Resident Evil The Mercenaries 3D (3DS) Review
I was pretty excited when Capcom announced two Resident Evil titles for the Nintendo 3DS, although I had no idea what either of them were about and it was a really exciting time. Then, I heard about Revelations and understandably became even more excited with an amazing looking game that returned to the series’ atmospheric and creepier roots. And finally, Capcom announced The Mercenaries 3D, a kind of “spin-off” featuring the characters from previous games battling it out in an arcade style setting. I wasn’t really disappointed by the second announcement, but I did know that in order for this game to be successful, it would have to do things a certain way. Did The Mercenaries 3Ddo things the right way? Not really, and it’s a real shame too. Read on to find out.
The Mercenaries 3D is, for all intents and purposes a kind of “dream team” for the series, which brings together environments and characters from previous iterations in the series to simply duke it out and defeat as many infected enemies as possible. Most of the players will recognise the characters featured, with some having appeared only in the original game released all the way back in 1996 right through to the most recent, Resident Evil 5.
What’s most perplexing about The Mercenaries 3D is just how much content it’s missing, considering it’s a full priced standalone title. It’s obvious the game was slapped together from existing assets from previous games and to be perfectly honest, I have no issues with that. What I do have an issue with is that it would’ve been comparatively easy to include more maps and more characters (such as Leon and Ada – yeah, they’re not anywhere to be seen at all) and yet for some obscene reason, Capcom have decided not to include them despite being some fan favourites. To put some things into perspective, there are a total of eight playable characters in The Mercenaries 3D, while assets, animations and such already exist for five other characters that could be included in the package. It’s a bit disappointing since we should really be seeing something a little bit more substantial than what would normally be included in any mainline Resident Evil title as a post-game unlockable instead.
There is one great thing about Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D however, and that is the game’s graphical presentation. The game runs on the MT Framework Mobile engine, which powered Street Fighter IV as well as the upcoming Resident Evil Revelations too. Based on code written originally for the high definition consoles, the engine really does shine here displaying some very well put together environments and sporting some very nice texture work too. Enemies and the playable characters in particular look superb, with many of them looking around 95% similar to their high definition counterparts, which provide a nice sense of parity to the game’s graphics. One particular niggle that many players will notice is that the enemies who appear further away seem to animate in a noticeably lower framerate. It’s a bit strange to see at first but players will get used to it, but it is a bit of a mystery as to why this happens as it makes the game almost seem like an iPhone game at a distance but a fully-fledged 3DS title when more closer to the player.
As expected, the 3D effect is utilised very well although the times that the player will actually be wowed by some of the effects are quite rare. During general play, the game’s 3D graphics really give depth to the environment and make the player stand out. If playing with a first person viewpoint during aiming, the 3D effect works particularly well too. It’s when enemies with huge claws attack your player and the claws appear to protrude out of the screen or an explosion blows particles into the air at varying levels of depth that you will release just how great the 3DS system is for this kind of past paced shooter, and in that regard the 3D is used effectively. Finally, as expected, the game does run a little bit smoother with the 3D slider turned all the way down, although it’s not like Dead or Alive Dimensions where the game itself seems unplayable without turning it down. In brief, the 3D effect works really well and it doesn’t seem detrimental to the gameplay at all.
And the gameplay itself is pretty tight too. Generally speaking, Mercenaries is about racking up as many kills with a character’s weapon set as possible, with bonus points being awarded for stringing together kills within a certain time as well as time bonuses being awarded for certain methods of killing. It feels very arcade style and in that regard it’s actually pretty damn addictive, with many players no doubt wanting to better themselves after each round. The timer is constantly running down, and this can be extended by picking up a time bonus or instead by executing enemies with a melee attack, which can be triggered by wounding an enemy with a shot and then running up to them and pressing a button. It’s a very simplistic system and this is probably why it works so damn well. It’s just a blast to play.
The characters themselves all play pretty similar, though if you have a certain affinity for a certain type of firearm then you’ll definitely have a favourite character to play with. The characters are all pretty well rounded and generally I can’t see too many imbalances in the roster, although this isn’t a fighting game so it’s not a huge issue if I did anyway. Players can now also move and shoot at the same time, albeit slowly, but this is a feature many people have been asking for and it’s finally now included in both The Mercenaries 3D and Revelations, which I’m sure is a good thing to hear. Additionally, the player does not need to “bend down” to pick up items off the ground and both reloading and healing can be done without having to stop moving. Generally speaking, these small little tweaks really facilitate faster paced gameplay, and in a game like this it’s definitely welcomed.
That being said, diehard fans of the series such as me will recognise that there are some character’s moves missing – remember HUNK’s awesome neck breaker move in Resident Evil 4’s mercenaries draw? It’s no longer in The Mercenaries 3D, which is immensely disappointing and quite baffling too. These little features make the game feel a little bit “cheaper” or unfinished which is kind of disappointing. It’s almost as if the team had to build the game from the ground up and subsequently skimped on some components due to a lack of time, or budget, or both. Some effort has gone into modelling the weapons for the first person modes (which is new and looks okay), but it’s just weird to not have these characters behave as they did in previous titles.
