Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction

I decided to get Mercinaries because I love shooters and thought I would give this game a try. Ok, so you just wanna know, "IS this game any GOOD?" I'm here to tell you, it is, but it does tire a bit after awhile.

Gameplay: Throughout the game you'll play as one of three mercenaries that are controlled in 3rd person, as you create havoc. The controls are well fitted to the games fast paced action, so you won't be looking for the C4 button, it's all there within reach. To compare this with another game, it resembles the controls of Max Payne, except without the slow-mo. The driving is well handled also, simple controls make you look like you were born to drive. The guns which can be operated while driving are also well handled without much of a distraction. The only problem with the game is that the enemies don't get smarter, or better equiped, the only thing to make (somewhat of) harder levels is quantity of enemies you encounter. In your first few hours of the game you'll face around 50 guys, taking them out with ease, and by the end of it, you be facing around 400 - 500 (not all on screen at once mind you, but for each mission you do at the end... you'll have to mow through about 500 badies before you reach the objective). The AI is fine, by this I mean they'll run from grenades and won't rush a tank when all they have is a rifle, but thats where it ends, they pose no real threat, only in number. It's too bad this game didn't have multiplayer, so that you could get some decent compitition. There's not alot of useful and diverse weapons in the game either, the rifle you start off with, is porbably the only one you'll need until the final chapter, and there's plenty of ammo around so again, you're superior to the enemy.

Graphics: Good graphics (in terms of the xbox, not the current gen consoles). The continous blasts of explosions and building crumbling is what will keep you coming back. The player models are also detailed but since you'll be shooting and driving there will only be breif moments of safety were you can get a good look though. The vechicles look great, but again, since most vehicles only last a few shots before blowing up in a hellish hell-fire of hell, you won't be gawking at them much either.

Story: One of the most important ingredients in a games recipe; without this, what's the point to shooting these people over and over again? This is where Mercinaries gets sloppy, Your character will stay silent throughout most of the game, with only breif moments of chatting between them and your "on the radio" gal, who is also the woman who provides you with your mission info (Kind of a Menny-Penny knowk off). The story is conventional, in this word of "weapons of mass destruction". Apparently North Korea has been a bad boy, and you're being sent in to capture 52 of their generals to stop the opposing threat toward the worlds innocents. And that's when the plot stops and mayhem begins, more explosions from here on in than words I'm afraid.

Sound: Zing Bang Boom, KABLAMO! That's all you hear, well, you occasionally here the voice actors stretch their vocal cords for a few lines, but no more than a few words. For the majority of the game,bullets and explosions is the main crescendo. The games combat sounds are done well, those of us who have never been to war and have never heard a building collapse will believe that this is actually what is sounds like. I can't recall if my floor shook when a building went down, but the sounds were satisfying none the less.

Overall: The game is a good rental or bargin bin (>$20) purchase. To buy this game and see someone enjoy it more than a a few weeks would be a stretch. It is filled with mindless violence (fun though), and good mechanics, but in the end, you play the game as if you have cheats on... you have too big of an edge on your enemy. If there was multiplayer this would be a different story but instead there isnt, the game is just too easy. You'll take out 20 guys before you even get a scratch. This game is like a cake without sugar, "missing the one thing that counts"; a challenge. If games were ment to be this easy, we would all still be playing pong. I recommend this game to be rented or bargin purchased; definatly give this game a try though, but as soon as the dust settles and you've beaten the game, you'll probably put this away for good, and wait for the next one.