussing as much on blowing giant robots to pieces as it does on pre-game tinkering and customization. However the game also suffers from an incomplete feature list, and in true "F2P" spirit: An abominable grind through Mech and pilot skill trees with largely pitiful rewards for completing matches.

    A typical match in MWO involves customizing your Mech loadout (including weapons, armour, engines, heat sinks and misc. equipment), choosing a game type (assault or conquest) and then launching into a randomly determined map. New players may be surprised to find that there is no pre-game lobby, nor can you see what Mechs your other team-mates have selected. This is a debilitating omission from a game which can at times command some fairly tactical game-play decisions from its players, and can result in extremely one sided matches due to imbalances in Mech loadouts among the player's team.

    Gameplay generally involves destroying the opponent's team without allowing them to capture your base (assault mode) or gaining 750 points (conquest mode). Once a player is down, they cannot respawn and may either spectate their team-mates for the remaining duration of the match, or leave. If a player leaves while their Mech is in a match, that Mech will remain locked until the match is over.

    Match rewards are generally slim; as an example, in the last match I played I was able to miraculously kill 6/12 of the enemy team, and was rewarded with 147,000 cbills. The average cost of a fully kitted out Mech in this game is around 8,000,000 15,000,000 c-bills. Players may also elect to buy their Mech variants with real money, costing them approximately $15-30 per Mech. This is further compounded by the requirement of owning 3 variants of the same Mech before you can progress to the final tiers in their skill trees. Mechbays, of which you receive 4 for free, cost real money. Therefore, for a player to fully level up more than two Mech chassis' (or a single chassis if they wish to keep their old Mechs), real money will have to be spent on the game.

    MWO is "Free to Play" in the truest meaning of that marketing term.

    Redemption can, however, be found in the game's excellent and usually finely tuned game-play mechanics. Mechs move with weight and realism, and contact with high calibre weapons causes an appreciable amount of shake. Individual components can be (and frequently are) shot off, crippling the victim's Mech. Heat plays an important factor in preventing players from firing their weapons continuously or all at once. The maps in the game are varied and mostly interesting, including volcanoes, cities and strange otherworldly crystal deserts, bringing with them their own ambient temperatures and geometric challenges. Players can hide themselves or team-mates from radar using ECM, detect the movement of nearby Mechs using seismic sensors and launch UAVs to survey the battlefield. Air strikes may also be called in, but are largely useless in the damage they deal.

    As the game is free, there is no harm in checking it out, however playing the game competitively can quickly become time consuming, extremely expensive or both. Players who persevere will find an in-depth and exciting Mech simulator that will hopefully be feature complete within the next year or so.

    Gameplay tips for new players:

    > Disable the 3rd person camera by pressing f4 it grants extremely restricted vision of the battlefield and locks your Mech's arm motions, preventing you from aiming through your full firing arc.
    > Twist your torso away from incoming fire to shield your vulnerable side and centre torso locations with your arms.
    > The rear armour on Mech torso locations is usually less than 1/2 as thick as their fronts.
    > Do not purchase Light Mechs despite their cheap initial cost, they quickly become expensive to field in an efficient manner due to their demand for expensive engine and heat sink customization, yet still remain comparatively weak vs their heavier counterparts.
    > For maximum rewards, 'tag' enemy Mechs by hitting them with any of your weapons so that you are rewarded with a kill assist should someone else destroy the Mech.    … Expand
  55. Ngamok
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    Game plays like most modern FPS with the exception of having more hit box locations. The mech lab allows for fun customization. Certain features aren't in yet so giving the playability of the game a lower score to reflect that.
  56. SJRDoyle
    Sep 17, 2013
    7
    The game is still not a finished product and needs work, but I enjoy playing it all the same and for now I'm happy to stick with PGI until they get it right. The balance of the game is in a better place than it has been for a while and although I think PGI sometimes over nerfs weapons, they do keep trying to fix things as they go. In an ideal world all the things PGI promised would be doneThe game is still not a finished product and needs work, but I enjoy playing it all the same and for now I'm happy to stick with PGI until they get it right. The balance of the game is in a better place than it has been for a while and although I think PGI sometimes over nerfs weapons, they do keep trying to fix things as they go. In an ideal world all the things PGI promised would be done faster and ready for launch but who really lives in an ideal world? More support for the competitive community would be nice but aside from that I think things are going as fast as can be expected for a company their size.… Expand
  57. Sybreed
    Sep 17, 2013
    7
    Gameplay wise, sound wise, overall mechanics wise, this game is a 9. Replayability is not great, with the devs having missed most of their deadlines and failed to release the big thing, community warfare. Because of this, I can't give more than 7 to MWO. It's a fun game to play a few hours per week. I'd say I still do 5-8 matches per day. But, without the main features in, it's hard toGameplay wise, sound wise, overall mechanics wise, this game is a 9. Replayability is not great, with the devs having missed most of their deadlines and failed to release the big thing, community warfare. Because of this, I can't give more than 7 to MWO. It's a fun game to play a few hours per week. I'd say I still do 5-8 matches per day. But, without the main features in, it's hard to have reasons to play more.

    To the developer, PGI, I give them a 4/10, mostly because they disrespected their core community, the founders, the Battletech veterans and nostalgics, those who gave them money to create the best Mechwarrior title possible. Also, because I find them a bit lazy (never engaged crunch mode before launch) and also because they're extremely stubborn even though the community has often been proven right (weapon balance issues). There are still a few things to fix for the mechanics to be perfect (ECM is broken, NARC is broken, SRMs and LRMs are broken), but the game is still fun after all. If PGI can look at themselves in the mirror and correct their mistakes, MWO can become a great game. They need to stop trying to cater to the casual crowd and make a real Mechwarrior title (3rd person was unnecessary). Mechwarrior IS supposed to be fun, no need to try to create a chimera out of it. Build it, and they will come, as the saying goes.

    So:
    Graphics: 8 (good, could be better)
    Sounds: 9 (nothing to say here, music is missing)
    Replayability: 5 (needs Community Warfare)
    Presentation: 5 (UI 2.0 is badly needed)
    Fun factor: 9
    Gameplay mechanics: 6.5 (ECM, NARC, LRMs, etc being the reason it's not higher)    … Expand
  58. Dracol
    Sep 17, 2013
    7
    Been playing since closed beta almost everyday. Game play is fun, graphics look better then any previous Mechwarrior title. Only recently has game balance leveled out making the drops an even better experience.

    If you're the type of person who doesn't enjoy the drive, just the destination, you may want to wait on getting into MWO. Right now it's like playing soccer for fun... a lot    Been playing since closed beta almost everyday. Game play is fun, graphics look better then any previous Mechwarrior title. Only recently has game balance leveled out making the drops an even better experience.

    If you're the type of person who doesn't enjoy the drive, just the destination, you may want to wait on getting into MWO. Right now it's like playing soccer for fun... a lot of fun to play, challenging each time against a variety of real people, but after the game you go your separate ways. Community created groups and events have helped give the battles a little more context, but until community warfare is added, I'm just playing to have fun and improve my skills.    … Expand
  59. Riulassher
    Sep 17, 2013
    7
    If you are looking for atmospheric mech vs mech battles, MWO is what you are looking for. They have really nailed that feeling of operating the massive warmachine. There is a grind, annoying but not unlike other F2P games. And the first 25 matches give you extra reward to buy and upgrade your first mech.

