VIDEO GAME REVIEW: Resident Evll Mercenaries 3D

August 12th 2011, 6:52am

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

Published by: Capcom
Developed by: Capcom
Release Date: June 28, 2011
Available on: Nintendo 3DS

INTRO: I feel like one of the games I’ve mentioned the most while writing these game reviews is Resident Evil 4. I really have a special place in my heart for that game, and I don’t really think that an RE title has quite captured the same lightning in a bottle like that one. And now, we’ve got a Resident Evil in 3D! No, I’m not talking about the latest RE flick (in fact, I hope I’m never forced to talk about those), but a new entry into the 3DS library, RE: Mercenaries 3D.

Instead of being its own brand new title, this game takes Mercenaries, a mode from RE 4 and 5 and wraps it up into a portable package. Your job is to pick a character, drop into a map, grab your ammo and kill zombies. At the end of the mission, you’re ranked accordingly. So, does RE on the 3Ds soar or plummet? Read on!

GAMEPLAY:

Please note: This game has only ONE save file, and it’s permanent. Yes, that’s right, there’s no undoing, no starting all over again. I guess the idea was to focus on the replay value and the like, but come on!

Well, first of all I’ll come right out and say that there’s no story mode here at all. If you’re looking to find out what the Umbrella Corporation is up to these days, keep looking because this is simply drop in, shoot stuff, replay to get a better ranking.

There are several characters to choose from, but they aren’t really any different- just familiar faces from the RE series (although to be fair, their weapon selection varies and that’ll come into play later on in the game. With that said, by performing specific tasks in each level you can upgrade different ‘skills’ for each character that make them perform a bit better. As it is, you run around, pick up all the ammo you can find (which really isn’t much trouble, honestly), then blast the zombies.

This game is essentially a score run. Once you start getting good grades, you’re unlocking new levels, weapons and characters and the like. There are fifty medals to grab along the way too, but this all feels a bit like a way to make the game seem deeper than it is. The 8 levels are taken from the different games, and the gameplay is basically identical to the RE games (except in this one, you can shoot and move at the same time, although you might not use it often- I didn’t). This isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you like it to begin with.

Worth noting is that you can play online with a friend, which is always more fun. You share the same clock and combo meter. Unfortunately though, you can’t talk to them unless they’re right there with you- there’s no communication system.

Gameplay: 6/10

GRAPHICS:

Although I borrowed a 3DS for this review and haven’t played many other games, I thought that this looked pretty good. Admittedly, it looked like collision detection was off in a few animations. Characters are impressive and explosions look good. In terms of the 3D effect, I was pleased with it. It’s neat when monsters jump out of nowhere to attack you.

Graphics: 7/10

AUDIO:

Sound is passable, with almost no spoken dialogue to mention (which isn’t always a bad thing). The soundtrack is more or less just there and is unremarkable at best, which is disappointing given some of the great work done in past entries of the series. As always, I recommend playing with headphones on when playing a handheld system.

Audio: 6/10

FINAL VERDICT:

At the end of the day, I had fun playing RE: Mercenaries on the 3DS. The honest truth of things is that it really isn’t a fully-featured game. If you purchase this expecting a real adventure, you should run far away. On the other hand, if you have a friend you can blast through with and really like unlocking things, I’d pick this up once the price drops a bit. This is a quality product that feels more like testing the water for the future than anything else.

Final Score: 6.5/10

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