Mercenaries

"GTA meets BIG BOOM!"

Mercenaries is basically GTA meets big explosions. But do not think that Mercenaries is a total ripoff. In fact, GTA could learn a few things from this game. This game is a very fun Third-person shooter, that shooter fans will enjoy

Story 8/10
It is the near future. Korea has had their own elections. President Song was assassinated by his son, General Song is now the dictator of Korea, and now China, America, the Russian Mafia, and Korea itself is now fighting this dictator. The organization ExOps (Executive Operations) now is sending mercenaries to help with this fight. Although the story isn't entirely original, it gives of sense of the story being something very real, and that this type of thing is possible. The script isn't as funny as the commercials are, but the script is witty at times, and it works well.

Graphics 9/10
The graphics are excellent for this game. Although they aren't breaking new ground, the graphics are amazing if you think about how big the land of this fictional Korea is, it blows your mind. Rockstar, if you put your mind to it, you too can pump out graphics like this

Sound: 9/10
Emphasis is on BIG BOOM! The explosion and gun sounds work very well, and the orchestral music is great. The explosions with the rumble feature and a sub-woofer really gets you into the experience of the game's intense action. Although the orchestral music seems a bit out of place.

Gameplay 10/10
Simply put, the game is fun. The biggest gameplay component is the mission structure. The game borrows from GTA the idea of doing different jobs for money, but what is unique is the ability to approach a mission in any way you want. DO you want to be discreet? Or do you want to blow the ever-loving crap out of everything? It is your choice to make. Another big component is the "Deck of 52". You must work your way from the 2 of Clubs to General Song, the Ace of Spades. You will find the "cards" in different places around the county. So, theoretically, you could go throughout the game without accomplishing a mission, but you need the money. Money will buy you supplies, vehicles, and call air strikes. You have a variety of air and artillery strikes at you command. For just a little cash, you can destroy your enemy. The physics are good, and and can integrate into gameplay well.

Final Recommendation: Definite Buy
The game is a blast, and there is some replay in there, just so you can play around with the game. The only downer is that there is no Xbox Live play, witch this game was screaming out for

Pros
-Excellent gameplay
-Great sound and graphics
-Open-ended mission structure
-BIG BOOM!

Cons
-Orchestra seems out of place
-Three available characters are not that much different
-No Xbox Live
-Weird Third person perspective takes time to get used to

Final Comment
Any shooter fan will love this game. There is tons of fun to be had, and it is worth you hard-earned cash.

Story: 8
Graphics: 9
Sound: 9
Gameplay: 10
Final Recommendation: Definite Buy
Final Score: 9

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/24/05