    The game is sadly being released in very unfinished state. The UI hasn't changed    If you are looking for atmospheric mech vs mech battles, MWO is what you are looking for. They have really nailed that feeling of operating the massive warmachine. There is a grind, annoying but not unlike other F2P games. And the first 25 matches give you extra reward to buy and upgrade your first mech.

    The game is sadly being released in very unfinished state. The UI hasn't changed since closed beta and they were supposed to deliver the completely rewritten and much more polished UI for the launch, but they failed. It is supposed to come in a month...or two.

    The worst consequence of the delayed UI 2.0 is that most of their promised advanced features the whole community are waiting for it. Lobbies, weight limits for matching, Community Warfare (large scale strategic view of the universe where people fight over planets), better mech management and mechlab, improved new player experience, new game mode...

    All that was supposed to be in before the launch and they didn't make it. It will be introduced in next several months.

    Even though the game has formally launched, it is still deeply unfinished. Only the core gameplay, the battle engine, is more or less complete. Everything outside, the menu, the shop, mechlab, social functions, everything will be completely replaced in 1-2 months.    … Expand
  60. Pnakotic
    Sep 18, 2013
    7
    Most of the reviews I'm reading aren't telling a new player anything useful about the game itself, so I'm submitting a revised review to capture things that might be useful for the uninitiated.

    MWO is a fun game. The 'mechs are beautiful reimaginings of classic Battletech designs, weapons types are varied, and the hardpoint customization system and chassis quirks system give each design    Most of the reviews I'm reading aren't telling a new player anything useful about the game itself, so I'm submitting a revised review to capture things that might be useful for the uninitiated.

    MWO is a fun game. The 'mechs are beautiful reimaginings of classic Battletech designs, weapons types are varied, and the hardpoint customization system and chassis quirks system give each design a unique piloting experience and customization options.

    Customization gives way to balance problems, and a lot of development time has been devoted to balance tweaking instead of introducing new content. As a result, some core features are not progressed as far as might be desired at this point. There are only two game modes at present, and no overarching metagame or lobby system. The lack of lobbies is ameliorated by a number of publicly run Teamspeak servers which provide a place for new players to group up with more experienced ones, and to socialize.

    On the topic of teamwork, it is OP, as should be the case in any team/squad tactics game. Charging out the gate blasting wildly is the surest and shortest route to a dirtnap, and "sticking together" and focusing fire with teammates is essential. Despite paucity of game modes, the flexibility of tactics, loadouts and chassis gives the game good replay value. I've been playing the Beta at a moderate level of activity for over a year now, and the game is still more consistently entertaining than anything else I've picked up in that time.

    Game pacing is good with matches now in 12v12 mode (formerly 8v8) time-to-kill is a bit too short IMO for new players, but the pacing of spotting, sniping, flanking and maneuvering leading up to a decisive engagement lends a satisfying layer of dramatic tension to the matches.

    Grind is... a matter of individual preference. The good and bad on MWO: new players get an incentive bonus for their first 25 matches which should allow them to purchase and customize their first mech within the first few hours of playing, but after that point, cash earnings drop off rather sharply. The reward system was reduced in the wake of 12v12 over fears that players would accumulate cash and XP too fast, but at the moment it's a bit too sluggish. C-Bills can be earned and spent on new 'mech chassis, on customizing owned chassis, and on purchasing "Modules" or consumables which grant bonus abilities. XP can be spent on purchasing "efficiencies" which improve 'mech performance, and on unlocking better modules and consumables. Without a metagame in place, there really isn't any high-level goal to grind for (if you're into that).

    The efficiency trees are the same for every 'mech, which limits role specialization and skill-tree development. The "Modules" are intended to supplement this, but the number available is limited, and some are obviously better choices regardless of your combat role. A revisiting of this system would make the game more interesting IMO, but it would set off another round of re-balancing.

    Back to the topic of balance, it is currently pretty decent. "Medium" chassis (40 tons 55 tons) are a bit weak, and the meta currently favors the heaviest chassis the most, as does the XP/C-Bill rewards systems that heavily weights high damage and number of kills.

    Certain design features are confusing and poorly explained firing large numbers of the same type of weapon together applies bonus heat penalties which can overheat your 'mech, shutting it down and causing engine damage. Steep slopes will slow down units crossing them (more of an issue for bigger mechs), and in some areas there are map bugs that can cause you to become hung up on what is appears to be flat land. Battlemech controls are also not well documented, though the new movement tutorial is pretty good.

    The forums (if you couldn't guess from the reviews here) are like a game of Dwarf Fortress gone bad everything is on fire, everyone is screaming and insane, the moderators are striking people down, and the nauseating maisma hangs over the entire mess. I wouldn't recommend visiting there except the Developers Corner, where you can get some insight into how some of the less-comprehensible gameplay features are designed.

    Monetization is good as F2P games go, there isn't anything you can buy for real money that will help you win more than what you can grind for (and very few things you can't get in an exact, or at least equivalent version). You can speed advancement with Premium XP/C-Bill bonuses and buying new 'mech chassis, and lots of customization trinkets like special paint jobs. Be careful, as its easy to blow money fast!

    I'd give MWO a higher rating, but it isn't ready for a Launch with no "Community Warfare" metagame, sparse "Role Warfare" and "Information Warfare" features, only two game modes, harsh learning curve, balance fixes that are counter-intuitive and poorly documented, and severe communication and public-relations issues between the developers and playerbase.    … Expand
  61. Gallowglas
    Sep 17, 2013
    7
    MWO is an enjoyable game that effectively captures the feel of the Mechwarrior/Battletech Universe. The combat is visceral and the mechs models in particular are very well done. The F2P model isn't P2W, nor is it particularly intrusive or coercive.

    The major downside is that Community Warfare, the over-arching structure for battles that provides ongoing consequence for wins or losses    MWO is an enjoyable game that effectively captures the feel of the Mechwarrior/Battletech Universe. The combat is visceral and the mechs models in particular are very well done. The F2P model isn't P2W, nor is it particularly intrusive or coercive.

    The major downside is that Community Warfare, the over-arching structure for battles that provides ongoing consequence for wins or losses and which provides factional cohesion, is still missing months after we were first told it would be in the game and delays keep coming. Communication about how Community Warfare will even operate have been all but nonexistent despite assurances that we're very near to its release. Furthermore, PGI's communication in general and connection with the community is inconsistent at best, but often completely dysfunctional..

    Long story short: the core gameplay is pretty solid and entertaining. I wouldn't be playing it over a year after first installing it if it weren't. I can't say that about many other games. However, it's clear that PGI needs better project and community management.    … Expand
  62. buildertjb
    Sep 17, 2013
    7
    An extremely fun game at it's core, with a promising future to be so much more. Graphics are beautiful, especially the mechs. Free to play, and avoids being pay to win. So much depth to mech customization, and gameplay tactics. This is a game i will be playing for years to come.
  63. Stackzonyou
    Sep 29, 2013
    6
    An adequate mech shooter marred by a polarised and toxic community, indifferent developers and what appears to be a main screen/menu that's comprised of 80% ads for overpriced in-game items.

    It is recommended that prospective players first approach the forums for information regarding C-Bill spending, as earnings after the initial cadet bonus are abruptly castrated not constructing the    An adequate mech shooter marred by a polarised and toxic community, indifferent developers and what appears to be a main screen/menu that's comprised of 80% ads for overpriced in-game items.

    It is recommended that prospective players first approach the forums for information regarding C-Bill spending, as earnings after the initial cadet bonus are abruptly castrated not constructing the first owned mech properly can make or break a new user's experience.

