Mercenaries

"Fun, explosive action."

I had first heard of Mercenaries when I read a preview of it over at Gamespot, and since then I was very interested in this game. After it came out I rented it at my local Blockbuster store, and while I wasn't immediately blown away, as I played it more I started to see all the little things in this game that made it so good. After playing it for only a few days I went to the store and bought it, and I'd have to say it was money well spent.

Story: 9/10

But before I delve into the details of the gameplay, it helps to know the story first, so you know why you are killing all these people. Mercenaries takes place in the near-future, at a time when the world seems to be close to peace with the nation of North Korea, as their president, Kim Song, starts to see that democracy is the best path for his country to take in order to become a peaceful, prosperous nation. However his son, Choi, opposes all the treaties and peace talks. Eventually, he's had enough, and he stages a large-scale military coup, starting with the assassination of his father. Choi quickly takes over as the leader of North Korea, and so that his plans are not disrupted, he severs communication with the rest of the world. Although no one knows for sure, many believe that North Korea's new, ruthless leader is planning something big. Sure enough, these beliefs turn out to be true.

One night, a North Korean freighter is sighted, struggling out in the middle of the ocean in a storm, and is helped to safety by the Royal Australian Navy. The next morning, the RAN watches the North Korean crew members as they hustle around the ship, in what appears to be an attempt to hide something or cover something up. Becoming suspicious, the Navy seamen decide to board and investigate the freighter. What they found shocked them: several nuclear warheads bound for an Indonesian terrorist organization. Within hours, the situation explodes and turns into a worldwide event, as both governments and the media jump on it to figure out just exactly what's going on. It is soon found out that North Korea possesses the ICBM technology to deliver these warheads to anywhere in the world. What's worse is that these missiles could be ready to fire within weeks. Song and his weapons must be stopped. Immediately a military coalition is established by the Allied Nations, or AN, to invade North Korea and find the nukes before Song can do anything with them, but this is easier said than done.

Meanwhile, a private military company, Executive Operations, plans to send in one of their best mercenaries (you, of course) to see what can be done in this new theatre, or rather, how much money can be made. You, the player, must receive contracts from various factions, such as the AN, PLA, and even the Russian Mob, as well as capture or kill as many of the most wanted people in North Korea ( the Deck of 52), and maybe, just maybe find Song and bring him to justice.

The story is quite good, with its own little twists and turns throughout the game. You really get a sense for the sad, gloomy atmosphere not just through the narrative, but also through what you see and hear, which I will talk about in a bit.

Gameplay: 9/10

The main objective in the game is to make as much money as you can. You can do this through several means. The main method is by accepting contracts. There are 4 different factions in Playground of Destruction that you can accept contracts from, South Korea, China, or PLA, the Allied Nations, or AN, and the Russian Mob. These contracts range from aiding the South Koreans in holding off a North Korean offensive, to rescuing the crew of a downed helicopter in enemy territory, to single-handedly destroying a military compound, and much more. But if you're confused on the objective, Fiona will help you. She is kind of like the “cool techie” you see in action movies who's always that annoying voice in the protagonist's head, accept she is actually quite helpful. She will also get into a little conversation or even an argument with your character, which provides most of the comedy in the game. You also have access to a state-of-the-art PDA which will give you a myriad of information with the push of a button on the controller. Anything from a map of the world to emails you've received, and even an online store (called the Merchant of Menace, run by the Russian Mob) where you can buy supplies and vehicles which will be dropped to your location via helicopter, and even order one of many airstrikes on a nearby location if you want to take down a building or tank or something similar.

You will be doing lots of driving in the game, and you can get around in style in hundreds of different vehicles. All of these vehicles are associated with the faction they belong to, and once you get a disguise in that vehicle you can get to areas you wouldn't be able to otherwise without getting shot up. But some actions, such as aggressive driving or honking your horn or driving past marked officers will bring a quick end to your sneaky tricks, so you must avoid this. This disguise feature is very unique and adds an extra challenge to the game. With this disguise feature you also have some choices on how you want to get your missions accomplished: Do you want to run in guns blazing, or make a quieter approach? The choice is up to you.

The other way to get some cash in Mercenaries is to go after the Deck of 52. This idea was obviously taken from Operation Iraqi Freedom, but it is still fun to go around and act like a bounty hunter taking down the many high ranking government officials and bringing them to justice. At the start of the game, you can only look for the Clubs, the lowest ranking members of Song's regime. As you progress, you will be able to look for the Diamonds, then the Hearts, and finally the spades. All these suits specialize in different parts of the government: The Clubs are the state-sponsored Mafia, the Hearts are in charge of nuclear weapons, etc. You can find out more about each card on your PDA, which will give you a bio on all of these people and tell you what they do. Of course, the AN would like you to capture them alive, and doing so will net you more cash than if you simply pumped them full of lead. Once you have gathered enough intelligence from capturing these fugitives, you will be allowed to accept the Ace contract for that suit you just finished. These contracts are quite hard, so be prepared.

Graphics: 8/10

The graphics in Mercenaries, while not terrible, are not as good as they could have been in some aspects. The good aspect is definitely the destruction effects. After all, this game is the “Playground of Destruction,” and you can tell the developers put a lot of effort into the explosions, fires, and building collapses when making the game. When something blows up, it looks real. Not only that, it looks spectacular. When an airstrike comes in and obliterates a large tower, it makes you say, “Whoa, that was awesome.”

With that in mind, it brings up another thing this game has a lot of, and that is atmosphere. There are old propaganda posters all over the place, with big Cold-War era buildings that just scream, “Communism!” There is litter floating around in the breeze. There is smog down close to the ground, and dilapidated buildings fill the landscape. What complements all this is the sometimes epic and triumphant, but sometimes moody and depressing orchestral score, which I will rave about later. This game really reminds me of 1984.

However, the graphics could still use a bit more work. Many of the models lack polish and detail up close. This does not deter from the atmosphere at all, but it would have been nice to see some things a little more detailed, although if it were it would be pushing the limits of the PS2 and would result in poorer framerate among other things, but alas, nothing is perfect, except this next section.

Sound/Music: 10/10

I would give this section an 11/10 if I could, because the epic, booming orchestral score in this game is absolutely phenomenal. Michael Giacchino and Chris Tilton, the two people who worked on the soundtrack did an outstanding job. You may know Giacchino for his work on the music in the TV show Alias or his amazing film scoring in Pixar's The Incredibles or more recently Mission: Impossible 3. He also has done several other video game soundtracks such as the Medal of Honor games, the Call of Duty games, Secret Weapons over Normandy, and many other titles.

What makes the music in Mercenaries so good is how it compliments the overall feel of the game. When driving through the game world, you hear the depressing sounds of an orchestral choir as you pass the smoking remains of a car. When you are being chased by a North Korean jeep, a loud, booming, brassy tune starts playing with a very frantic pace, and when you bag one of the Deck of 52, the triumphant theme song starts to play, giving you a real sense of accomplishment. When you look at all the burning debris and the downtrodden citizens walking on the sidewalks in the Russian Mob-controlled part of town and hear a quartet of string instruments playing a sad melody, it makes you want to cry. Or maybe it's just me.

Lasting Appeal: 9/10

The game provides many hours of fun on the first playthrough if you want to get everything done, and you can go back and replay it with a different character. Mercenaries will keep you busy for a while.

Overall: 9/10
The gameplay is great. The graphics are great. The story is intriguing, and the music is astounding. What more could you ask for in a game. If you like games with a ton of action, get Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction. You won't be disappointed.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/21/06