I didn’t expect to return to MechWarrior 5: Clans as quickly as I did, but the Trials of War DLC required me to hop back into the pilot seat of my BattleMech. That may sound flippant, but don’t get me wrong—I enjoyed the game well enough. However, I’m a busy person with a significant gaming backlog.
I was initially intrigued by the contents of the Trials of War DLC for MechWarrior 5: Clans. With everything the main game offered, including features like PvP and Horde mode, I thought these additions could bring something unique to the experience. Unfortunately, both modes, while serviceable, fall flat due to a fundamental misunderstanding of the game’s core mechanics.
I already spoke enough about MechWarrior 5: Clans in my review, so if you need a refresher, please have a read. In this review, I want to focus on what’s in the Trials of War DLC and how it functions in relation to how MechWarrior 5: Clans is meant to be played. The first major inclusion is Horde mode, which is fairly self-explanatory. Players team up with friends or their AI squad to survive wave after wave of enemy ‘Mechs.
“The Trials of War DLC required me to hop back into the pilot seat of my BattleMech.”
There is some strategy involved, as repair stations are dotted around the map but have limited uses, so players not only need to fight effectively but also manage their teams carefully to avoid burning through repair stations or losing squadmates too quickly. It was an interesting mode; however, as I mentioned in my review, the depth of strategy needed to perform effectively, especially in an endless mode, runs counter to the game’s constant activity.
I noted how it was a bit odd that the game doesn’t pause when you try to utilize the Battle Grid, and here it’s particularly noticeable. It can be incredibly difficult to try to survive through a wave of enemies while guiding your allies for effective maneuvers. Furthermore, given the nature of a Horde mode, it’s much more difficult to even attempt strategy as enemies constantly push towards you.
The second mode is the Arena, a fairly standard player-versus-player (PVP) mode. While battling other ‘Mechs is typical for this series, this mode eliminates the added strategic elements included in MechWarrior 5: Clans. Even if you play on a team—which is unusual since the maximum player count is five, leaving teams uneven—you cannot issue commands because the Battle Grid is disabled. While MechWarrior 5: Clans delivers combat as solid as any other title in the series, that’s not what makes it stand out.
“While MechWarrior 5: Clans delivers combat as solid as any other title in the series, that’s not what makes it stand out.”
The most disappointing aspect of both modes is that MechWarrior 5: Clans is not open to online play, except with friends. This makes it puzzling why a game primarily focused on narrative and co-op would introduce modes that would functionally work better with random matchmaking. As a result, these modes feel like pointless distractions from a game that was already performing well on its own—and yet, the additional content costs an extra $18.
For the price and what’s offered, the Trials of War DLC is not worth it. It fails to build on the strengths of the main game and feels at odds with how the game is meant to be played. This content could have been a free update—or, frankly, could have been omitted entirely without affecting the overall experience.