    If you're here purely for stompy-shooty, then this is your game. If you seek depth and the big vision of interplanetary mech warfare initially foisted on the wary long-time players by the dubious developers, look elsewhere.

    Teamspeak is a must.    … Expand
  64. Revenge
    Sep 25, 2013
    5
    A game of great potential, but persistently hampered by increasingly slow development times. There is a strong admitance that the game is not complete, but as it has been in beta for over two years, nobody should be holding their breath for the features that initially suckered us in to the game 2 years ago. I can certainly say that if Mechwarrior Online can sustain itself long enough toA game of great potential, but persistently hampered by increasingly slow development times. There is a strong admitance that the game is not complete, but as it has been in beta for over two years, nobody should be holding their breath for the features that initially suckered us in to the game 2 years ago. I can certainly say that if Mechwarrior Online can sustain itself long enough to truly full-fill its original design document, then it will be a great game to play, one worthy of proper competitive gaming. But I anticipate that this time is going to be at least another year or two, and it might not have hat long left to live.… Expand
  65. Shibas
    Sep 18, 2013
    6
    Good: The game looks great, sounds great and is fun to play. Mech customization (and current balance) offers enough variety to have multiple builds on a chassis work well. The skins and colors for visual aesthetics look great and add a nice personalized touch to each mech. The maps look amazing, though some blander than others, but give a nice feel for fighting in variousGood: The game looks great, sounds great and is fun to play. Mech customization (and current balance) offers enough variety to have multiple builds on a chassis work well. The skins and colors for visual aesthetics look great and add a nice personalized touch to each mech. The maps look amazing, though some blander than others, but give a nice feel for fighting in various climate/locations. The game does a good job giving money to new players so that after about 20-25 games (about 2-3 hours of playing) you have enough to buy any mech (or a few cheaper ones) and work on customizing them.

    Bad: The game only offers a handful of maps and some are low on the rotations, so you tend to get 1-2 of the same maps over and over while others you don't get hardly at all. The game also does a very poor job in letting players know any information about playing the game. They give a mediocre tutorial on movement/shooting and they don't really give you the hot key information for all the things you can do in game (open missile bay doors, change 1st/3rd person view, grouping weapons, chain/link firing weapons, show map...etc). You have to go to the options to figure most of that out and turn off ones they preset for you. The match maker can be very poor at doing it's job; making 1 sided match ups or having a tonnage disparity of upwards to 200+ tons. You currently only have 3 options to play the game, solo, with a group of 4 or with a group of 12. If you have 5-11 people, you're not playing together. As well, currently there are only 2 match styles, conquest and assault (capture points or kill mechs and capture base or kill mechs, respectively).

    Ugly: The game has been plagued with developer problems and constant lack of information. The 2 big things mentioned, U.I. 2.0 and community warfare have been worked on and promised for a long time with very little information about either coming out. Constant date changes and push back of content have left most people disheartened and spiteful. The implementation of their new heat scale (dubbed "ghost heat" by the community) is a mechanic created to curb certain builds and limit customization on top of their hardpoint system for weapons. Outside of the addtional limitation, they don't mention it anywhere in the game itself and so anyone starting to play won't realize why they overheat so fast firing 3 large lasers or why 1 ac/20 goes up little heat but 2 fills up half the bar.

    Redemption: PGI has been consistently putting out patches ever 2 weeks with content.; At least 1 new mech chassis (with variants) a month for a while. They have had the occasional weekend tournaments to get people playing to win C-bills (in game cash), MC to game money) and items as rewards. There are plenty of things to buy with MC and there are sales going on from time to time on hero mechs, skins and colors. Constant sales make sure you don't have to wait long to get something cheap for your money. Finally, after an incident with doing consumable modules, the game seems to be keeping on track of having a no pay to win attitude, which is nice for this game. Instead it's more of a pay for convenience or pay to not grind for those feeling it's a grind to play the game.

    All in all, the game is fun to play. Ignoring the dev problems or past issues and just downloading it and playing for a while, it's a decent game. If community warfare and UI 2.0 manage to come out and works well enough, it could be a good game.    … Expand
  66. SmurfOff
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    While it is the most modern mechwarrior title, it still has a long way to go to be the best. The most disappointing point is that the developers have moved almost entirely away from the core battletech rules and have gone off implementing random "nerfs" and fixes for problems.

    This leads to a very inconsistent gameplay, and factoring in that movement and hit detection are "still a work    While it is the most modern mechwarrior title, it still has a long way to go to be the best. The most disappointing point is that the developers have moved almost entirely away from the core battletech rules and have gone off implementing random "nerfs" and fixes for problems.

    This leads to a very inconsistent gameplay, and factoring in that movement and hit detection are "still a work in progress" there are some very aggravating situations that just should not exist in a game that has had over 18 months in beta with hundreds of thousands of players.    … Expand
  67. ComradeWinston
    Oct 1, 2013
    5
    Boring.

    Where some games like Arma aren't action packed ADD experiences, they're still enjoyable. Mechwarrior is painfully uninspired and the customization system is too all over the place.
  68. Paddy71
    Sep 18, 2013
    6
    If you are Battletech enthusiast and have been wanting to find a place where you can fight pitched battles with your mech. This is it.
    It is very much in the spirit of older titles and foremost table top, with some deviations.
    Mech models, while not 100% faithful are well made and look and feel like huge machines of war, graphically mechs are the best looking part of game. (FASA did    If you are Battletech enthusiast and have been wanting to find a place where you can fight pitched battles with your mech. This is it.
    It is very much in the spirit of older titles and foremost table top, with some deviations.

    Mech models, while not 100% faithful are well made and look and feel like huge machines of war, graphically mechs are the best looking part of game.
    (FASA did “borrow” some models to original game they had no rights to, unfortunately. So a classic like Marauder will never be in exactly as it was in the original. But that is not a problem with MWO exactly) While graphics as a whole are not the best what Cryengine3 could do in single player, it gets the job done. To my eyes colors could use some vibrance, this is a little too bleak future view. Maybe upcoming directx11 update will improve graphic fidelity some. Maybe they are holding off on re-working maps until then? Who knows, unfortunately players are not much informed on whats and whys of the game.
    Weapon balance, which is still in flux, is reasonably good and weapons have their own flavor (albeit sometimes obvious OP weapons can get fixed too slow or too much, the process does go forward) and weapons sound good.

    Some maps are very pretty, some have good feel of scale, some not so pretty and some you don’t get feel for the scale. Ok enough I guess.

    There are unfortunately only two capture base gamemodes, but they’ll keep you entertained some time while you try getting new mechs. At least you will learn the maps by heart.
    Getting mechs does involve quite a bit of grind, especially the way skill trees are set up on mechs (They have been intending to re-work them for quite some time, but nothing yet) which means you need to get 3 variants of one mech to train the whole tree on one mech chassis to couple important improvements. And there are over 20 different chassis types, as a free to play you’d expect quite a bit of improvement when paying monthly fee… but it could really be better. It doesn’t feel like something you need to have when starting. As to buying mechs, they are real money expensive 5-20$ same with hero mechs (which are more distinct variants of a chassis, not pay to win)

    All in all, it is ok.
    You will get bored at some stage, there is no campaign. Gamemodes are effectively deathmatches to grind enough skill points/cbills to get new mechs.
    It does take ages, so if you want them all… prepare for a very long grind or very expensive shopping. (And more models are steadily coming)

    Then again, if you enjoy the game it is not really grind, at least once you master one mech model. You don’t HAVE to buy anything, but devs certainly make it as tempting as they can. (If only prices were a little more reasonable, I’d be buying stuff more. Guess this is free to play.)

