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Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction
Score: 8.9 / 10
North Korea fascinates me. Although I know
very little about the place and its brutal Communist regime it still
fascinates me that such a place can still exist. I suppose its continued
existence mostly boils down to Western countries providing economic aid
to appease the nuclear ravings of Kim Jong Il in the hopes they’ll plant
the seeds of democracy (i.e. capitalism) with some cash.
And that’s what Mercenaries is all about. No, not democracy to a
downtrodden people. Cash. And plenty of it!
On the dawning of democracy in North Korea, the threat of nuclear war is
suddenly very really and the two Koreas find themselves in an uproar as
military and gang forces try to carve out a piece of the Korean pie. But
you’re not there as peacemaker or even to snag some power, you’re there
as a member of ExOps
trying to earn the bounties on the members
of the Deck of 52, with the ultimate $100,000,000.00 bounty on the head
baddie up for grabs. To collect the Deck of 52 you assume the role of
either Mattias Nilsson, Jennifer Mui, or Chris Jacobs as a one-person
army. (As an added bonus you can also unlock Indiana Jones as a playable
character.) You’re dropped into a massive theater of operations where
just about
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everything can be blown up or destroyed provided you have the right
equipment.
And, boy, what equipment!
Besides the assortment of weapons – from RPGs to sniper rifles to
surface-to-air missile launchers – Mercenaries packs in a ton of
vehicles, most of which can be driven or piloted directly. Then there
are numerous indirectly controlled “vehicles” like surgical airstrikes,
which can level entire city blocks.
Giving you access to this capability as well as supply and vehicle
air-drops is the Merchant of Menace website, which will deliver
practically anything anywhere – for a price. Sometimes at an incredible
price. This is where the wanton destruction and contracts come into
play.
Scattered around the map are one-off contracts and challenges, like
driving from Point A to B in under 2:00 minutes or pushing a barrel 50
meters before time runs down for small cash bonuses. (Also, obliterating
any North Korean hardware also results in a hit of cash.) The big money
is found with the various factions in the area. Often during the course
of a mission you’ll encounter a card from the Deck of 52, which means
even bigger money. (Sometimes those cards just pop up between contracts
or intel is provided by ExOps HQ to direct you to the right area.)
Mission variety is good. You’ll be contracted to “paint” targets so an
aerial strike can be launched, recover friendly agents, pilot a
helicopter to retrieve some cargo, or take to the hills and snipe at
North Korean troops (and many more). Just like Grand Theft Auto – you
knew that comparison was coming – how you approach a contract is
entirely up to you just as long as you complete the contract. Order a
civilian car and scout out the area or smash a fully-loaded troop
transport into a roadblock and watch the mayhem ensue. It’s all up to
your personal style. Be warned that your actions will affect your
standing with the various factions. Fall into too much disfavor and
faction members will shoot on sight. Keeping everyone on your good side
is tough if not impossible – fortunately, you can always get yourself
back in the good books with a large “donation.”
Be prepared to encounter Mercenaries idiosyncrasies as you enjoy the
action.
My biggest complaint is that the extraction helicopter that picks up
captured members of the Deck of 52 can only be loaded on the left side
of the craft even though both sides are open. So instead of potentially
being able to use the copter as cover you have to expose yourself to
attack. My other big gripe is that it’s very easy to get stuck in
certain places. It’s aggravated by the fact most of these areas are
cloaked in trees so if there is a way out you can’t see it. At these
times you have no choice but to quit and reload (and curse loudly if it
has been awhile since you saved your game.) One other thing. I don’t
know if it’s just my copy of Mercenaries but I experienced an inordinate
number of “dirty disc” messages that would crash the game or “reconnect
your controller” messages that were altogether distracting. (The disc is
mint, my controller is practically new, and I haven’t seen these
“flutters” with any other game.)
Much praise should be heaped on Mercenaries composer Michael Giacchino.
It’s not often a game soundtrack can heighten the tension the way this
orchestrated soundtrack does. And there’s not a licensed track to be
heard – it’s all original. Accompanying the music is some terrific
effects and voice performances, except for Nilsson who has no Finnish
accent though he was born and bred in Finland.
Mercenaries really does live up to its subtitle – it’s a playground of
destruction out there and it’s fun. Highly recommended for action fans.
