Choose Shattered Steel
Choose Shattered Steel if it's currently about 67% cheaper on the Steam Store. Shattered Steel launched in 2017.
Shattered Steel vs MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries
Shattered Steel and MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries both land in Action, Simulation on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Simulation on Steam. Shattered Steel (2017) is 4 years older than MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries (2021). MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries scores higher on Steam reviews (85.3% positive) than Shattered Steel (60% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries
Choose MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries if you want the Online Co-op and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2021) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 10,194 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Shattered Steel and MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries sit in Action and Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Shattered Steel |  MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2021 |
| Genres | Action, Simulation | Action, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 29.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 60% positive (10 reviews) | 85.3% positive (10,194 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | BioWare | Piranha Games Inc. |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Simulation on Steam.
- Shattered Steel (2017) is 4 years older than MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries (2021).
- MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries scores higher on Steam reviews (85.3% positive) than Shattered Steel (60% positive).
- Shattered Steel is currently ~67% cheaper on Steam than MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries (9.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries has co-op; Shattered Steel does not.
- MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Shattered Steel has no Deck rating yet.
Shattered Steel vs MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries — FAQ
- Should I play Shattered Steel or MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries first?
- If you want chronology, Shattered Steel (2017) came out before MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries (2021). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Shattered Steel and MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries similar?
- They overlap on Action, Simulation on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.