    I have my gripes, I’d want the devs up their pace.. major features seem to be coming too slowly. Whatever you do in game, it doesn’t have any impact, you are just getting more cbills to get new mech models.

    I am bored with the endless deathmatch, but the game has me hooked (I hate it, but it is what it is). When I’m frustrated enough, I’ll take a break again and come back later.    … Expand
  69. Jzaltheral
    Sep 18, 2013
    6
    Mechwarrior Online, fresh from an extended open beta, is a solid game, despite the growing pains. The graphics are good to exceptional, and the Crysis engine provides a solid backbone for the game to run on. There are some issues with using 20 meter tall robots with the engine rather than 2 meter tall human models, but the game play is good, and matches are normally relatively quick, soMechwarrior Online, fresh from an extended open beta, is a solid game, despite the growing pains. The graphics are good to exceptional, and the Crysis engine provides a solid backbone for the game to run on. There are some issues with using 20 meter tall robots with the engine rather than 2 meter tall human models, but the game play is good, and matches are normally relatively quick, so you can get your fix in a hurry if you only have a few minutes to play.

    A lot of reviewers had very high expectations for this game at launch, based on information that the developer (PGI) released. Many of the promised features have been continually delayed, and the company is particularly poor at communicating with its customer base.

    That said, I gave the game a 6 out of 10 because it does offer good, solid entertainment value, and it is continuing to expand the features offered. It runs cleanly, with few glitches, and allows the players to get into the heat of battle rapidly. The maps are well done, and beautiful, and in most cases, offer a variety of tactical options for defeating your opponent besides the standard "Everyone run to the middle and shoot each other in the face."

    My rating would have been higher if the game had possessed more of the polished features that were supposed to be included at launch (UI 2.0, Community Warfare, etc). It is my sincerest hope that PGI can build on what they've started here and become the Battletech game we truly want, not just the only one we have.    … Expand
  70. Livewyr7
    Sep 18, 2013
    6
    Graphics: 9/10 (It is very pretty)
    Gameplay depth: 6/10 (In actual organized matches; it's good. In Random matches.. no organization: Also, no real incentive for anything but direct engagement, favoring heavier fighting machines.)
    Balance: 9/10 (No current egregious balance issues.) Developer relationship with community: 2/10 (A consistent disconnect with their own forums and having    Graphics: 9/10 (It is very pretty)
    Gameplay depth: 6/10 (In actual organized matches; it's good. In Random matches.. no organization: Also, no real incentive for anything but direct engagement, favoring heavier fighting machines.)
    Balance: 9/10 (No current egregious balance issues.)
    Developer relationship with community: 2/10 (A consistent disconnect with their own forums and having to check Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook for the up-to-date information.)
    New user experience: 5/10 (Dismal New user experience right now, the complex moving and fighting system is a learning cliff, however there is a tutorial out now, and more to come, to help out the new players.)
    Metagame: 2/10 (It really deserves a zero right now due to being non-existent at the moment, however it *is* coming, so since I know it's coming, but I don't know when, or in what form- it gets a two.)

    Game has a heck of a lot of potential in the form of meta-game to come, but core gameplay is now stable overall and within the confines of what you're playing, it's engaging. The developer needs to connect more with the community and actually engage in dialogue rather than "this is why you're wrong" scenarios.

    5.5/10 (and since that is even between 5 and 6.. I'll go with 6/10 to show a little hope...)    … Expand
  71. GholaX
    Sep 18, 2013
    6
    The game is fun to play, once you get the hang of it. Something to watch out for :
    * You cannot edit the loadout of a starter Mech, you have to buy one to do that
    * The purchase and configuration processes are convoluted, but are supposed to be fixed in UI2.0 * you make a lot of money up front as a new player for the first 25 matches, after that you grind for every CBILL. Buy a Mech you    The game is fun to play, once you get the hang of it. Something to watch out for :
    * You cannot edit the loadout of a starter Mech, you have to buy one to do that
    * The purchase and configuration processes are convoluted, but are supposed to be fixed in UI2.0
    * you make a lot of money up front as a new player for the first 25 matches, after that you grind for every CBILL. Buy a Mech you like, because you will be playing it alot to buy equipment and/or the next one.

    The Developers chose to launch the game without many key features, such as the meta game (the point of playing, beyond blowing things up) or the updated UI. Why this is, only they know. Communication with the Devs is spotty at best, as I am sure other reviewers have espoused profusely.

    If they game had the major gameplay features that really make the game, then I would have given a higher score. Today, they are not there, despite being overdue by a year, and so I leave you with this: The game is fun to play, but it has its problems, replayability being a major one. It just gets stale after a while. Despite that, I can't put it down.    … Expand
  72. Kaizor
    Oct 24, 2013
    5
    I was very excited to try the game out, waited a night for it to download, and was sorely disappointed after playing a few matches. The game kept tossing me up against grizzled veterans, and squaddies who hated anybody who wasn't very good. I have to say, the community for this game is horrible when it comes to new players. I'm not saying it's a bad game, if you had friends or knew whatI was very excited to try the game out, waited a night for it to download, and was sorely disappointed after playing a few matches. The game kept tossing me up against grizzled veterans, and squaddies who hated anybody who wasn't very good. I have to say, the community for this game is horrible when it comes to new players. I'm not saying it's a bad game, if you had friends or knew what you were doing it'd probably be fun, the sounds are nice, the graphics are okay, but really none of that makes a difference when you're being murdered horribly.… Expand
  73. Yassum
    Sep 18, 2013
    6
    The game is far from finished, the development is glacial at best. I am a founder and played from closed beta to now (on and off). The features creep in too slowly to keep it truly interesting for long. 2 Game modes which most of the time end up in team deathmatch, only 6 maps if you don't count the night versions of them. The developers also lied at least 2 times to the community, whichThe game is far from finished, the development is glacial at best. I am a founder and played from closed beta to now (on and off). The features creep in too slowly to keep it truly interesting for long. 2 Game modes which most of the time end up in team deathmatch, only 6 maps if you don't count the night versions of them. The developers also lied at least 2 times to the community, which is a shame. The game is not so beautiful even with a powerful computer.
    The gameplay is fun for a while, but quite basic. Some weapons are useless and there are a lot of undocumented mechanics, which will prevent newbies to be effective.
    It's lackluster, but fun for a while. I much preferred Tribes Ascend.    … Expand
  74. tuffy963
    Sep 18, 2013
    6
    The Good: Great experience "piloting" the mechs (giant robots). A visually compelling game! A clear skill set needed to pilot the mechs, hit your target, and position your mechs for maximum effect.

    The Bad: No overarching sense of progression, Meta-game is somewhere between non-existent and muddled beyond recognition. Stagnate, repetitive game play (Disclaimer: It kept me interested    The Good: Great experience "piloting" the mechs (giant robots). A visually compelling game! A clear skill set needed to pilot the mechs, hit your target, and position your mechs for maximum effect.

