MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries for Windows

Become the greatest mecha pilot in this shooter game

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is an action and first-person shooter video game by Piranha Games. The fifth main game in the MechWarrior series, MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries lets you live through the drama and the glory of piloting giant war machines known as BattleMechs. The game and its prequels and sequels are all set in the fictional sci-fi universe of BattleTech.

To the stars

BattleTech is a wargaming and military science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984 and acquired by WizKids in 2001. It started out with a board game and had come to grow as a large franchise of various platforms and expansions to the original game, such as roleplaying games, video games, collectible card games, and even novels and an animated television series. Its universal lore centers around the fate of humanity in the distant future, when Earth had started colonizing space in the late 20th century. 

Vast technological advancements soon gave way to the Inner Sphere of star colonies and the rise of the Star League that governs it all. However, its rule doesn’t last for long and conflicts then give birth to the five political factions known as the Great Houses, that split up the regions of the Inner Sphere and soon warred for interstellar domination against each other. Amidst all of this is the story of the MechWarriors, elite pilots of towering BattleMechs that fight for the Great Houses in the Succession Wars. 

Dominate with your mecha

In MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, you play as a rookie mercenary MechWarrior. The year is 3015 and the Third Succession War is nearing its end. Your mercenary group had been demolished and you vowed to avenge them and rebuild your life and name. Fortunately, the mercenary life is easy to rejoin as long as there are mission contracts around and you’ve got the skills to complete them. 

Just like the previous MechWarrior games, MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries lets you pilot various BattleMechs that you can buy and build yourself. You go on contracts and missions in order to rack up renown and information about the universe’s current events. Manning BattleMechs allows you to decimate armed enemy forces and even level entire cities, leaving chaos in your wake. This destruction doesn’t spare your mechs, though—as a pilot, you need to maintain them, as well, and put the money you earn from your missions to good use in order to keep climbing the ranks of the mercenary industry. 

The story also revolves around the political intrigue of the circles you involve yourself with—you can’t ignore it if you plan to seek revenge. MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is the first game since 2002 that has a single-player campaign but this title still has a co-op mode that lets you have up to 4 friends fighting alongside you in PvE.

Another awaited MechaWarrior game

Despite the sheer number of titles already in the BattleTech universe, MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is still a welcome addition to its expansive timeline. Not only does it show the Third Succession War story and extends to the history of the year 3049, it also gives you the thrilling adventure of piloting powerful machines and facing the battlefield using them. If you’re a fan of first-person shooters or a fan of giant robots, then this is a recommended title to try.