Joshua Edwards

Solid game with interesting story, awesome graphics and fun gameplay. Ship building mechanic takes some getting used to, but worth it if you're a fan of the genre. Ignore most of the low reviews, they're angry PS players.

This is largely a game for fans of the franchise, or for people who love games with a lot of minutiae. Pros: The combat is solid and the 'Mechs and environments look great (if a bit dated on the Xbox One, which struggles just a little bit with keeping up on things like loading screens), but managing the business side of a mercenary unit is fun, too. From negotiating contract bonuses before a mission and paying employee salaries to balancing the budget between travel and purchasing weapons and 'Mechs, you're going to feel like you're really, truly in charge. Having to scrimp and save really gets you attached to your 'Mechs, too; any 'Mech you buy is one you'll be using for a considerable while, and you come to memorize their quirks and handling as you use them. Cons: The learning curve is somewhat steep, even for those who are used to how these games typically go. There are a lot of nuances and abilities that simply aren't explained, and really should be from the get-go so that you can take advantage of all the different things you can do in-game. This is the main reason I took a star off the review. While robust, there's also a bit less customization than in previous games of the series; weapon slots are now sized, which means you can't swap in a Large laser where two Medium lasers are, for instance. Overall, I highly recommend the series for anyone even remotely interested. It's addictive, when you get going.