    The Bad: No overarching sense of progression, Meta-game is somewhere between non-existent and muddled beyond recognition. Stagnate, repetitive game play (Disclaimer: It kept me interested for about two months, but that is short for an MMO, IMO). Very little social features (No outfits, no LFG, Friend list is simplistic)

    Summary: Be prepared to spend some time learning to pilot. Enjoy the stunning visual combats. Don't look for too much meaning as to why you are stomping around in the robot in the first place. You will need to make friends using guild websites and public TS servers, etc.    … Expand
  75. ZenDragon
    Sep 18, 2013
    6
    Positives:
    Visually the graphics are good, and the game does a decent job of bringing some of my favorite mechs to life.
    The game offers a FPS experience that is fast paced, and takes an enjoyable level of skill to do well. Compared to other FPS titles I have tried, I found this one extremely easy to get into. Meh: Technology I would like to see the game fully support multiple    Positives:
    Visually the graphics are good, and the game does a decent job of bringing some of my favorite mechs to life.

    The game offers a FPS experience that is fast paced, and takes an enjoyable level of skill to do well. Compared to other FPS titles I have tried, I found this one extremely easy to get into.

    Meh:
    Technology
    I would like to see the game fully support multiple monitors and SLI. The controls really need to be waay more configurable. The game has a problematic implementation of 3PV by default, in short it should prompt you to select which view you would prefer.

    Gameplay
    There is currently no metagame, in-game story, or honestly reason to be fighting to speak of, and a limited number of static battle grounds to play on. In short, the game play starts feeling redundant quickly. The game does have potential and hopefully it will start to be realized in the short term.    … Expand
  76. Idle_anon
    Oct 5, 2013
    6
    This game has its good points and bad points but it's also still under continuing development. It might be a while before we start seeing things such as the strategic element but they do have a roadmap and have given it much thought.
    I'd say this game is alright and has potential. Certainly worth checking in to see how it progresses but not something I would hold my breath over since the    This game has its good points and bad points but it's also still under continuing development. It might be a while before we start seeing things such as the strategic element but they do have a roadmap and have given it much thought.
    I'd say this game is alright and has potential. Certainly worth checking in to see how it progresses but not something I would hold my breath over since the progress is a touch on the slow side. Still, I enjoy it from time to time.    … Expand
  77. TenderLoving
    Sep 18, 2013
    6
    My recommendation for this game is definitely "try it before you buy it." It's free to play, so give it time before you open up your wallet.

    The game has amazing potential, but the gamble is that it may never be realized. Currently it is a shooter with no meta-game other than upgraded and customizing your mecs. Matches are largely repetitive as there are only 2 game modes where the    My recommendation for this game is definitely "try it before you buy it." It's free to play, so give it time before you open up your wallet.

    The game has amazing potential, but the gamble is that it may never be realized. Currently it is a shooter with no meta-game other than upgraded and customizing your mecs. Matches are largely repetitive as there are only 2 game modes where the true objective is simply killing the other team. There are plans to add more game modes in the future, but if variety is what you want you should spend your money on something that actually exists.

    Actual gameplay is solid, the mechs move and feel like giant robots, and the graphics are great. There are myriad smaller issues such as the UI, game balance, matchmaking, and other features, but these are overshadowed by the fact that its core the game is very shallow. If you are looking for quick mindless fun then the game may be up your alley; the irony is that MWO was advertised as something entirely different.    … Expand
  78. Hatachi
    Sep 18, 2013
    6
    This game is a rough, but possibly promising game in an underrepresented genre.

    The game is a game featuring high customization, single spawn, game with heavy use of terrain needed for survival. Different roles: Brawlers, Snipers, Missile Support, Calvary/ Hit and Run Harrying, Mid-Range Sustained Damage, Damage Soaking Assault Center-points. If you have have a dedicated group to play    This game is a rough, but possibly promising game in an underrepresented genre.

    The game is a game featuring high customization, single spawn, game with heavy use of terrain needed for survival. Different roles: Brawlers, Snipers, Missile Support, Calvary/ Hit and Run Harrying, Mid-Range Sustained Damage, Damage Soaking Assault Center-points. If you have have a dedicated group to play with the intricacies will reveal themselves. The staleness sets in at the same time with the lack of variety in gameplay modes and a feeling of progression that matters beyond more chassis to choose from. Promised relief for these issues has been promised but has not been delivered. This leads to my next point.

    This game has had a troubled development with, what is widely considered a awkward player/ developer dynamic. The game itself in its current state I would give a stretching it seven. It would of been bumped up a further point due to the fact it just has no competition and is operating in a vacuum. If you want an experience like this, this is your only fix. I have to knock a point for the developers constant lack of reaching stated goals in a timely manner. This is a game that is selling itself on further development down the road and those behind the rudder aren't the best helmsmen.

    In summation, It's worth a check to see if it's a niche that feels an itch for you. Be prepared to take breaks from the game if you feel the game wearing thin on you. I would also like add the game is NOT pay to win. The grind is noticeable, but most of the money only mechs lend themselves to esoteric, very extreme, or sometimes under performing builds, but very few rival or can't be replaced by freely available mechs.    … Expand
  79. Laserkid
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    6/10, Functional but with better thing yet to come.

    Business Model: Free to Play, this game is one of the many adopting this method of monetization. The real money currency (MC) is used to purchase camo pattern, paint colors, premium mechs (cred boost, unique variant), Premium Account time (XP/cred boost), Mech Bays, and premium consumables. Pay to Win? No, the premium (Hero)    6/10, Functional but with better thing yet to come.

    Business Model: Free to Play, this game is one of the many adopting this method of monetization. The real money currency (MC) is used to purchase camo pattern, paint colors, premium mechs (cred boost, unique variant), Premium Account time (XP/cred boost), Mech Bays, and premium consumables.

    Pay to Win? No, the premium (Hero) mechs give one a credit boost while using them and are different, not better, then their normal counter parts. Premium consumables have normal equivalents one can attain through in game means. Premium Accounts only give enhanced credits and XP. Como, paint, items are only ascetic. The only pay wall element is mech bays, which allow you to own and customize additional mechs. While this will not affect new players or their competitiveness, once they get their own mech kitted out properly, it does become an issue later on. This likely will change with the new game modes require multiple mechs that the developers have in mind.

    Front end: At time of release Mechwarrior Online is still using its place holder UI while a newer more functional one is in the final stages of development. This is one of the main reasons for the low score. It is very basic. Community building elements are missing or difficult to use. Tutorials on how to use this UI are missing, likely because it will be changing soon.

    Graphics: Unfortunately another negative point. Cryengine 3 has the potential for more detail, lighting and environmental effects, but this eye candy has taken a back seat to game play. Scaling is a letdown because what you mostly see are indestructible buildings and other 10 meter tall mechs. Trees stand obstinately despite lasers and missiles passing threw them. The ground isn’t cratered after 12 mechs get don’t pounding on another 12. Building care not for your puny hyper velocity rail guns hitting them.
    Game play: Utterly solid, once one figures out how to customize their mech it becomes a simple drag and drop affair. This though is the one of the meatier parts of the game, balancing or unbalancing damage with heat generation, mobility and armor. Mechs once “on the ground” handle well and uniquely based on their chassis strengths and weaknesses, combining with weapons unique properties makes for a very complex and in depth experience. The primitive UI again mars the experience though, the in game chat is up at the top left and you definitely will not be reading it in the thick of combat. There is no single player campaign in Mechwarrior Online, this has been stated at a design decision by the developers. More games modes are planned but at time or release, its eather a capture the flag mode or point control mode. There is also a limited selection of maps, with a few being just night variants or minor tweaks like snow.

    Sound: There is no background music in Mechwarrior Online, again a mixed blessing. There is no in game voice communications, again a mixed blessing. Bain for new players, boon for one who have more organization. The boom of large caliber weapons, impacts of said weapons, hum of reactors, alarms, thumping footsteps tend get stepped over and frantic in high intensity fights. A good thing?

