Any doubt about the level of interest in a new turn-based tactical combat game based on the storied Battletech franchise were quickly washed away when Harebrained Schemes' 2015 Kickstarter pulled in $2.8 million from backers, more than ten times its initial goal. On stage at the PC Gaming Show today, Jordan Weisman and Mitch Gitelman unveiled the first footage of its single-player campaign, and the massive Argo ship that will serve as your heavily armed home away from home.
The Argo video serves up a brief look at some of the ship's primary stations, including Navigation, the Command Center, the spartan Captain's Quarters, and the Mech Bay. None of the sections were shown in operation, but the broad strokes of interstellar travel, pilot selection, and mech customization are fairly clear. The display also indicates C-bills (that's Battletech money) vs. operating costs—the endless balancing act that drives every merc unit—and how many months of "burn" remain, which I'm guessing is a measure of the ship's fuel.
Battletech will offer three modes of play: single-player skirmish, multiplayer skirmish, and an "open-ended mercenary campaign" in which you'll help a deposed ruler reclaim her throne. Once the campaign is over, you'll be able to continue roaming the galaxy, taking contracts from a wide range of characters who need things done.
The second trailer is where the real fun begins. It's a very short clip of in-game action that crams in a little bit of everything: Movement, sensor contacts, long-range engagement, up-close knife fighting, an alpha strike, and the heat shutdown that they so often result in. It looks fantastic.
We got a closer look at Battletech in its current state earlier this month, which you can dig into here. It's slated to come out sometime this year, and more information is up at battletechgame.com.
Check out this post for more from The PC Gaming Show at E3 2017. You can watch the show live on Twitch, and catch up on all the news from this year's show right here.
Watch the full interview from the show below:
