Recent reviews by Gill

This game has more historical lore in the first hour than almost all the other Battletech games combined.

Sure, the others 'advanced' the story, but this time we have world and galaxy building for those who don't already know it, wrapped up in a great mech shooter with dense story.

The game's difficulty is sorta typical for the first few missions in the second act where you're expected to move worlds in a light 'mech but it all quickly changed by time you finish off act 1.

Some gameplay changes took a bit of getting used to, with the Mechlab, Salvage and money serving a very different purpose here (The clans ain't exactly struggling for tech or wealth you see, especially not during the invasion) with them being more like checks and balances. Instead your progression and management is more down to how well you can look after your Star Points (Lance mates) and your mechs and leverage their skills. Combined with a considerably better RTS style command mode, this time you actually feel like a leader, rather than just the F1-F3 of MW5 Mercs

It feels different than MW5 Mercs in the best way. The story is great, captures the Clan way of life perfectly and shows how different they are from the IS. You're still very very much the bad guys here, make no mistake, but it makes a pleasant change from the very tired IS centric story lines we've had to suffer through since MW3.

I can't get over how good this is.

Slightly more realistic flight model than VTOL's other offerings without drifting too far from VTOL's 'style' and perfectly flyable solo with a bit of a heavier work load. However the aircraft really shines in multiplayer. Grab a friend and this aircraft becomes something else.

Amazing product and absolutely worth every single penny of the asking price.

You know, honestly? I rather enjoyed this!

It's simple and to the point with surprisingly good voice acting considering the budget the game probably had (good enough that there were a few times where I was almost convinced not to swing my sword; More on that later!) and while the gameplay itself is pretty basic and nothing to write home about, I found the little history lesson while cleaning my blade a nice touch and the ritual of cleaning and sharpening at the end of the day surprisingly enjoyable. It's the simple things in VR, huh?

The game's art style - a complete lack of red in the colour pallet - reminds me of an old CRT I had when I was a kid that had a broken SCART, so that made me smile, but I have to say for a game that is pretty gruesome in concept, it seems odd to shy away from gore. Ultimately though, it's an unimportant part of the game.

A big plus for me was the closing screen - seeing how you stacked up against other would-be executioners who played, and I have to say (remember when I said I had trouble swinging my sword sometimes?) seeing Millgram's Study being used to influence the game was an excellent little touch that made the Criminal Psychologist in me smile. Well executed, Samuel Gordon, well executed indeed.

The controls are a bit fiddly (Though I hear that's been fixed since I played) and the hand rotation never felt quiet right, and sure, it's a bit repetitive... but for a few quid you'll get an excellent little gamified take on one of both History's and Psychology's most influential and important experiments.

Don't go into this expecting deep mechanics or even really engaging gameplay, and be sure to play it alone with NO outside influence from friends or family. Once you're done though (or if you've finished this already) PLEASE go take a read of the Milgram's Shock Experiment (As well as the other books and studies referenced in the credits).

I think it gives this game a lot more oomph, and I even feel the creator should put much more emphasis on this experiment post-credits.

I'll be honest, I went into this game long after the hype train had suffciently polluted every social media platform I used and all my friends wouldn't stop talking about it. After being pressured to play the game I _FULLY_ expected to resent every single moment of it.

I was wrong.

I'd find it incredibly hard to write a review for this game without lacing it with potential spoilers and giving away massive tracts of the plot. Suffice to say it becomes one of the most engrossing storyline experiences near the end where, proiding you've paid at least a bit of attention to the story (And even random one off conversations until that point) everything will click into place, moving the game from a simple and enjoyable experience to one of the best RPGs you'll play this decade.

The music is incredible, the monster designs are amusing and cute, the combat system will test your reflexes and problem solving abilities and the subtle yet consistent prods at the 4th are ingenious.

If you're one of the 5 people left who havn't played this game yet... get it. Play it.

'Mech Warrior Online is an incredible shooter that, while not as 'simulation' heavy as the older titles in the series, still ends up coming out feeling like the only decent 'Mech Simulator on the market for the last 10 years. Forget that Hawken junk.

'Mech Warrior Online is set in the battletech universe and as such brings 30 years worth of history and lore with it, though admittedly most of is left on the table and instead you're given a solid, action packed shooter that focuses on what matters: The 'Mechs. And it pulls the combat off excellently. No absured spotting mechanic that plagues these kind of games, no stupid dice rolls and 24% deviance on impact, no sloping and facing that unrealistically bounces shots (Thoug this skill is replaces with your own skills at spreading damage) and of course, no Russian Bias.

BALANCE, as with most shooters is a hard thing to talk about. It's constantly in flux and tryhards always use the current meta builds that weild the most damage in a single strike and nothing else. However saying that, balance is in the best place it's ever been for a long long time. Sure there are still some usless weapons (Flame throwerers) but now it's more about what works on your 'Mech rather than how many of weapon X you can squeeze on. I have never once found a death in MWO to be annoying or 'cheap' in MWO. Something I don't think any other game can claim.

'Mechs themselves are also generally well balanced however there are 'Mechs that are simply better than others in certain weight catagories. They usually have tradeoffs, and many of the "Worse" Inner Sphere 'Mechs have "Quirks" to make them more appealing, like better refire rate on a weapon, more range, more damage, etc. You'll never disregard a 'Mech as fodder when it runs at you, but there are certainly others you'll back away from while calling to your team for help.

MAPS are generally all good in the regular queue. The maps that the community dislikes are being remade with new features added to them and old design issues ironed out and the rest of the maps are for the most part perfectly fine. Everyone has their own favorites but there are no maps that are beyond unplayable and straight up unfair . You'll never find yourself spawning in and thinking "Oh no I'm at this side of the map" at least.

And the big one: MICRO TRANSACTIONS\PAY WAL. Long and short there ain't one. It can be a bit grindy to get up to speed, it can feel like a chore to master a 'Mech you've grown to dislike and it can feel like you're so far away from earning that next 'Mech, but it certainly achivable and easily done for free. I have been playing this as a Legendary Founder since day 1 with a friend, who has never every, beyond that first payment put a further penny into the game and he currently has around 80+ 'Mechs.

If you do pay, it's going to make your life easier, wether it be getting 'Mechs from packs or enjoying the benifits of premium time or perhaps a hero 'Mech (A middling 'Mech on a partcular chassis, only used because they generate 30% more C-bills.) but there are no guns or 'Mechs that you can never have sooner or later.

Pay responsibly!

And now a little newbie guide:

A new player should hop in the tutorial and complete that, trying to score gold in the movement challenge before moving on to the main game. In the game you'll now get 25 matches that will grant bonus C-Bills known as a cadet bonus. Use these 25 games to get a feel for movment, positioning and managing heat in a range of chassis weights but do not spend a penny of your C-Bills until you get all 25 games done. You should come out with between 15-19 million depending on how well you did. This will let you get pretty much anything you like and I personally would recommend either the Timberwolf or Stormcrow, two very forgiving and powerful units.

A new player should stay _far_ away from Assault 'Mechs and should really really think about if they can handle a light before jumping on it. From here you can now customise your 'Mechs though it's likely going to take a handful of games to earn enough money to do that. Be sure to spend your 'Mech XP in the Skills tab after each game and then use that 'Mech to build up a large stockpile of cash, once you've got three of the same Chassis (But different Mechs, so like TBR-Prime, TBR-C and TBR-D) all skilled up you'll be able to do the Elite catagory of skills and from here you should be able to fend for yourself.

Now find a unit!

Good luck, 'Mech Warriors!!

Just. Ugh.