I haven't played the BattleTech tabletop game, or the real-time cult classic, MechCommander. But after playing the newest BattleTech videogame at PAX West this weekend, I wish I had.
The new BattleTech is incredibly fun, and feels like a strategy game I’ve been waiting for for a long time. It’s systems are complex and deep, but still surprisingly understandable at a glance. The terrain, while still a little muted in its art thanks to BattleTech currently being in “super pre-alpha,” is interesting and erratic—not as smooth and flat as many other strategy games. I can’t wait to play more of it, and it sounds like I might not have to wait long.
I got a chance to speak with developer Harebrained Schemes about why it decided to show the game off so early and what’s going to change as work continues on BattleTech, which you can watch in the video above. You can also watch our full 30 minute demo from the early build at PAX in the video below.