In an attempt to really lengthen the appeal of the whole package, The Mercenaries 3D offers a mission mode where players will play through certain levels with certain objectives in order to unlock many different things. These missions themselves are nothing substantial and usually boil down to killing as many people as possible within a given time limit – it’s almost as if they’re there to make the game seem more like a game and not just a post-game unlockable just like it was in previous Resident Evil titles. Characters can be unlocked, as well as an alternative costume for each when a certain grade is acquired on a certain number of levels – with a mini-achievement system known as “Medals” also awarding unlockables. In terms of actual gameplay, there are “perks” to unlock as well that may increase the healing capabilities of items, reduce instant deaths, increase critical hit ratios and many more that can all be upgraded at least three times by using them consistently during matches. These give the game an almost lite-RPG feel and do extend the gameplay, but not substantially enough to warrant additional play throughs just for the sake of it. Additionally, there are also weapon loadouts for each character that can be easily unlocked by exchanging the play coins accumulated from the 3DS’s pedometer, and it’s a nice touch to see another title using them.
Finally, the game features multiplayer modes that actually perform rather well – it’s nice to see Capcom supporting the online component of the 3DS with their titles thus far. Players can jump into a game with another player in “Duo” mode where the enemies come a little bit thicker and two players must work in tandem to get a great score. There’s something strangely addictive about this game and you’ll notice it even more when playing with a friend, though the lack of voice chat is pretty disappointing and quite frankly a bit isolating. Still, if you can facilitate a voice conversation elsewhere, such as Skype or something, it’s a great experience.
In terms of the overall package and its value, it’s really hard to say how much this game is really worth. On one hand, it’s a great looking action packed title that is bound to deliver hours of arcade style gameplay to those who enjoy this kind of thing, while on the other it’s a very quick rehash of already existing assets (and not even all of them) with a lick of 3D paint thrown over it. The mission mode will take no longer than four-six hours to complete – so the real crux of the gameplay and enjoyment you’ll get out of it is definitely going to be depending on how many of your friends want to play it with you – and in that aspect I recommend that you do. Online multiplayer and the plentiful-but-insubstantial unlockable perks and costumes are nice touches that add a bit of value but still aren’t enough to hold the package up overall. Of course, there is a Resident Evil: Revelations demo included but it’s no longer than five minutes but still a nice add-in.
In terms of the soundtrack, the game features some original fast paced electronic and almost house-like tracks that are bound to get the blood pumping during more intense moments of the game. It’s a bit of a shame to see the lack of some of the faster paced tracks appearing from Resident Evil 5 as well, as they did have a bit more soul and a higher degree of intensity, but otherwise the soundtrack does do a good job. The sound design, however, leaves a lot to be desired. Weapons such as pistols make very weak noises that really bring down the weight of the gun and make the player feel like they’re wielding a child’s toy rather than a real firearm. Finally, the general voice work and sound effects are all ridiculously compressed so they sound rather low-fi when playing, and it’s a bit distracting at first but many players will get over it sooner rather than later.
Generally speaking, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D will definitely appeal to anyone looking for a fun Nintendo 3DS title to quench the drought we’ve had over the past month or so, but it’s not something that is super substantial, particularly for those who want to play the game by themselves rather than with friends. If you’re into these Arcade-style points-based kinds of titles, I can safely recommend it without hesitation, especially if you’ve got a friend who’s just as keen as you to play together with. However, if you’re one of those people who finishes a game and then shelves it, this product probably isn’t for you.
Graphics 9.0
Some of the best on the Nintendo 3DS, but some weird graphical choices really bring it down quite a bit. Still, this is definitely the best youll see so far on the console. Character models are superb. The 3D effects are used well.
Gameplay 8.0
While some of you might not enjoy Arcade style experiences, this is definitely one worth getting behind. Fast paced and tweaked to be ever so more intuitive, The Mercenaries 3D offers a fun and enjoyable romp, even if its not really all that Resident Evil-ish.
Sound 7.0
A good collection of eclectic and heart pumping techno tracks, but the compressed voicework and sound effects makes the weapons and characters feel almost removed from the game.
Tilt 6.0
While theres a mission mode and heaps of unlockables, none of these are really substantial with the former taking no more than three hours to complete. Generally speaking, though, this couldve been so much more but for some reason Capcom decided to skimp. Online multiplayer does bring this up, though.
Value 9.0
Despite my issues with it, Im still a huge Resident Evil fan at heart and even after playing it for countless hours on end, I still was having quite a lot of fun having a portable Mercenaries experience as a means to escape the daily grind. Its just a shame that Capcom have been a bit slack with the way theyve presented it.
Overall
While Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D does offend in some ways, generally speaking its a well put together arcade-style action shooter. With good multiplayer functionality, this has the potential to go on forever, but be warned, this seems to be a game that will only be enjoyed with friends, and not by yourself.
