Summary
- MechWarrior 5: Clans offers a fresh perspective on BattleTech lore, focusing on the technologically superior Clans' invasion of the Inner Sphere.
- The game introduces unique weapons and mechs for the Clans, creating a new combat experience for players complete with customizable omnimechs.
- Playing as Clan Smoke Jaguar in MechWarrior 5: Clans provides a narrative opportunity to explore the conflict and tragedy within the advanced civilization.
As its title suggests, MechWarrior 5: Clans is all about the Clans of BattleTech lore: a highly advanced civilization that exists separately from the factions of the Inner Sphere where MechWarrior games are generally focused. Developing independently and building up a technologically superior military, the Clans eventually launched a bloody invasion of the Inner Sphere that would lead to the Clans' defeat and the near-total annihilation of clans like Smoke Jaguar.
During a preview of MechWarrior 5: Clans gameplay, The Best War Games spoke with Piranha Games CEO Russ Bullock about how the unique technology of the Clans and their signature omnimechs will change up the usual MechWarrior gameplay. He also spoke about how Clan Smoke Jaguar presented a unique narrative opportunity, as this elusive Clan is important in the lore but its perspective has been little explored.
Piranha Games Reveals First Look at MechWarrior 5: Clans Gameplay
Piranha Games gives an early look at Mechwarrior 5: Clans, Piranha Games' upcoming narrative-driven campaign with all-new features and Clan mechs.
MechWarrior 5: Clans' Clan Mechs Are Built Different
The last time a mainline MechWarrior campaign played from the Clans' perspective was nearly 30 years ago with MechWarrior 2, although the more recent multiplayer game MechWarrior Online does feature Clan omnimechs and their technology. For many newer MechWarrior fans, Clan omnimechs and their weaponry will be a fresh but familiar experience since many of their behaviors and visuals will differ from their inner sphere counterparts.
It's pretty much completely unique from MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries in that way. MechWarrior Online does have full Clan technology trees within it, so if you played MechWarrior Online you'd experience most of these things, but the Clans have their own set of weapons. So a medium laser isn't the same in a Clan mech, instead, it's called a "Clan medium laser." It has different properties, different range, damage, and heat settings. Everything's just a little bit different. It's very familiar and it's still very BattleTech: it's lasers, autocannons, PPCs, and short-range missiles, but the Clans have technology like Streak SRMs and things are just a little bit different. There's a fresh heads-up display in the game representing Clan technology, there are fresh colorings in the various weapons and laser beams, sound effects are new, and visual effects on the impacts and destructions are new.
So I think overall, the combat does take on a very sort of fresh feel compared to playing the inner sphere mechs. It's all new if you haven't played the Clans before. Some of the younger generation never played MechWarrior 2 or maybe they haven't even played MechWarrior Online, but they did play MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries. In that regard, they'll get a pretty fresh perspective playing Clans.
Although it's expected that a newer game with an upgraded engine might enjoy some visual and HUD updates, the new heads-up display in MechWarrior 5: Clans also helps drive home how Clan omnimechs operate with different technology than their counterparts. Omnimech customization also works somewhat differently: they're meant to be highly modular, and players will be swapping out omnipods in their mechs to open up new possibilities for loadouts and hardpoints.
Clan Smoke Jaguar Is A Perfect Focus For MechWarrior 5: Clans' Story
Bullock also noted that playing as a member of Clan Smoke Jaguar is an excellent narrative opportunity. Smoke Jaguar was known even among the other Clans as being particularly brutal. With that in mind, the game can show things from the antagonist's perspective, shedding human light on the internal conflict that some Smoke Jaguar members face.
One thing I want to drive home is that Clan Smoke Jaguar is the last major Clan that hasn't been explored narratively. MechWarrior 2 handled the other three major Clans through its main product and expansion pack, but Clan Smoke Jaguar is very ominous and has some major events in the BattleTech lore timeline. There are some dastardly acts that Clan Smoke Jaguar was known for, but they've only just been line items on a lore sheet. Now the player is going to experience those firsthand visually through the human element of these characters and get to see the turmoil and the conflict that might exist within the Clan around those events.
There's also a hint of tragedy underpinning the story since Smoke Jaguar's ultimate fate at the war's end is inevitable. With an emotional and cinematic narrative accompanied by a fresh arsenal of mechs and weapons, MechWarrior 5: Clans looks to be a memorable entry in this long-running franchise.
MechWarrior 5: Clans is set to release in 2024 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.