After months of only having written details and concept art for MechWarrior Online, Piranha Games has officially lifted the veil on their upcoming free-to-play MMO and successor to the core MechWarrior series. The teaser trailer caught our attention, the first screenshots had us reminiscing back to the day of MechWarrior 4, and now, the first official MechWarrior Online gameplay trailer has us eager to get hands-on with the title.
While the first official MWO trailer only gave us a brief look at the size and scope of one of the biggest mechs from the BattleTech universe compared to its human pilot, along with a brief view from inside the mech's cockpit. The following gameplay trailer puts players on the battlefield.
Take a look at what it's like to pilot mechs in MechWarrior Online, both big and small, in a an open area surrounded by hills and trees and watch how lasers light up the view.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkGvP8VFXAI
Players of MechWarrior 2-4 will immediately recognize the weapons being used in the gameplay as the HUD lists medium lasers, long range and short range missiles, along with an auto-cannon as weapons the Atlas is equipped with. We also see Hunchbacks and Jenners on the battlefield as other playable mechs.
The trailer's music takes away from action and sound effects, but what we see looks very good, as if it were MechWarrior 5. It's rather impressive for a (premium) free-to-play game thanks to the use of the Crysis 2 CryEngine 3, especially in conjunction to how the MMO is setup in a persistant world where factions and mercenary groups can battle for control of planets and engage in a variety of warfare types. Official description below:
Set in the year 3049 during the early stages of a massive interstellar war, MechWarrior Online puts you in command of the most powerful war machine to ever walk the field of battle, the mighty BattleMech. Command your Mech and customize it to suit your battlefield role; upgrade systems, replace weapons, and tweak armor with endless options.
MechWarrior Online lets players command at will: go head-to-head online alone or with friends in high-octane Conquest and VS modes. Band together and form your own Mercenary Corp, invite friends and battle other player-made Merc Corps for prestige and power. Pledge your allegiance to one of the five great houses and fight for control of precious Inner Sphere planets.
Now that we know what MechWarrior Online is all about and with an expected summer release date, expect more and more visual details about clan control, mech customization and microtransactions to hit the official Piranha Games blog over the next few months.
If you are interested, head to http://mwomercs.com/ to reserve your pilot name now.
MechWarrior Online launches summer 2012.
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