    Meta Game: As of release, there is none. Players cannot even form their own units due to the primitive UI, leaving those with a mind to group up and cooperate to outside of game means. The planned meta game seeks to outright replace the current game play

    Community and Communication: As stated above the lack of a suitable UI is the major hindrance. The community itself that patched itself together despite it run the gambit of extremely dedicated livestreamers, Mechwarrior lore fanatics, casual gamers, redditers, and forum goers, a great many care very deeply for the game. The developers, fair or foul, are actually quite engaged with their customer’s compared to other online games.    … Expand
  80. Flavor-Country
    Sep 21, 2013
    6
    I love this game and play it near daily. I have for most of a year, since open beta began. I've learned to dislike the devs as promises made are not promises kept. 3pv specifically. Anemic content, horrid tutorials, broken hit boxes, bad netcode, cbill nerf, but...it's getting better. Someday we'll have a complete MechWarrior game. Someday just not now, not yet.
  81. SilverlightPony
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    Fairly good, but still needs a lot of work to be what it *should* be. Tempted to rate lower due to broken promises and missed goals, but I do legitimately have fun with it most of the time..
  82. Farpenoodle
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    If I were to give this game a score on a personal level, it'd probably be an 8. I've always been a "gameplay is king" kind of guy and in my opinion MWO delivers. It's buggy and rough around the edges while doing so but it delivers on that front. However, since I'm scoring it for most people, it's basically around a 5 or 6. I'm erring a bit on the positive side because I do think mostIf I were to give this game a score on a personal level, it'd probably be an 8. I've always been a "gameplay is king" kind of guy and in my opinion MWO delivers. It's buggy and rough around the edges while doing so but it delivers on that front. However, since I'm scoring it for most people, it's basically around a 5 or 6. I'm erring a bit on the positive side because I do think most people can find something to like if they can get past the steep learning curve.

    Lack of modes, a bad UI, no tutorial of substance and lack of any kind of endgame besides grinding for more mechs make this a spotty proposition for anyone looking for a complete gaming package at this time.

    However, if you're like me and care more about the core of the game rather than the things built around it, you can find a lot to like.

    A lot of the above issues are also being worked on. My advice for most people is to wait until most of those features are online before diving in. If you want to take a chance, there's no harm considering it's a F2P, but keep in mind unless you're like me and are content with just the core gameplay you probably will not walk away with a particularly positive impression.    … Expand
  83. Mba400
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    first of all I would ignore most of the crappy reviews less than 4) as well as all of the 9s and 10s. the bad scores are ppl who are pretty pissed right now and the high scores are mostly fake. the problem is there's a lot to like and hate about the game.

    The good? It's a good mech simulator, I feel like im in a big stompy mech. there was a time that colliding with another mech    first of all I would ignore most of the crappy reviews less than 4) as well as all of the 9s and 10s. the bad scores are ppl who are pretty pissed right now and the high scores are mostly fake. the problem is there's a lot to like and hate about the game.

    The good? It's a good mech simulator, I feel like im in a big stompy mech. there was a time that colliding with another mech could cause you to fall down and many are mad that that was removed (I don't have experience with it, b4 my time)
    there's many different kinds of mechs each with different versions to choose from and u can customize weapon loadout, armor, ammo and add equipment like jump jets and ecm (depending on the mech version) I personally have spent tons of time in the "mech lab" just trying out different builds for my mechs. depending on the mech u could get some crazy builds (might not be good but It can be fun)
    gameplay is pretty good too, you are able to blow off limbs and other sections of a mech instead of having just an HP bar.

    The bad? balance for weapons can vary wildly with each patch. while many patches have gradual minor tweaks to improve balance, every once in a while they have one that wreaks a certain weapon and by extension certain mechs. Its commonly called the "nerf hammer" and its something to watch out for. check the patch log on the forums so you're not caught unawares.
    the game economy can be rough for new players too. Newbies get a "cadet bonus" for the first 20 games or so that can add up to about 10 million c-bills to purchase new mechs. the problem is that even a "medium class" mech can cost anywhere from 4 to 7 million c-bills, not counting new weapons or upgrades and after the cadet bonus its a herd slog to earn more money for new mechs and hardware. MWO even released stats saying the average player only makes about 70k c-bills a game. a newbie would probably earn less initially so it could literally take you hundreds of matches to earn enough for a new mech, and that's tough for a casual player.

    So theres things Iike and things that can be improved. However theres big plans on the horizon with Community Warfare, U.I. 2.0, and the Clans. While I would hold off shelling out a lot of money at the moment in the future I could easily be changing my score to a 10 and cant-throw-my-money-at-this-fast-enough.    … Expand
  84. Ming120
    Jan 23, 2015
    6
    Back in the mid-late 1990s, getting into the Mechwarrior franchise was a matter of going to the store, paying the average price of oh, say, $55, and taking home a rather large box that contained a disc and a beautifully printed manual. Within the disc was the core game--a game that contained up to 60 'mechs to drive, unlimited customization, a single player campaign with an engagingBack in the mid-late 1990s, getting into the Mechwarrior franchise was a matter of going to the store, paying the average price of oh, say, $55, and taking home a rather large box that contained a disc and a beautifully printed manual. Within the disc was the core game--a game that contained up to 60 'mechs to drive, unlimited customization, a single player campaign with an engaging storyline, a richly composed musical score, and a function to connect to a multiplayer community where people really got to know each other.

    Today, paying $55 dollars to get into Mechwarrior Online can afford you maybe one 'mech and a couple variants to that 'mech, and pretty much lacking most of the mentioned features above. To be fair though, you really don't have to pay a dime to get into Mechwarrior Online, but this is how the developers of the game earn their their money. Generally, getting what you want in the game either involves earning in-game currency by playing with mostly random people on the same three game modes over and over again, or by paying up.

    The game itself is okay though, and hence why I would be hesitant to give it a lower score. To some extent, the sounds and the graphics are top-notch, so it really does feel like you are driving a large 'mech while playing. Most of the maps are beautifully crafted as well.

    What really hinders MWO from the get-go, however, is that it is probably the most hollow game of the series. The lack of features is appalling; the business model is appalling; and the need to grind gets old over time. There are also times when you really don't feel like you accomplished much after a game outside of grabbing a bit of in-game currency and xp to unlock stuff (kind of like your typical F2P game). Factions and the implementation of community warfare seems to improve on the game, but it just doesn't feel like much. Is it a likeable game? Sure. I do like the game myself. I just can't love it.    … Expand
  85. Cart1082
    Sep 18, 2013
    6
    For players, who don't really know the BT-Universe and it's content (let's say: someone with no expactations), it's maybe a nice first person shooter with big robots. The Graphics are nice, the sound too and the most bugs are fixed since a while.

    But for people, who know the BT-Universe and had some expectations, it's quite disappointing...there is so many potential in this    For players, who don't really know the BT-Universe and it's content (let's say: someone with no expactations), it's maybe a nice first person shooter with big robots. The Graphics are nice, the sound too and the most bugs are fixed since a while.

    But for people, who know the BT-Universe and had some expectations, it's quite disappointing...there is so many potential in this universe...not only two teams of Battlemechs who stomp each other to the ground or cap each others bases...and with the Launch, I had expected some of that...at least CW...
    They said, they want to follow the timeline from the books...and you would fight for planets etc...but you are still fighting for nothing...

