KurtisMayfield

Summary: Play the game for free. Don't expect anything from the developer, and do not give them one dime. If you like the mechwarrior universe bump the game score up to a 5, because you ain't getting any attention from anyone else anytime soon. Mechwarrior Online is a example of how to milk a cow desperate for attention until the udders have completely run dry. Once the cow is dry, the developer goes looking for another cow with promises of attention at a high cost. The problem is that after doing this over and over again the rest of the cows get the hint. And this is coming from a fan of Battletech/Mechwarrior series and someone that enjoys the core of the game. In this horrid metaphor sums up the history of this game. The cows of course being the fans of Battletech desperate for a modern take on Mechwarrior. When I say desperate, I mean desperate. After releasing the founders packs ($120/60/30), the phoenix packs ($80/60/40/20), and the clan packs ($240/$210/$180/$150/$120/$90/$60/$30) it is possible for a desperate cow to have dropped ~ $440 dollars just on these, without purchasing any of the monthly mech releases/other stuff. Meanwhile what have the developers given the players in the form of content since release: 2 maps I do not consider new mechs/skins/etc. to be content. This does nothing to change the core of the game, nor do they do anything but give you new skins/builds/flavor of the month mechs to play. The clan packs were released in May 2014. Since then there have been a few dominant mechs at the top of the "meta", and they are all clan. This has made a pay to win situation that will not be relieved until the mechs are released to the general public for cbills. If you do not believe me, look at how cERLL's were nerfed at the same time that clan lights/mediums were released for cbills. They will do the same thing to the Heavies/Assaults when they are released. The core gameplay is pretty good. The 12v12 format is working, albeit I was a bigger fan of the 8v8. The mechs handle well, and aiming is easy for any FPS player. Tactics play a role in the game, and a good pilot usually does well. The matchmaker is horrible however, as it tries to make a "Winner" and a Loser" team for every match. They methods that it uses to accomplish this can be harsh, and will result in a random deathmatch generated for the players where you do not know if you are teamed with ringers or dead weight. The real test for the developer will be in the next few months, as the developers have been making content promises without proposing any new mech pack cash grabs. If they can deliver on new content, make it successful, and not rely on another quick fix cash injection during the next year the gameplay may improve and the game may have a future. Unfortunately this is like betting on an addict giving up his junk, as I believe the publisher and developer have become so dependent on the packs that they will not be able to help themselves to announce another one by January 2015. Pro: Good core gameplay to build off of. Tactical gameplay and customization of mechs. Con: Developer/Publisher releases very little content, mech balance is always out of whack, a lot of money for basically "My little mech" online.

Close Combat: Gateway to Caen is basically an expansion pack that is asking for stand alone game prices. If you have played Close Combat games before, the interface and concept is exactly the same and has not changed much since the release of CC:Invasion of Normandy. The game contains new maps, some changes to the strategic map, and some new units and explosions. The problem is that the AI is still horrid. It cannot handle combined arms, despite all of the statements to the contrary by the developers/modders. Tank AI is still dreadful. The AI relies too much on mortar fire (Sometimes having 3-4 squads of mortars). The AI cannot lay down a competent defence using terrain to its advantage, nor can it mount a competent offence with combined arms. Sometimes the AI does mount at attack with 2-3 squads of soldiers and a tank to support, but that situation is rare and I believe it is a stroke of luck. The biggest insult is the cost. Matrix is asking for $40 US for a game that is basically a mod/expansion pack. I know they argue this is a niche audience, but your pricing may be driving your product to be niche. Especially if you are not making any major improvements to the game. The only reason I am not giving this a 2 is that #1. The game is stable and it runs well, and #2. It does deliver exactly what is promised, another update to the CC series. The problems with CC however have existed for over a decade (Tank AI, combined arms) and have still not been addressed.