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Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (3DS) Review

Score-based survival horror

Resident Evil 4 was a real turning point for Capcom’s survival horror series. Prior to its launch, the franchise was in serious danger of losing its relevance, but the changes introduced in the fourth instalment did much to reassert its dominance of the genre. It's also notable as the birthplace of the popular Mercenaries mode, a sub-game that tasks players with score-chasing as well as raw survival. It proved so well-liked that it made a re-appearance in the sequel, and now it's getting its very own outing in Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D .

Cynical observers have been quick to label this a quick-and-easy cash-in on Capcom’s part, and they have a point – there’s little here that is wholly new. Locations, characters and enemies are all taken from previous instalments, and most of the developer’s effort seems to have been spent trying to cram the powerful MT Framework graphics engine into the 3DS’s somewhat humble hardware. The fact that it's also used as a vehicle to push Revelations (a short and rather unsatisfying demo is included on the cart) lends credence to this assumption.

However, such negativity misses one crucial point – for the most part, this expanded mini-game offers challenging and addictive gameplay with engaging multiplayer modes and a raft of items, characters, medals and costumes to unlock. In a way it’s one of the most pure Resident Evil experiences yet seen; it cuts away all the peripheral material and distils the action, tension and atmosphere of the beloved franchise.

The game offers tiered progression, with five skills levels each sub-divided into missions. The objectives are simple – some require you to dispatch all of the enemies within a set time limit, while others throw an inexhaustible supply of foes at you to see how many you can slay before the counter ticks down to zero. You’re then graded on your performance, offering the tantalising prospect of bettering your own personal best, perhaps improving your tally by keeping a kill-streak going to boost your all-important combo score.

As you move through the tiers you'll gain access to new skills, characters, and more. Skills allow you to bolster your power, adding vitality, strength and resilience. However, the most appealing element is exploring how the various protagonists perform in the arena of battle. Each one has a different load-up of weapons, some boasting powerful melee attacks and others favouring a selection of projectile-based arms that can keep hostiles at a safe distance.

Resident Evil: Mercenaries 3D Has Permanent ... - MultiplayerGames.com

Features a permanent save file. In other words, should you rent or (god forbid) purchase a used copy, the person before you who thought it was funny to insert an expletive as their name for the high score table has permanently tainted the cart.

It should be noted that Mercenaries is just a glorified score rush/multiplayer bash. At its worst, you’ll simply be stuck looking at someone’s high score on a leaderboard. For the competitive type who pick up a cart though and can’t beat that random stranger, it will eat away at them for years. Plus, it’s just a launching pad for whatever else they have planned for the future, and supporting it only says that you’re okay with it.

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