    I will play on, but mostly because of the player I know there, than because of the game itself...    … Expand
  86. Trance
    Oct 24, 2013
    6
    It's fun. Sit around the computer at get drunk fun. But before that is a lot of time wasted and plenty of frustration to accommodate the experience to an average level at best.
  87. MRJayJ
    Sep 22, 2013
    7
    I have played since closed beta and the game is very fun and entertaining, but there has been a major lack of variation in game play and mechanics since closed beta. PGI has taken a big stance on giving the finger to some of their player base due to decisions made for the game (and i agree they are bad (3pv)). Other than that the game shows great promise just does not have a lot ofI have played since closed beta and the game is very fun and entertaining, but there has been a major lack of variation in game play and mechanics since closed beta. PGI has taken a big stance on giving the finger to some of their player base due to decisions made for the game (and i agree they are bad (3pv)). Other than that the game shows great promise just does not have a lot of variation or content to be worth paying money into it. Whenever Community warfare and some other key features are released this game should be well worth any monetary investment, but at its current state I would definitely take advantage, playing for free, the best mechwarrior game since mw3.… Expand
  88. ShadeZ
    Sep 19, 2013
    6
    I am not a founder but yet I still enjoy this game. I've been playing it for almost a year and there are lots of bad reviews written that is utterly untrue.

    The game is balanced and anybody says it otherwise should review what were they doing on the battlefield and with what mech because every mech in the game is designed differently with different roles. Don't tell me you were killed    I am not a founder but yet I still enjoy this game. I've been playing it for almost a year and there are lots of bad reviews written that is utterly untrue.

    The game is balanced and anybody says it otherwise should review what were they doing on the battlefield and with what mech because every mech in the game is designed differently with different roles. Don't tell me you were killed because you go 1v1 with a long range support against a melee brawler and then you say its not balanced. You must be some kind of special stupid to say that otherwise.

    Learn your mech and use trial and error to learn your mistakes and be a good pilot of your mech. I grinded my way to own 3 mechs for almost a year and I am still not done out fitting them with the proper equipment I planned to outfit it with. So don't complain that you've grind for a week or two and say its a cash whoring game because it is a typical cash whoring F2P game and get over it!

    The reason why I rate this game at 6 mainly because you really do have to grind countless hours of gameplay to get to where I am and along with various disappointments such as the absence of faction warfare. Overall it is still an enjoyable game.

    GLHF    … Expand
  89. Vunguard
    Jul 14, 2014
    5
    Allow me to preface this by saying that I adore the Mechwarrior/Battletech series, besides the very first two Need For Speeds, Mechwarrior was the very first game I ever played, and I have loved every other installment in the series, even the flawed MechAssaults. This though... this makes me want to cry. The core mechanics are perfectly serviceable. The mechs move and feel appropriatelyAllow me to preface this by saying that I adore the Mechwarrior/Battletech series, besides the very first two Need For Speeds, Mechwarrior was the very first game I ever played, and I have loved every other installment in the series, even the flawed MechAssaults. This though... this makes me want to cry. The core mechanics are perfectly serviceable. The mechs move and feel appropriately clunky and tough, though I do think some of the light mechs should jiggle around more. The jump jets feel about right. The heat management is exactly what should be expected and works perfectly. The autocannons are different from the styles of the old games but in my opinion feel much more appropriate to the type of combat that Mechwarrior is based on. The lasers are weird but not unreasonable, much like Mechwarrior 3's variants actually. The missiles are exactly what they needed to be. The PPC's (the big dogs of the laser family, for those not in the know) need a little more punch for the amount of heat they cause, in fact you never see them used for the most part, but they're not bad feeling, just need balancing. The gauss rifles are awkward to use, but rewarding. I think there's only two or three mechs in the entire garage that I would call useless, most of them have some sort of place for certain playstyles. Heck, this game made light mechs actually usable finally! That NEEDS to be worth some kind of medal. The damage system is nice and accurate, the hud is pretty decent though I think that some of the indicators need tweaks. The hangar hud is a bit clunky and crowded, but not unusable, a bit like how some websites need to lay off the side bars. The radar system is great and is pretty much World of Tanks' system without the invisible-tank nonsense. And to top it all off, even the customization system is very much something that translated straight from the old Battletech games, and in a good way.

    So why is the score so low?

    Well, while the mechanics are fine, they've been slapped onto a multiplayer system that is ten kinds of awful. First, the maps. The maps are downright dreadful. Most of them are urban maps, and to be very blunt, mechs aren't great for urban fighting, they specialize in mountains and small facilities--hell one of the best maps is one with high temperatures which make your mech overheat easier... and that's something that I should be raging about. And most of the non-urban maps have mountains too steep to climb, another big no-no for the mech series; you should have a few unscale-able mountains, but most should be just steep enough to be dangerously slow to assault mechs, but perfectly usable for scouts. Actually, a lot of the maps are kind of small to begin with, especially the already claustrophobic urban maps. On top of that, in the old games you were able to change your load-out depending on the map. Why? Because if it's cold or snowing you can go crazy with whatever you feel like, but if you're in deserts you should drop the heat-happy lasers and maybe even put heavier reactive armor on to repulse more common bullets. But here? Nnnooope. You're stuck with what you've got... which may be part of the reason for the heat-happy PPC's not being used now that I think about it.

    The monetizing is aggressively tight-fisted, worse than World of Tanks in a lot of ways actually. I don't mind monetizing custom gear or quick ways to get mechs, but make it so that in-game credits are actually viable, not something where you need to fight a hundred battles in one of the stock rentals just to get a scout mech. Actually, the 'rental' mech idea is pretty neat as a concept, but with the credits being so useless, it becomes taunting.

    And then there's the matchmaking. Sweet Jesus. In World of Tanks, the idea is that usually there's about the same number of tanks from certain tiers, or it's supposed to be balanced. Doesn't work, but whatever. Well not MWO. Here it's possible to have nothing but assault and heavy mechs on one side, and maybe two assault mechs and a support Catapult with a swarm of mediums and scouts on the other. It makes the game almost unplayably unfair.

    Also, why in Heaven's name can't I set my weapon groups in the hangar? It's annoying to be stuck with a new or modified mech at the beginning of a match and just sitting there regrouping everything.

    Beyond that, the graphics are CryEngine standard: good but hard on the computer. The animations are great, especially the start-up stuff. And there's some nice visual modifications to be had if you want to shell the money out.

    There is a wonderful mech game somewhere in here just begging to get out, but somehow it got buried under tedium, money grabbing, and horrid maps. Someone save Mechwarrior! Because these guys sure won't from the looks of things.    … Expand
  90. kelvincasing
    Jul 8, 2014
    5
    At its core, MWO provides some extremely fun mech on mech action. Be prepared for a steep learning curve, but the game looks slick and plays well. That said, there are some clunky in-game "balancing" quirks that no one fully understands (e.g. ghost heat).

    Unfortunately, that's as far as the game goes. The developers originally proposed a roadmap offering a wider meta-game, with mechs    At its core, MWO provides some extremely fun mech on mech action. Be prepared for a steep learning curve, but the game looks slick and plays well. That said, there are some clunky in-game "balancing" quirks that no one fully understands (e.g. ghost heat).

    Unfortunately, that's as far as the game goes. The developers originally proposed a roadmap offering a wider meta-game, with mechs battling it out for control of territory in a persistent universe. Many other features have seemingly fallen by the wayside as well. Currently, you can expect no in-game VoIP, no lobbies, no training, and no community warfare. It's just drop, shoot, rinse and repeat on a woefully small collection of maps. And it gets old fast.

