MechWarrior is back and going harder than ever with a completely standalone game confusingly titled MechWarrior 5: Clans, some five years after MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries. Clans is a bold game that improves on the classic sim-lite action of MechWarrior by adding a more modern, story-driven framing—which succeeds at the cost of flexibility.

The pleasures of piloting giant robots has rarely been more fun in a video game, as MechWarrior embraces a more accessible new control system.

Clans reviewed on PC by Will Borger. Also available on Xbox and PlayStation.MechWarrior 5: Clans surprised me with its excellent campaign, carried by a thoughtful, well-told story, great mission design,