So, uh. Mercenaries?

Royal Fool · 01-18-2005, 06:19 AM

Has anyone tried it? I liked some of Pandemic's past games (Battlezone II was ace and Dark Reign 2 was pretty good as well) and have usually tried keeping up on their games but I somehow nearly totally ignored Mercenaries. Then I suddenly realized it was nearly out and noticed the very positive reviews. Now that I've played it, color me surprised. It's pretty good.

It basically takes place in North Korea in the near future. The nation's leader is murdered by his own son, Song, who then seizes power and scares the world with his formidable nuclear arsenal. Then several factions invade the country as a counter to Song's threats. Cue lots and lots of explosions and mayhem.

You pick one of three mercenaries (Swedish, British or American) employed by an independant corporation called ExOps. You take contracts from various factions in the battlefield and have to hunt down General Song's men while earning cash (Song's main henchmen are identified using a deck of cards, similar to the U.S. army's methods in Iraq). But the real fun kicks in when you discover all the fun toys you get to use: Air support via artillery, missile launchers and gunships, various tanks, jeeps choppers and other assorted vehicles and lots of rocket launchers and automatic weapons. It's fun to rain down destruction upon your enemies with all this stuff.

Even the tallest buildings crumble to dust if hit with enough firepower, which makes for lots of eye candy. Explosions will also make car wrecks and other junk fly into the air. The musical score is also really good, sort of reminds me of the orchestrated pieces from Outcast or that infamous Duke Nukem Forever trailer. The game even has unique boss levels.

An even more unique thing about this game is the use of in-jokes to LucasArts' other games. No, there aren't any Sam & Max or Loom unlockables or anything, but they do have some funny pokes at Star Wars and Indiana Jones, among others. In this post-LucasArts era where they've nearly become an empty shell totally out of touch with their past fans, this is a nice nod to gamers, even if a majority of the jokes are Star Wars-related. It would have been awesome to see a Max cameo in there somewhere, but some things are too good to be true.

I'd call it a mix of Jungle Strike, Hunter (That old Atari/Amiga game) and GTA. If you can hunt down a PS2 or Xbox demo, I urge you to try it. You might be pleasantly surprised by this game, no matter how generic it may sound in this forum post of mine (The game isn't coming to the PC though, sorry...

).

Jony · 01-19-2005, 03:26 PM

Yep, I've tried it on PS2. Its pretty good I must say.

VoodooFX · 01-19-2005, 04:01 PM

It's been getting good reviews all over the net, doubt it will sell well though.

*Jake* · 01-19-2005, 04:19 PM

I suspect it will sell fine. It has really nicely done marketing, to be honest, and an appealing concept (blow everything up a lot, however you want).

VoodooFX · 01-19-2005, 04:24 PM

I'll have to take your word for it Jake, since i live on old continent i have no idea what kind of marketing was put out for this game.

It's nice to see LEC finally investing some of the funds on marketing department.

DustCropper · 01-19-2005, 04:27 PM

Yeah I see on Gamespot that it's selling pretty well. Of the top 10 selling console games, it's second and third (XBox and PS2). Though personally I'm not a big fan of this type of game.

*Jake* · 01-19-2005, 04:40 PM

I've heard from LucasArts that it's doing well as well.If only they'd put that money from Mercenaries into a certain dog and rabbit

SoccerDude28 · 01-19-2005, 04:55 PM

How can't you sell when the commercial for the game says. "Blow crap up". "Blow it up some more"

Royal Fool · 01-19-2005, 06:46 PM

When I discovered the little LucasArts jokes in the game I was sort of hoping within the deepest recesses of my mind that there would be a Max cameo or easter egg somewhere, like they used to do in the old days. Sadly, there was none such thing.

Hell, the Gold Guy isn't even animated in the intro logo for the game. Damn it, LucasArts, you're not even trying anymore. You've just become yet another faceless publisher.

remixor · 01-19-2005, 06:48 PM

I thought the commercial for this game was pretty stupid.

*Jake* · 01-19-2005, 07:05 PM

I don't think much of the commercial either, but I suspect it will have pretty broad appeal amongst people who play games because "you can totally blow up guys and it looks awesome," which is a lot of people. And, let's be honest here, it is fun to blow up a lot of guys and have it look awesome. As long as that's not all there is.

Skinkie · 01-19-2005, 07:14 PM

Oh so your one of those people whos not happy to just look at explosions eh? What do you want? Story? That costs money. Money better put into explosions.

So the games actually pretty good eh? I must admit, I'm surprised.

remixor · 01-19-2005, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake

I don't think much of the commercial either, but I suspect it will have pretty broad appeal amongst people who play games because "you can totally blow up guys and it looks awesome," which is a lot of people. And, let's be honest here, it is fun to blow up a lot of guys and have it look awesome. As long as that's not all there is.

I know, I just mean it came off as really really cheesy. It didn't have quite the intended effect on me.

Intrepid Homoludens · 01-20-2005, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skinkie

Oh so your one of those people whos not happy to just look at explosions eh? What do you want? Story? That costs money. Money better put into explosions.