    The game is F2P. However, if you do choose to spend, BEWARE. The game is ferociously overpriced for what it delivers if you buy into the packages. The latest Clan packs cost up to $500, or $55 for a single mech of your choosing. That's the price of a new AAA title for ONE mech, which you can only use in the same limited game and does little to change the core experience. Many fans have also been alienated by the fact that the developers have repeatedly failed to deliver on previous design promises and deadlines.

    Compared to today's in store retail titles, this entire game could never sell for more than ÂŁ15 ($25). Unfortunately, the developers have clearly made the decision to focus on new "sellable" content, rather than content that would add to the overall game. Spending ÂŁ15 on some new camo, or a couple of the unique "hero" mechs, is justifiable - but on no account spend more; there is simply no deeper game here to warrant it.

    The core of MWO is good fun, and it's sad that the developers have not built on this solid foundation to produce the compelling Mechwarrior game fans have been hoping for since Mechwarrior 4: Mercenaries hit the shelves. A focus on making money, rather than a love of the franchise, seems to be at the crux of this. MWO pulls off the remarkable feat of being both completely free to play and horrendously overpriced at the same time.

    Bottom line: A fun mech shooter that's worth your time, but not your money.    … Expand
  91. Chocksa
    Jul 23, 2014
    5
    This is a game i have mixed feelings about. On one side i like it, on the other side i hate it. Explanation below.

    Things i like: - Strategic gameplay: The actual battles require a higher amount of tactics than most others games in this genre. - Mech costumization: There is a lot of it available. - Numbers of mechs: There are a lot of mechs to choose from. There is something for    This is a game i have mixed feelings about. On one side i like it, on the other side i hate it. Explanation below.

    Things i like:
    - Strategic gameplay: The actual battles require a higher amount of tactics than most others games in this genre.
    - Mech costumization: There is a lot of it available.
    - Numbers of mechs: There are a lot of mechs to choose from. There is something for everyone.

    Things i don't like:
    - The F2P label shouldn't be on this game: I am the kind of guy that, in this kind of games likes to play different mechs. And here is my problem. You start with 4 mechbays. Once you have 4 mechs in those bays and have grinded enough in game currency to buy a 5th you also have to spend a bit of real money to buy a new mech bay to house this new mech. For me this means this is a payed game masquerading as a F2P game.
    - Gameplay is not fast: This is a bit personal but i like a slightly faster paced game than this. This is by all means not a fast game. Sometimes it takes minutes to take down a single enemy. I prefer fast excillerating duels wich rely on adrenalin fueled reflexes, i don't get that in this game.    … Expand
  92. Aerokii
    Sep 18, 2013
    7
    This isn't a game without problems. That much is obvious from the get-go, and one might even say it's not ready for launch. There are features missing that would turn this game into something great rather than your average deathmatch-stravaganza. Plus, developer communication has been horrid.

    That being said, the game can still be tremendously fun. The graphics are gorgeous, the sound    This isn't a game without problems. That much is obvious from the get-go, and one might even say it's not ready for launch. There are features missing that would turn this game into something great rather than your average deathmatch-stravaganza. Plus, developer communication has been horrid.

    That being said, the game can still be tremendously fun. The graphics are gorgeous, the sound is well done, and there's nothing quite like the feeling of standing in an 18 story tall 100 ton war machine that turns fear itself into your ally. The core mechanics are all there, and strong. This isn't your average twitch shooter- this game requires a lot of thought, strategy, and team work in order for you to be successful, and the level of customization available to you is enormous. Arguably I'd say that may actually be more fun than the combat itself, since I've always enjoyed building and designing things- so now you get to design your 'Mech just the way you want it, and then use it to blow people up! What could be better?

    The learning curve can be a bit steep, but once you're in, you're hooked. Plus, the game's free to play with no P2W elements (I paid and still suck!), so you've got nothing to lose but hardware space in trying it. Forget the reviews- just give it a shot yourself and see what you think!    … Expand
  93. Dexyt
    Sep 26, 2013
    7
    Mechwarrior Online is a decent game. The concept is solid and has potential, but at the moment there is not much content (and a lot of grinding to make up for it) and there is an inexcusable technical problem which makes small fast mechs unreasonably difficult to hit. Aside from this, the matches are fun. In organized groups, there is considerable depth to the gameplay as well.
  94. Axesci
    Sep 17, 2013
    7
    The game lacks most features yet, but they are coming:D
    The game has kept me playing for over half a year.
    It is sadly released prematurely.
    Try it out, People. judge it for yourself and do not listen to these people, which wants the game to fail, just because they have a beef With the Developer/producer.
  95. microcoma
    Oct 4, 2013
    7
    A fun and nostalgic game, but PGI made a huge mistake by bringing the game out of beta in the state that it's in. If they had waited until the release of UI 2.0, more game modes, and more polish, I believe the game would have been better at the official release, and subsequently, the reviews would have been better. The game needs a good bit of work to be great.
  96. BillAnderson
    Sep 20, 2013
    7
    Would like to see more to it and the grouping function is clunky, otherwise I like it. Have only been playing it since July, however. I like where it's going.
  97. IgrokU
    Sep 18, 2013
    7
    I have been playing MWO since beta, and can recommend this game. Is it perfect- no, but is it fun- yes.

    The learning curve for new players is steep, but once you get playing, it is fun. The price is right= free, so you have nothing to lose giving this game a try.
  98. Fishhawk
    Sep 17, 2013
    7
    As a long-time Battletech fan, this game is a lot of fun. However, there are quite a few things missing at the moment. No Community Warfare hurts badly. Right now you just play for mech XP and Cbills to buy more mechs. No other reason. Hopefully this game will be a 10/10 by this time next year.
  99. ppetermann
    Sep 18, 2013
    7
    Its a nice casual MW game at the moment, it still lacks a lot of content, basically it is like World of Tanks without clan wars, with Mechs.

    If you can live with - the lack of PVE content - no territorial conflicts through battles - comparably low amount of Mechs available - some game design balancing choices that break with canon boardgames - an extremely whiny community you    Its a nice casual MW game at the moment, it still lacks a lot of content, basically it is like World of Tanks without clan wars, with Mechs.

    If you can live with
    - the lack of PVE content
    - no territorial conflicts through battles
    - comparably low amount of Mechs available
    - some game design balancing choices that break with canon boardgames
    - an extremely whiny community

    you will have a good time.    … Expand
  100. Dark_Awakening
    Sep 19, 2013
    7
    Expect a slightly flawed game which makes tremendous fun. It has solid core mechanics with lots of promised but not yet delivered content and a switch around developer who doesnt take his own promises that seriously.

    Nevertheless I've never invested that much time in a single game. If they can deliver more content, it will rock. 7/10 atm
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Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
96
#96 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. IGN Italia
    Sep 14, 2014
    85
    Nice gameplay and deep strategy for the latest incarnation of Mechwarrior. Too bad it lacks any kind of Single Player content.
    Read full review
  2. PC Gamer
    Nov 4, 2013
    83
    Slightly overpriced, but a more than worthy successor to one of PC gaming’s greatest franchises that nails the important part: combat.
    Read full review
  3. Multiplayer.it
    Oct 22, 2013
    65
    MechWarrior Online does a pretty good job in balancing out the gameplay and gives you lots of BattleMechs, weapons and items to buy, but it's got only two game modes and it's definitely not that fun.
    Read full review
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