BattleTech is an action-adventure strategy game that pits massive mech armies against one another in a synergy of themes that recall the glory days of PC titles like MechWarrior. The game also introduces strategy elements that draw spiritual inspiration from the board game Classic BattleTech from which the video game takes both its names and its inspiration. Published by Paradox Interactive, of Europa Universalis fame, and developed by Harebrained Schemes, BattleTech also incorporates role-playing game features that help separate it from its tabletop predecessor.
How to Download BattleTech
To download BattleTech click the button at the end of the review. The game can be downloaded either from Steam or GOG.com.
The Game Review
Released on April 24, 2018, and available on Steam for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux, BattleTech puts players in the role of a mercenary commander directing a squadron of soldiers known as a “mech lance.” Each mech lance consists of four large mech warriors who engage in turn-based battles against opponents.
As commanders of mech lance units, players can select everything from chassis, weapons, and armor to actuators and gyros, among other things.
In addition, players can further specialize their units through the use of a robust skill tree that offers a ton of customization options that gives players the ability to tailor their mech lance units to their play style.
Borrowing from its established history as a board game, BattleTech features a strong narrative and fully realized setting that really puts the player in the action and makes strategic choices weighty and consequential. As part of combat, the player will have to consider terrain, positioning, and an individual unit’s capabilities when engaging in conflicts with other mech lance units.
Taking place during what is called the 3025 Succession Wars Era, BattleTech revolves around the political machinations of noble elites who are each vying for control over the Inner Sphere using mechwarriors to establish their domains.
This perpetual warfare has resulted in a scarcity of resources and technology, making each mechwarrior a highly-prized commodity. As mech lance unit commanders, players will have the opportunity to choose which noble family they would like to serve as a mechwarrior. Of course, these choices have their own advantages and disadvantages.
In addition to upgrading and customizing your mech units, you will also be given charge of a starfaring base of operations, a craft capable of jetting your mech lance team to any destination point in the galaxy. As part of your command, you will negotiate mercenary contracts to get money in order to accomplish the above. Part of managing your company will also include pilot recruitment, truly giving you micromanagement capabilities over your space-faring squadron of elite mechwarriors.
And with over 30 battlemechs to select, gamers will not run out of options in terms of how to tackle a given situation.
The graphics resemble other turn-based games like the Shadowrun series. Mech units show evidence of upgrades and changes in a visible sign of your progress.
Like Shadowrun, BattleTech gradually ramps up in terms of difficulty and should offer a continual challenge for players. The combination of strategy and RPG elements makes BattleTech a strong contender in its genre and this is no surprise given Harebrained Scheme’s penchant for engaging strategy games.