< blows up Skinkie >

:eek: Cool.

< blows him up some more >

Awesome!

EDIT: LMAO! I just saw the TV spot over at Gametrailers. Screw it, I'd buy the game just 'cause the commercial made me laugh!

squarejawhero · 01-20-2005, 04:26 AM

I just checked the trailers. THAT GAME LOOKS LIKE A BLAST! (pun intended)

Any news on a PC version? Please... that in 1600X1200 res blowing stuff up on my 22inch monitor would be trés superb.

Royal Fool · 01-20-2005, 04:39 AM

I know, this game would probably be a huge hit on PC. But it seems that it's gonna be console-exclusive... for now, at least.

SoccerDude28 · 01-20-2005, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squarejawhero

I just checked the trailers. THAT GAME LOOKS LIKE A BLAST! (pun intended)

Any news on a PC version? Please... that in 1600X1200 res blowing stuff up on my 22inch monitor would be trés superb.

Nope apparently, the PC audience isn't much into blowing the crap out of something, and then blowing the crap out of it some more. They just like to set it on fire and watch it turn into ashes. We PC Junkies are a more patient sadistic breed.

01-20-2005, 11:47 AM

I'm liking the game. I think it's probably the most successful of the "me too" GTA-inspired games, because it doesn't try to beat GTA at its own game.

A lot of the more open, free-form games out there have been labeled "sandboxes," and I feel that this term has never applied better than with Mercenaries. Unlike with GTA's rather scripted, linear missions, you're usually given a basic objective to defeat, and how you do it is totally up to you. There's just so many options and the amount of freedom here is really this game's greatest achievement. The Gamespy review really hits it when the reviewer says "I can't remember the last time I played a game in which I wondered whether something could be done, and nine times out of ten it actually could be. . ."

I'm having so much fun just collecting bounties...

SamandMax · 01-20-2005, 12:26 PM

Mercenaries almost makes up for RTX Red Rock. Almost.

01-20-2005, 01:52 PM

Two totally different development teams. Thankfully.

01-18-2005, 06:19 AM	#1
Royal Fool Statement: Not a meatbag. Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Iceland Posts: 813	So, uh. Mercenaries? Has anyone tried it? I liked some of Pandemic's past games (Battlezone II was ace and Dark Reign 2 was pretty good as well) and have usually tried keeping up on their games but I somehow nearly totally ignored Mercenaries. Then I suddenly realized it was nearly out and noticed the very positive reviews. Now that I've played it, color me surprised. It's pretty good. It basically takes place in North Korea in the near future. The nation's leader is murdered by his own son, Song, who then seizes power and scares the world with his formidable nuclear arsenal. Then several factions invade the country as a counter to Song's threats. Cue lots and lots of explosions and mayhem. You pick one of three mercenaries (Swedish, British or American) employed by an independant corporation called ExOps. You take contracts from various factions in the battlefield and have to hunt down General Song's men while earning cash (Song's main henchmen are identified using a deck of cards, similar to the U.S. army's methods in Iraq). But the real fun kicks in when you discover all the fun toys you get to use: Air support via artillery, missile launchers and gunships, various tanks, jeeps choppers and other assorted vehicles and lots of rocket launchers and automatic weapons. It's fun to rain down destruction upon your enemies with all this stuff. Even the tallest buildings crumble to dust if hit with enough firepower, which makes for lots of eye candy. Explosions will also make car wrecks and other junk fly into the air. The musical score is also really good, sort of reminds me of the orchestrated pieces from Outcast or that infamous Duke Nukem Forever trailer. The game even has unique boss levels. An even more unique thing about this game is the use of in-jokes to LucasArts' other games. No, there aren't any Sam & Max or Loom unlockables or anything, but they do have some funny pokes at Star Wars and Indiana Jones, among others. In this post-LucasArts era where they've nearly become an empty shell totally out of touch with their past fans, this is a nice nod to gamers, even if a majority of the jokes are Star Wars-related. It would have been awesome to see a Max cameo in there somewhere, but some things are too good to be true. I'd call it a mix of Jungle Strike, Hunter (That old Atari/Amiga game) and GTA. If you can hunt down a PS2 or Xbox demo, I urge you to try it. You might be pleasantly surprised by this game, no matter how generic it may sound in this forum post of mine (The game isn't coming to the PC though, sorry... ). Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ .::Royal Fool::.

01-19-2005, 03:26 PM	#2
Jony Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Wouldn't you like to know? Posts: 145	Yep, I've tried it on PS2. Its pretty good I must say. Share Share this post on Twitter

01-19-2005, 04:01 PM	#3
VoodooFX Grumpy & bitter man Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Slovenia Posts: 1,171	It's been getting good reviews all over the net, doubt it will sell well though. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ We may have days, we may have hours, but sooner or later we all push up flowers.

