Others say...

"Jump into the action"
I really enjoyed this game. Having never played the first Mechcommander (or any Battletech computer game for that matter), I could judge this game on its own merits.
Essentially, you are a crew of mercenaries that completes a series of missions for your employer. You have salvage rights so you can build your unit size by salvaging the mechs you beat. You can also call upon some support in the form of artillery, repair services, etc.
Your pilots improve through missions and this enables you to customize them with skills. Recruitment also fills your stable of pilots. Tip: Choose a core of 6 or 7 pilots to use throughout the game if you want really good stats. You'll rarely or never need to use more than this number of pilots for a mission so don't think that you need to give experience to your all of your green troops.
As far as mech selection goes, there is a good mix of classic (the ones still legal, that is) and new Inner Sphere mechs with a few Clan mechs thrown in (emphasis on "a few"). Some of the ones in the game are:
Anubis
Vulture
Madcat
Atlas
Highlander
Bushwacker
Zeus
Shadowcat
Razorback
Cyclops
Raven
Urbanmech
Wolfhound
Hollander
Catapult
Starslayer
Thor (listed and an opponent but I didn't get to play it)
Men Shu
Like with the pilots, you can customize the mechs. Tip: Wait until you get Clan tech before altering your mechs.
As I said before, I enjoyed the game due to the fact that it was Battletech, the customization options and the battles in the missions.
I did find the campaign played out too quickly, though. Also, I found the back cover misleading. I assumed that I would be able to "command up to 16 enormous Battlemechs" in one of the later missions in the campaign, but this was not the case.
These two complaints can't take away from the fact that this is a great value for the price. I recommend Mechcommander 2 to Battletech fans and RTS game fans who don't mind playing an "older" game.


"MechCommander 2: Best of Both Worlds?"
I am a dedicated MechWarrior franchise admirer but, for no conceivable reason, had never tried the RTS version of the game (despite RTS being my preferred platform). My first concern was whether or not the game played on Windows XP. Not a problem. My second was how well the game would capture the essence of BattleTech in comparison with all other MechWarrior games. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. A very decent array of BattleMechs are available (all can be customised to your specs), along with the usual plethora of weapons - ballistic, energy, artillery. Weapon sound is awesome, especially with a dedicated sound card. Controls are identical to just about every other RTS on the market - easy to master. Graphics are adequate, no more, no less. Gameplay is addictive and captures the mood perfectly. Like the MechWarrior series you may select your preferred pilots, who all have their own catchphrases to repeat ad nauseum on command. Personal favourites include Psycho's "I can see light through my armour!" when taking damage, and Steel's "Welcome to the neighbourhood" after decimating the opposition. What a crack-up! Your pilots increase in rank, too, improving their gunnery and piloting skills the more opposition they face. The storyline sets the scenes for battle nicely: you are a mercenary commander hired out to three opposing factions in succession, during the conflict on the planet, Carver V. Decent acting certainly enhances the plot! System requirements are very low, especially by today's standards. Importantly, there is a patch available (2.5) that grants access to more weapons and far more mechs. Get it. It greatly enhances an already good game and improves some elements of gameplay as well. It's a ~50mb download, and done by MechLabs. Negatives? None worth mentioning. All in all, a highly recommended addition to your MechWarrior collection.

"Fun game, but pretty easy to complete"
I picked this up because I really enjoyed the first mech commander. This one is much slicker, but for all its new graphics and everything, the basic play is not as good as the first one. The camera is a pain to control during battles, the sprites for the other mechs disappear at times, the mechs are not as much fun to upgrade, and the stock senario is kind of lame. I mean why would you play as a merc if you have no choice in the missions. Over all I rate the game high just because of the Theme, but it could have been done much better.

"Very Good"
You're a Mech Commander in the far future trying to defeat three rival clans to end a war. What you do decide to do will determine what happens to your warriors but more importantly, the war at hand.
My brother got this for Easter in 2005 and it was too difficult for him. So I started playing it. It was very addicting. It's long campain keeps you playing. I haven't even finished it yet, its so long (thanks to a bug on one mission I can't start from where I was, so I have to do the mission without interuption or quicksaves). One of the funnest parts is taking a Mech and personalizing it. There are a lot of weapns to choose from, but they are futuristic and hard to choose which one to put on your Mech.
Overall, the game is very good. Maybe a bug or two, but other than that, the game is flawless.

"Sweet Game"
I've grown up with Mechwarrior 2 and found out you don't have to stay in the cockpit. You have an aerial view which gives a great look of the battlefield and what's behind the enemy base (as far as turrets, building, walls, etc. not vehicles and mechs, you can only see those if you get close enough to fight them). It has great zoom and rotate controls. What I liked most about the game is that if you play a level many times you can always find a different way to beat it as in one time you beat a level using brute force of Assault class mechs and the next time you can beat a level using Light mechs with jump jets and Guardian Ecm suites so they can go anywhere and are invisible. Two ways to beat one level, stealth or strength, you choose. One thing I didn't like was the mission editor, it was too complicated.One of the best parts is the pilots talk to you and you can change the color of you mechs and vehicles. Another cool thing is the mechs' weapon systems are customizable as well as their armor.