Mercenaries

"A great free-form adventure"

I have to say, the parallels between this game and the popular Grand Theft Auto games are obvious, but this game truly does something all it's own, and does it well. Read on to find out more.

Graphics: 8/10 I think the graphics in this game were truly impressive, especialyconsidering the sheer amount that there is to model in this game. Some textures are a little bland or pixelated, but the effects looked nice, the animation was smooth, and there are very few frame rate drops overall. Plus, the smoke effects were simply amazing.

Sound: 9/10 This category is sort of a contention point. The guns and rocket launchers, as well as the vehicles, all have unique sounds. The different factions vying for control of North Korea all speak different languages, and the voices are impressive and faithful to their real-life translations. The only real problem is that sometimes the explosions sound a bit off, like they were synthesized from a combination of different sounds. No real drawbacks here.

Story: 7/10 A lot of people criticize Mercenaries for having almost no story, but I disagree. The game begins with a fairly good background story of a failed unification attempt between North and South Korea that ends in a coup by the North Korean president militarist son taking power and killing his father. The "Allied Nations" (really the U.N., but France won't let Pandemic license that name) discover the new president, General Song, is selling nuclear weapons to terrorists, and is attempting to build long-range delivery rockets for their warheads. The AN invades the North Korean capitol, and several neighbouring nations send their own armies into the field. That's when the company that employs you, one of three highly skilled mercenaries, into the fray to capture General Song and earn his $100 million dollar bounty. Each mission has it's own little story, which keeps things interesting, and there really is some character motivation behind each merc.

Controlls: 8/10 I really can't complain about the controls except for a few minor quibbles. Overall, controlling your mercenary is responsive, but it's a little to easy to get caught up in the action of a firefight and accidentally steer into an oncoming vehicle and flip your car onto it's roof or accidentally throw a grenade. Mostly, it's just that tanks are a little touchy because one control stick controls the actual treads and another controls the aiming of the turret. It's too difficult to get stopped or center your shots on the fly.

Gameplay: 9/10 Except for a few balance issues on the mission difficulty, this is a really fun game through and through. Each one of three mercenaries fits a different play style, like stealth, rush n' go tactics, or all-out assault. Vehicles are easy to find and friendly soldiers can man the guns for you. Missions are varied and you can refuse them if you feel like it without being refused the ace contract, the grand goal of every mission set. Your main goal is to track down the 52 most wanted men in Korea, each corresponding to a card in a standard deck, and you hunt them down by suit. The way you capture or kill each card (you get twice the amount of money for live captures) and complete faction missions is completely up to you, and there are multiple ways to complete each mission. You can also buy equipment, vehicles, and artillery bombings from the Russian Mob. The best thing about Mercenaries is that just like the GTA games, you can just have fun cruising the countryside in the different vehicles and hunting the North Korean militants. I also just really liked the Wild West feeling of the North Korean setting, with the different factions cruising down the highways with wild abandon shooting at each other while civilians careen out of the way of oncoming traffic. The AI in the game is also very good, and you can see little events occur between the NPC's like faction battles and traffic accidents.

Overall: 9/10 I really liked Mercenaries. The little elements like vehicle disguises and bounty hunting are great fun, and it successfully emulates the best parts of the GTA series without the horrible wanton violence and crudeness. It also brings it's own good ideas into the mix. If you like action or adventure games, this is definitely worth your money.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/27/05