It had a rocky initial release on that other online game store (Thanks for beta testing!), but after the plethora of bugs were squashed and MW5 finally came to steam after a year, the Battletech/Mechwarrior fans have a decent singleplayer offering in the franchise. The gameplay is good, splitting the difference between Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries and Mechwarrior 3. Mech movements and weapon systems feel sufficiently "weighty" and combat can be very intense. Missions can be a mixed bag, some being blue milk runs that seem to be a bit of a waste of time and not terribly interesting (But hey, easy money!), others being so difficult that you barely make it out alive with your mech intact. The missions can seem a bit repetitive at times, but there is enough unpredictability to surprise you. Don't get complacent, especially on a high-difficulty mission... the game can, and often will, punish you for it.

Now the not-so-great. AI. The AI does some things that are just silly... however, there is a mod to fix 99% of this. TTRulez_AIMod2 on NexusMods overhauls the AI to such a significant extent that often I will forget I'm fighting AI. (Note that as of the Rise of Rasalhague update to the core game, the AI mod is broken and, according to its developer, should be updated and released most likely be the end of February)

It's fun in its stock form, but if you really want to experience the Mechwarrior franchise as it should be, download mods. Particularly VonBiomes, Yet Another Mechlab, Yet Another Mechlab Mechs, and Yet Another Weapon here on Steam, as well as Coyotes Mission Mod and Nostalgic Sounds Redux on NexusMods. That's just to name a few, there are plenty more that make great additions.


TL;DR:
I am a long-time Mechwarrior, having started playing as a filthy freebirth Clanner in Mechwarrior 2: 31st Century Combat. I have played every Mechwarrior title since (Not MechAssault... screw Microsoft and that dumbed-down arcade crap). While I don't think Mechwarrior 5 is the best title in the franchise, it is certainly a solid offering that scratches the itch.

It had a rocky initial release on that other online game store (Thanks for beta testing!), but after the plethora of bugs were squashed and MW5 finally came to steam after a year, the Battletech/Mechwarrior fans have a decent singleplayer offering in the franchise. The gameplay is good, splitting the difference between Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries and Mechwarrior 3. Mech movements and weapon systems feel sufficiently "weighty" and combat can be very intense. Missions can be a mixed bag, some being blue milk runs that seem to be a bit of a waste of time and not terribly interesting (But hey, easy money!), others being so difficult that you barely make it out alive with your mech intact. The missions can seem a bit repetitive at times, but there is enough unpredictability to surprise you. Don't get complacent, especially on a high-difficulty mission... the game can, and often will, punish you for it. Now the not-so-great. AI. The AI does some things that are just silly... however, there is a mod to fix 99% of this. TTRulez_AIMod2 on NexusMods overhauls the AI to such a significant extent that often I will forget I'm fighting AI. (Note that as of the Rise of Rasalhague update to the core game, the AI mod is broken and, according to its developer, should be updated and released most likely be the end of February) It's fun in its stock form, but if you really want to experience the Mechwarrior franchise as it should be, download mods. Particularly VonBiomes, Yet Another Mechlab, Yet Another Mechlab Mechs, and Yet Another Weapon here on Steam, as well as Coyotes Mission Mod and Nostalgic Sounds Redux on NexusMods. That's just to name a few, there are plenty more that make great additions. TL;DR: I am a long-time Mechwarrior, having started playing as a filthy freebirth Clanner in Mechwarrior 2: 31st Century Combat. I have played every Mechwarrior title since (Not MechAssault... screw Microsoft and that dumbed-down arcade crap). While I don't think Mechwarrior 5 is the best title in the franchise, it is certainly a solid offering that scratches the itch.