01-19-2005, 04:19 PM	#4
Jake The Dartmaster Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Rafael, California Posts: 3,084	I suspect it will sell fine. It has really nicely done marketing, to be honest, and an appealing concept (blow everything up a lot, however you want). Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ When on the Internet, visit Idle Thumbs \| Mixnmojo \| Sam & Max.net \| Telltale Games "I was one of the original lovers." - Evan Dickens

01-19-2005, 04:24 PM	#5
VoodooFX Grumpy & bitter man Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Slovenia Posts: 1,171	I'll have to take your word for it Jake, since i live on old continent i have no idea what kind of marketing was put out for this game. It's nice to see LEC finally investing some of the funds on marketing department. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ We may have days, we may have hours, but sooner or later we all push up flowers.

01-19-2005, 04:27 PM	#6
DustCropper Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,117	Yeah I see on Gamespot that it's selling pretty well. Of the top 10 selling console games, it's second and third (XBox and PS2). Though personally I'm not a big fan of this type of game. Share Share this post on Twitter

01-19-2005, 04:40 PM	#7
Jake The Dartmaster Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Rafael, California Posts: 3,084	I've heard from LucasArts that it's doing well as well.If only they'd put that money from Mercenaries into a certain dog and rabbit Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ When on the Internet, visit Idle Thumbs \| Mixnmojo \| Sam & Max.net \| Telltale Games "I was one of the original lovers." - Evan Dickens

01-19-2005, 04:55 PM	#8
SoccerDude28 Homer of Kittens Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: San Francisco, Bay Area Posts: 4,374	How can't you sell when the commercial for the game says. "Blow crap up". "Blow it up some more" Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ -------------------------------------------------- Games I am playing: Jeanne D'Ark (PSP) Firefox rules

01-19-2005, 06:46 PM	#9
Royal Fool Statement: Not a meatbag. Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Iceland Posts: 813	When I discovered the little LucasArts jokes in the game I was sort of hoping within the deepest recesses of my mind that there would be a Max cameo or easter egg somewhere, like they used to do in the old days. Sadly, there was none such thing. Hell, the Gold Guy isn't even animated in the intro logo for the game. Damn it, LucasArts, you're not even trying anymore. You've just become yet another faceless publisher. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ .::Royal Fool::.

01-19-2005, 06:48 PM	#10
remixor A search for a crazy man! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 3,987	I thought the commercial for this game was pretty stupid. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ Chris "News Editor" Remo Some sort of Writer or Editor or Something, Idle Thumbs "Some comparisons are a little less obvious. I always think of Grim Fandango as Casablanca on acid." - Will Wright

01-19-2005, 07:05 PM	#11
Jake The Dartmaster Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Rafael, California Posts: 3,084	I don't think much of the commercial either, but I suspect it will have pretty broad appeal amongst people who play games because "you can totally blow up guys and it looks awesome," which is a lot of people. And, let's be honest here, it is fun to blow up a lot of guys and have it look awesome. As long as that's not all there is. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ When on the Internet, visit Idle Thumbs \| Mixnmojo \| Sam & Max.net \| Telltale Games "I was one of the original lovers." - Evan Dickens

01-19-2005, 07:14 PM	#12
Skinkie Disciplined Breakdown Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 238	Oh so your one of those people whos not happy to just look at explosions eh? What do you want? Story? That costs money. Money better put into explosions. So the games actually pretty good eh? I must admit, I'm surprised. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ One life, One love, One World, It's Vertigo -Planet Us (Sammy Hagar, Neil Schon, Joe Satriani, Micheal Anthony, Deen Castronovo), Vertigo

01-20-2005, 04:26 AM	#15
squarejawhero Epinionated. Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: London Posts: 5,841	I just checked the trailers. THAT GAME LOOKS LIKE A BLAST! (pun intended) Any news on a PC version? Please... that in 1600X1200 res blowing stuff up on my 22inch monitor would be trés superb. Share Share this post on Twitter

01-20-2005, 04:39 AM	#16
Royal Fool Statement: Not a meatbag. Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Iceland Posts: 813	I know, this game would probably be a huge hit on PC. But it seems that it's gonna be console-exclusive... for now, at least. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ .::Royal Fool::.

01-20-2005, 11:47 AM	#18
BigRobot Guest Posts: n/a	I'm liking the game. I think it's probably the most successful of the "me too" GTA-inspired games, because it doesn't try to beat GTA at its own game. A lot of the more open, free-form games out there have been labeled "sandboxes," and I feel that this term has never applied better than with Mercenaries. Unlike with GTA's rather scripted, linear missions, you're usually given a basic objective to defeat, and how you do it is totally up to you. There's just so many options and the amount of freedom here is really this game's greatest achievement. The Gamespy review really hits it when the reviewer says "I can't remember the last time I played a game in which I wondered whether something could be done, and nine times out of ten it actually could be. . ." I'm having so much fun just collecting bounties... Share Share this post on Twitter

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01-20-2005, 12:26 PM	#19
SamandMax A Slice of Fried Gold Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 1,024	Mercenaries almost makes up for RTX Red Rock. Almost. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ SamandMax's Recommended Songs Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball They Might Be Giants - Dog Walker The Kinks - Money Talks Gorillaz - DoYaThing

01-20-2005, 01:52 PM	#20
BigRobot Guest Posts: n/a	Two totally different development teams. Thankfully. Share Share this post on Twitter