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MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries similar games & best alternatives

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries

PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 • 2021

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Quick resume

The year is 3015. The battlefields are dominated by war machines known as BattleMechs. Level entire cities and decimate the enemy in your BattleMech. Follow a quest for glory and revenge. Manage an expanding mercenary company. Fight alongside your friends with a four-player PvE co-op.

Global score

85/100

Genres

Action, Simulator, Tactical, Shooter, Fighting

Similar games

    Pros

    • Immersive mech piloting experience
    • Deep mech customization and mod support
    • Engaging tactical combat
    • Cooperative multiplayer
    • Strong community and modding scene

    Cons

    • Repetitive missions and limited story depth
    • Dumb ai teammates
    • Performance issues with ray tracing
    • Some ui and control clunkiness
    • Base game less satisfying without mods and dlc

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Cooperation, Fellowship, Intimacy, Leadership. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Leadership, Violence. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Intimacy.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      4

      "Players have freedom to choose missions, customize mechs, and manage mercenary company; sandbox style gameplay with player-directed actions."

    • Competence
      4

      "Game involves skillful mech piloting, tactical combat, mech customization, and resource management; mods increase complexity and challenge."

    • Competition
      -3

      "Focus is on single-player or cooperative play with friends; no PvP and limited leaderboard or ranked competition."

    • Continuation
      4

      "Many players report long playtimes, multiple playthroughs, and habitual engagement especially with mods and DLC."

    • Cooperation
      3

      "Supports 2-4 player co-op; multiplayer guests assist host but do not progress their own saves; co-op considered more fun than solo."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Mech customization and loadout building are core; modding community greatly expands creative options."

    • Domination
      -4

      "Interactions emphasize shared play and cooperation; no evidence of power imposition or trash talk in reviews."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players use the game for stress relief, nostalgia, and immersive mech piloting fantasy."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and nostalgia; no indication of obligation or external pressure."

    • Experimenting
      4

      "Players experiment with mech builds, weapon loadouts, and mods; modding community encourages tinkering."

    • Exploration
      2

      "Game features a large galaxy map with multiple planets and biomes; exploration is somewhat limited by mission repetition."

    • Expression
      3

      "Customization of mechs and loadouts allows player expression; mods further enhance personalization."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Set in a fictional sci-fi universe with giant piloted mechs and futuristic warfare; strong imaginative fiction."

    • Fellowship
      2

      "Community and modding scene is active; co-op play fosters social connection but solo play is common."

    • Growth
      3

      "Players learn complex systems, mech customization, and tactics; progression through campaign and career mode."

    • Health
      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention during missions; not suitable for background or casual idle play."

    • Intimacy
      -4

      "Social interactions are limited to cooperative gameplay; no evidence of close emotional relationships."

    • Leadership
      3

      "Players lead a mercenary company and command a lance of mechs; strategic decision-making involved."

    • Progression
      4

      "Strong emphasis on acquiring mechs, weapons, upgrades, and managing resources to improve mercenary company."

    • Relaxation
      2

      "Gameplay can be tense and challenging but also offers flow and catharsis through mech combat."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Enjoyable sensory feedback from mech combat, weapon effects, and sound design; mods enhance visuals and audio."

    • Status
      -3

      "Limited social recognition; multiplayer guests do not gain progression; focus is on personal achievement."

    • Story
      1

      "Campaign story is serviceable but not highly praised; narrative is light and secondary to gameplay."

    • Strategy
      4

      "Tactical combat, mech loadout planning, heat management, and resource decisions require strategic thinking."

    • Thrill
      3

      "Combat offers suspense and excitement; heat and damage management add tension."

    • Value
      3

      "Many players find good value especially with mods and DLC; base game alone is less satisfying."

    • Violence
      4

      "Core gameplay involves combat, destruction of enemy mechs, and battlefield chaos."

    • Survival
      3

      "Players must manage damage, repairs, and resources to keep mechs operational and survive missions."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026