Mechwarrior Online Enters Open Beta
Image via Infinite Game Publishing
PACHOW!! FSHOOOOMM!!! KRAKABOOM! RATATATATATATATATA!!!! STOMP! STOMP! KERSTOMP! BOOM!! SHOOM!! SHAKOW!! BOOM!!!!
No, not the sound of Andrew’s normal morning toilet habits, but instead the noises I hear in my head every time someone mentions Mechwarrior Online, which enters Open Beta on Monday, October 29th.
You may or may not be aware of the Mechwarrior universe. The tabletop miniature wargame Battletech was originally published in 1984 by FASA Corporation. FASA are sadly no longer with us, although the franchise lives on. Set in the 31st Century, mankind has spread out among the stars and, rather typically, instead of taking the chance to wipe the slate clean and start over, have instead opted go for centuries of interminable conflict.
However, and this is where it gets interesting, rather than stick with the ground troops we know and love today, our fictional descendants wage war in 30-plus foot tall warmachines called Battlemechs, piloted by (you may have guessed this) Mechwarriors. Mechwarrior Online is the first serious attempt at bringing the universe to life as an online game. I could bang on about the Star League, Kerensky and the Exodus, the Great Houses, and the Clans, but if you’re a fan you should know all of that, and if not then I’ll probably just end up boring you, you Philistine.
An interesting mash-up of MMO, FPS, and PvP Deathmatch, Mechwarrior Online is PC only and will be free-to-play, supported by in-game purchases. Just what those purchases will be remains to be seen. The game has been in Closed Beta for a while now, and even though I’ve not been able to play it yet, I know a couple of people who are in it. Their opinions are generally favorable, but they have questioned some of the balance changes that Piranha Games, the developers, have made to the game lately.
Worry not! Because the time is buttock-clenchingly close when we shall all be able to judge for ourselves.
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