War, the word alone can cause panic, fear and even divide countries. Let’s take the recent war situation over in Iraq, shall we? Everyone has his or her own opinion about it. I am not going to go into whether it was the right thing or not. This is a game review. Taking the recent war and adding both real facts and throwing in fiction makes for an interesting concept. When I read the first press release about this game, I knew it was going to be something special. However, just like in real life the truth and the coverage are not always accurate. In fact the media has to be censored to a point for the safety of the missions and the young solders whose lives are in constant danger. Its this mix of realistic story and fiction wrapped up in one of the best stories ever to be made into a game.

If you have seen the tag line for
the game on TV, it is not just there to be catchy. If it can be destroyed, you can do it. Now the game is not just all about blowing the crap out of people. You have a mission. As a hired mercenary, simply put, your main mission is to capture the 52 most wanted listed on the deck of cards. Yet, the game has so much more to offer. You will need to try and keep the 4 main factions on an even keel. In short while you’re in it for the money, you need to be careful. Get one of the factions mad at you to the point they are showing as hostile and you’re going to be in for one long game. Its this mix of go anywhere and take a mission in any order that makes Mercenaries on of the most original and best games so far this year!

Gameplay

I want to make something crystal clear here. This is not a GTA rip off! The only similarity is the free roaming aspect of the game. You’re a hired Mercenary who has one thing on his mind: money. You need to take care of situations without involving any country. You’re the person that cleans up other peoples messes. When you succeed, you will get paid and the country you’re working for gets the glory. If you die, no one will even admit or acknowledge your existence. The cool part is if you’re smart, you can use this to your advantage and retire a wealthy person. Sure it’s a dirty job yet someone has to do it.

When you first start the game, you will see the profiles of three of the world’s best mercenaries. Each of the characters has their own special talents and background stories. You will get more details the further you get in the game. Now the intro alone is a rapid-fire display of news footage. Some that are real and some that were made up just for the game. Pandemic was so slick that you won’t be able to tell the difference. It throws you into the game and creates a real situation that draws you in. You will get a PDA, a contact list and some great weapons. Just a warning, if you do not pay close attention to the info or the on-screen instructions on how to make use of the PDA, it will be easy to find yourself completely lost within the first ten minutes of the game. It sounds complicated, however, if you pay attention and listen, it soon will make sense and the first bounty will be captured or dead!

The whole game happens in real time. This means while you’re trying to order in a carpet bomb and giving the location with realistic air maps, you could be in danger of taking fire. Timing and learning where to stand out of harm’s way is the key to success in this game. While the game is not a cakewalk, it’s a wild one and very intense. After a few missions you soon learn who you can trust and even who is out to use you to tick off a country for their benefit. This part alone makes the game so brilliant and fun to play.

Control / Playability

You do not need to be a veteran of war games to get the hang of the controls. All you need to do is read the game manual and watch the onscreen examples as well as the instructions given. Failure to comply with the things stated above will make your time with the game a living nightmare. The control layout is great with so many different features. They really made it easy to use. When you’re in the PDA or ordering mode, the controls are totally different. Gamers will soon learn that the controls are as easy as pulling up an item, arming it, and then using it.

While the controls are great, the only complaint I had was with the way the vehicles controlled. Some vehicles operate a bit touchy. It really boils down to taking the time and getting into the role you’re playing. When you get further into the game, more weapons and options are available. Again, I can’t stress this enough. You need to watch for incoming Emails and Intel to know what is going on. While
some gamers may think the controls are a little overwhelming, it just takes time to learn them. Any gamer can get the controls down within the first 30 minutes and soon the controls become second nature.

Graphics / Presentation

The game uses a third person view and the graphics showcase this view nicely. The details are amazing at times. The details in the aerial maps and the accuracy of the Intel are scary. Each person you come across in the game are original looking and unique. It also offers some of the best looking explosions I have seen in any game like this in a long time. Some gamers may be taken back at the huge looking characters at first. However, Pandemic used this style for a reason and they really did their homework. At times the screen will be filled with several enemies, planes etc. There is no slow down. The cut-scenes help gamers get into the game as well as provide some helpful details. In short, a great job all the way around. I would have liked to see a few areas a bit more polished looking, yet I can say that about every game I review. Graphically, Mercenaries really shines throughout and remains constant during the entire game.

Mercenaries Screenshot

View all Mercenaries Screenshots in the Gallery

Mercenaries Screenshot

Audio

As realistic as the game is the sound and effects really help to bring the game to the next level and the voice-over actors really did an outstanding job. Each character you meet has their own unique sound and manner of dealing with you. As well, every weapon sounds realistic and you will hear a difference in the way each one is executed. At times you will appreciate the little extra sound cues throw in, they can save your butt in key situations. All around a top-notch job and the audio really helps pull off the games’ all around theme.

Replay Value

You start off with three characters to pick from. After you finishing the game, you can earn 2 more playable characters: Indiana Jones and Hans Solo. Of course after playing the game for 40+ hours to complete, its nice to have a special reward. Each character will trigger different things so the replay value is really up to the gamer playing it. I think the game has more replay value than most games I have played recently.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 8.9/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

In closing, the game cannot be summed up in one category. You will hunt down enemies one time and find precious treasures the next. The game has so many different elements and even flying missions to boot. It’s like three or four different games rolled up into one giant playground (NO PUN Intended). Its not an easy game to beat. However, it is an easy game to get wrapped up in and you may look at the clock to find you have been playing for hours without realizing it. While a few things could have been tweaked, the game delivers hours of fast paced action and surprises around just about every corner. While an online mode would have been nice, I have to stand by my first thoughts. This game has to be considered for game of the year in its genre! The longer you play it, the better it gets.

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