8th "MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries"
Note: the original Japanese article can be found at:
https://www.4gamer.net/games/925/G092590/20251108002/
| 2025/11/08 23:00 (UTC)
Episode 8: “MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries”
Year 3015. After decades of humanity’s expansion into the vast cosmos, the region known as Inner Space has become a stage for endless conflict. You take on the role of a young mercenary leader vowing revenge, throwing yourself into a war-torn zone filled with betrayal and intrigue—alongside your beloved BattleMech. This is the story of blood and smoke, chronicling how one lone mercenary builds a legendary unit.
After-school Revu-az!
The demon king who fell in love with human-world games: Akashiro Akane. The elegant lady with a sharp glare and tone: Ryounji Rin. The naturally cheerful girl obsessed with board games and miniatures: Niyama Hokana. — This is私立 Shikai Academy. In an empty classroom after school, three familiar figures gather once again.
Hokana
Heheh… hihii~. The elegant metallic sound from that rugged body… ahh~, simply irresistible.
Rin
What’s so irresistible about it?
Hokana
Ehehe~ I’m totally hooked on “MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries” right now! Look! That heavy, over-the-top feel of this BattleMech—so awesome, isn’t it!
Akane
Hm? I heard “Mech” and rushed over—wait, this isn’t MechWarrior?! How nostalgic!
Rin
It doesn’t look that old to me. Not really a classic game.
Hokana
Well, it came out quite a while ago, but they just recently released the Japanese version.
Akane
The MechWarrior I know is the miniature board game one. Counting from “BattleTech,” its ancestor, this series has been around since the 1980s.
Rin
Ohhh~ So it’s that old?
Hokana
I had no idea about the backstory of the series—but still ended up getting totally hooked anyway.
Akane
Still, I haven’t played the fifth installment. All I know is that you lead a unit into battle.
Hokana
Pretty much spot on! You form contracts with factions within space zones and crash into conflict zones in your BattleMechs. It blends management elements for maintaining your mercenary team with action-packed Mech piloting—both are super fun.
Rin
So it’s an action game, huh? But the Mech design doesn’t look very sleek…
Akane
It’s chunky and sturdy!
Hokana
I get that feeling too! But after fighting together countless times on the battlefield, you start to see how cool that ruggedness really is.
Akane
Exactly! You don’t understand the aesthetic of a steel warrior yet, Rin—you’re still just a kid.
Rin
Hey, didn’t you used to be on my side too?!
Hokana
You’re turning over in your palm again~!
Rin
That’s what I call a U-turn… Honestly, the movements feel clumsy. It feels more like a tank than a robot.
Hokana
Exactly! Piloting this Mech is just like driving a tank. Since upper and lower body movements don’t sync up, you have to adjust your direction using the lower body while controlling your field of view with the upper body’s rotation.
Rin
True! Even when I shift my vision sideways, the lower body keeps moving straight ahead.
Akane
Mmmh~ When fighting enemies, I often forget about my feet and crash into walls. That’s unique…
Hokana
That control scheme is actually great! You feel every ounce of weight as you move this massive iron beast—so if you’re the kind who finds romance in that sort of thing, it’s a perfect fit.
Rin
I was imagining something with the speed and intensity of “ARMORED CORE,” but this game is on a completely different track.
Hokana
Totally different! The base movement’s slow, and there’s literally no dodge action.
Rin
No dodge? What do you do when it turns into a firefight?
Hokana
Just overpower them with brute force before they kill you!
Rin
That seems way too much like just using your muscles…
Akane
Kakka-kaka! Strength is power. That’s very Hokana-like!
Hokana
In Mech battles, it’s all about taking hits—your mech can take damage and still keep fighting! Of course, you have to adjust where you’re hit, hide behind cover, and manage damage—but that’s part of the fun.
Akane
If getting hit is expected, then returning unscathed seems unlikely…
Hokana
Exactly. I come back every time completely charred black.
Rin
How does it even get to this point…?
Hokana
It’s a gritty fight—live or die! The adrenaline rush when you barely survive is absolutely incredible!
Akane
By the way, what about customization options?
Hokana
You can mix and match parts to build your own unique Mech!
Rin
Ohhh~ And each part lets you adjust armor thickness individually. That means I could make areas prone to hits more durable.
Hokana
Brilliant answer! By the way, Hokana prefers thick armor on her arms while packing high-powered lasers into both arms and shoulders.
Akane
Hmm~ Firing lasers nonstop sounds fun! But still, those legs are so slow…
Hokana
What if you try a fast model with a jetpack?
Akane
Wait—then why not just use that one quickly…?
Hokana
But the armor is paper-thin.
Akane
As long as it doesn’t get hit, nothing’s wrong…
Hokana
I use those fast models for scouting. But when they take concentrated fire? They melt right away…
Akane
Still, I guess that’s just how it goes…
Rin
Fast Mechs are fragile; heavy armor makes them slow. So every Mech has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Hokana
Exactly! You can either go for quick hit-and-run tactics with fast units or tough out battles using heavily armored ones—your choice!
Rin
Buying Mechs is expensive enough, but then you have to buy weapons and hire pilots too. Managing funds would be a nightmare—especially if your Mech breaks down on the battlefield…
Hokana
Exactly! Replacing broken parts or repairing armor can easily cost up to 1 million yen… Just moving costs money… Pilots take an average of 80 days to recover from injuries… And you still have to pay their monthly salary—ugh, it’s overwhelming!
Rin
It all feels so harsh.
Hokana
But that’s part of the charm! It’s not just fun managing resources—it makes you really feel like a real mercenary leader.
Akane
The protagonist isn’t superhuman or backed by some special patron. So realistically, it should be tough and stressful—this fits perfectly.
Hokana
Also, depending on your team’s current situation, you can even negotiate the split of rewards with clients. You could bargain for things like allowing salvaged Mechs to be resold, or getting insurance coverage in case one gets destroyed during combat.
Rin
Negotiating contracts and managing your unit all by yourself? So this is basically roleplaying being a real mercenary—sounds really rewarding!
Hokana
Plus, the choices you make directly affect the political situation across space zones—and even change relationships with organizations.
Akane
Hmm~! The game world actually feels alive. That makes roleplay way more immersive.
Hokana
Hehe~ This game supports up to four players in cooperative play, and if you have the base game, even the host’s DLC data is playable. I bought them all.
Akane
So that means… you can’t bring your own saved BattleMechs or parts back with you?
Hokana
Nope. You only get to team up using the pilot and Mech owned by the host.
Akane
Oh no, that’s disappointing. But if we can still benefit from Hokana’s DLC? That’s totally fine! We’ve gotta aim for becoming the strongest high school mercenary unit!
Hokana
Yay! So Akane-chan will be scout duty, Rin-chan will take the front lines! I’ll provide covering fire from the back!
Rin
…Wait, one thing—I need to confirm: What about friendly fire?
Hokana
Of course it’s there. Just a moment ago, I melted a teammate who walked right in front of me with my laser.
Rin
I just got chills…
Akane
Will we even survive this…?