After 14 years since "MechWarrior 4" was released for arcades and PC, Piranha Games have announced "MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries" during MechCon 2016 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo : YouTube/PiranhaGames)
After 14 years since "MechWarrior 4" was released for arcades and PC, Piranha Games have announced "MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries" during MechCon 2016 in Vancouver, Canada. The game is set to focus on a single player campaign, unlike the previous spin-offs which included an MMO and a turn-based tactical game.
During the announcement, a seven-minute video was shown to the public. However, the game is still in its pre-alpha build and the footage shown appears to be of the game's opening moments or tutorial, Polygon reported. This tutorial portion shows the BattleMech moving around a testing facility and firing at several other mech units.
In the beginning of the trailer a rookie pilot is shown taking control of an old mech unit during a testing procedure. While the majority of the footage appears to be a traditional tutorial section it then ends with invaders dropping from the sky, setting up the events for the rest of the game.
According to Kotaku, the game will take place during the "Third Succession War," which means the game will be set around the same time period as the first entry in the franchise. Gameplay will shift to a first-person mode and the story will alter depending on the player's choices in the campaign.
The official pitch also reveals that maintenance of the BattleMechs will still be a primary focus. Players will be able to acquire new parts and weapons for their machines which can then be used for maintenance or enhancement. An in-depth level of customization will guarantee each player will have their preferred BattleMech build.
No official plot was revealed and the developers did not confirm or deny if there would still be some level of online multiplayer involved. Work on "MechWarrior Online" will reportedly continue and the developers stated they would not be abandoning the online game solely for "MechWarrior 5."
Piranha Games also did not indicate a specific release date although the game is scheduled to release sometime in 2018. No platforms were announced but given that the original games released for Windows PC first it is expected that the fifth main game will follow suit and then release on consoles.
