MechWarrior 5: Clans is supposed to be newbie-friendly, and I put it to the test
All the kit balancing, squad leading, and lore you could want, if you want it.
It is a matter of settled law on the Judge John Hodgman podcast that people like what they like, and you can’t force someone to like something. It is called the Tom Waits Principle.
I thought about that principle constantly while I was trying to open myself up to MechWarrior 5: Clans. Trying to jump into this game and like it, so that I’d have some critical assessment of it, was akin to handing a friend The Black Rider and assuming they would come back begging for more.
From everything I can tell and what I have read, this game largely delivers on the simulation, and notably a lot of the story, that BattleTech/MechWarrior fans revere. Clans seems very good at what it sets out to do, and I do get the sense that it is relatively accommodating to newcomers compared to other entries. It just did not, despite its stand-alone nature and alleged newcomer friendliness, convert me into a loadout tactician or stomp-and-shoot enthusiast.