Giant mechs are pretty cool, I would really like to play a game that fully delivered on that premise but I don't think I ever have. I've never played Front Mission or Armored Core, but the former seems to be more of a SRPG when I'm looking for the experience of piloting a mech directly, and the latter looks like just a third-person shooter where you just so happen to control a robot instead of a person. I'd still give it a try if it was on PC but I don't think it is.

That's one of the problems. I think if you don't get to also be a tiny little human, and then experience the perspective change, then piloting a mech becomes just as banal as if it was any other game about shooting, and likely stabbing, people, where the opponent just happens to ooze oil instead of blood. That's one thing Xenoblade Chronicles X did very well, the sense of scale, but it's still an RPG though, so there's that extra level of abstraction where it feels like I'm giving orders to the character rather than controlling him directly. Titanfall seemed like it was good, for the half hour it took for me to get bored of it (I'm just not made for multiplayer shooters).

What are the best games out there where you pilot a mech, a.k.a. a giant robot? Most that exist seem to be japanese, are any of them on PC or only console?

There's Hawken and Mech Warrior Online available as free to plays on PC. Front Mission Evolved is on Steam and is rated as an "Armored Core Lite".

Armored Core was a lot of fun. It's definitely not just a "3rd person shooter". You feel like you're controlling robots.The original Front Missions were a lot more like srpgs though so it wouldn't be what you want.

1st shooter in robot games?
Then I recommend Mech Warrior series.I liked the first.

G-nome

Very underrated game.

Strike Suit Zero was fun but came with quite a few annoying problems. I think it's also on GOG.

Titanfall is fun but it's multiplayer only and not on GOG and it comes with very zealous players that don't really let you have fun.

Those are the two that came to mind.

There's <i>Slave Zero</i>, which I, personally, found buggy and boring when I played the Dreamcast version years ago. (I remember it being generally considered a bit of a dud at back then as well, as it got panned by a majority of players and critics -- though apparently the PC version ran a bit better and was less glitchy.) So, not "best" in any way, but it IS a third-person action game where you play as a robot that's tall as a 2- or 3-storey building. For whatever that's worth.

There is a list on Steam with Mech games:
http://store.steampowered.com/tag/en/Mechs/#p=0&amp;tab=NewReleases

It's more like 4 stories tall, judging from a quick googling of screenshots. The game hasn't aged tremendously well, but it's still quite good, and I think it does a fairly good job of conveying the size of the robot to the player. It feels like you're controlling a giant robot in a normal city, rather than a human sized robot in a miniature city. Of course, that's just my opinion, you may experience it differently.

To me the feeling of controlling a big robot doesn't come from the scale necessarily, but how the mech reacts to movement. If it jumps and turns like a ballerina (like seems to be the case in many Japanese mech games), then it just doesn't feel like a big robot to me, no matter how many tiny people are running at my feet.

However, in e.g. Mechwarrior games, the feeling of inertia makes it feel more like being in a cockpit of a huge robot. You have to accelerate and decelerate in order to move and stop, it takes some time to turn around etc. It is not Quake with a robot.

Mechwarrior series (mainly starting from Mechwarrior 2 I think) is a safe bet, but both obtaining and getting them to run on modern PCs might have problems, at least Mechwarrior 2-3. Heavy Gear 1-2 are also good, albeit somewhat smaller robots.

http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/mechwarrior-series

http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/heavy-gear-series

On GOG there is Shattered Steel and Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri, but they are more like those smaller nimble robots, than huge slow mechs. Terra Nova is more like a power armor though, but I consider it as a "mech game".

I don't think I ever played a "real" mech game, but I recommend Titanfall (if it counts)

Using the Titan (mech) feels unique and different from being on foot and not just being a tall soldier.

Fantastic, bit underrated game.

NETHER EARTH !!! :-)

remake for pc

I was totally coming to suggest Xenoblade Chronicles X but I see you've already listed that one.
After playing that I'm far more interested in trying some more mech games as the Skells are awesome.
I agree the combat is basically just turn based RPG stuff so you don't have the feeling of control you are looking for.

Check these two out: Shogo and Slave Zero. First is a FPS, second is a TPS. Both great and both on GOG.

If you don't mind older games there is also Earthsiege 1 and 2, which you can download for free (see [url=https://www.gog.com/forum/general/hirez_releases_all_previous_starsiege_tribes_games_for_free]this thread).

Another shoutout for the mechwarrior series, but I would suggest starting with 3 or 4. Like timppu mentioned, mechwarrior really gets the feel of a giant mech just right. The mechs feel like they have actual momentum.

The series is also effective at highlighting the contrast between the different weight ranges of mechs. You'll start of with a 35 or 40 ton weakling, like a and then eventually move onto something more serious like a 55 ton [url=http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Bushwacker]Bushwacker which, if you're a good pilot, can start to pose a threat to even heavy class mechs. If you're lucky you'll later get your hands on your own heavy 75 ton Fafnir.

What you can also consider is the incredible mech commander series, especially the first one. It has a lengthy and extremely fun campaign, and allow you a lot of freedom between levels : buying/selling captured/salvaged mechs/weapons/equipment ; hiring/firing pilots; customizing mech payloads
I think the game is free these days too, and is available from http://mechcommander.co.uk/index/ . It works on at least win7 as well.
The sequel is also a great game, but to me the original is even better.
Hint : never sell clan weapons (especially pulse lasers)