Hi 53 / Lo 41
|
Hi 53 / Lo 41 |
Student Publications
©1991-2007
Last modified:
Contact:
|
Volume 70, Issue 83,
Wednesday, February 2, 2005
Life & Arts Game lacks originality, not excitement 'Mercenaries' uses 'Grand Theft Auto' feel for a paid-to-kill action game based in North Korea By Derek Lanphier
Last time LucasArts and Pandemic Studios teamed up, they brought gamers accurately designed versions of all the wonderful battles in a "galaxy far, far away" with Star Wars Battlefront. Now the two companies have delivered something very different -- something very non-Star Wars. As the title Mercenaries might imply, players assume the role of one of three mercenaries in the near future hired by different organizations to perform special operations missions in a war-torn North Korea, which has recently been overthrown by Kim's son, Song. The player's overall objective will be to take out Song in whichever way possible; but of course, things aren't that easy.
In Mercenaries, the latest game from LucasArts, players must earn a reputation as a cold-blooded killer in order to complete missions and move on to bigger operations including taking down Song, son of Kim, who has overthrown the government. Image courtesy of LucasArts Players will first need to build a reputation and get some money by doing odd jobs for factions such as the Allies, the Russian mob, the Chinese and the South Koreans. Also, Pandemic has thrown in a "deck of 52" feature that lists North Korean officials as 51 bounties other than Song that players can choose to hunt down. Gameplay, on the surface, is reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto, but Mercenaries soon develops a feel all its own. Much of the game deals with taking assignments from the different factions and figuring out how to complete them. Players choose from three different mercenaries who all handle situations a bit differently and see what kind of havoc they can cause. The really neat aspects about the gameplay are the open-ended missions. Each level, players are presented with certain tasks to complete the level. Much like the real world, there are multiple solutions to each problem. The designers made sure to let players play the way they wanted to, meaning players can sneak around while covertly eliminating targets, bust in with guns blazing, call in an air strike, steal a tank and blow everything up, etc. Honestly, the chaos players will wreak is limited only to their imagination. As players progress through the mission, they learn more and more about the complexity going on in their world. Back-stabbing will be present, with low blows being struck alongside shady deals. The surprising thing is most of these actions will be done by the player because mercenaries sell their services to the highest bidder, right? Anything you see can be used, too. So feel free to steal a tank or two. Overall, the game looks and plays like a Bruckheimer-esque action movie. Graphics are pretty good, with a few minor glitches but nothing to worry about. Some of the animations look a little uninspired, while others are very fun to watch. Mercenaries uses the Havok physics engine, so the explosions are very realistic and over-the-top at the same time. Sound is mediocre, but the music is great for the atmosphere of the game. Some people might argue that it is too much of a rip-off of GTA, but if you liked stealing cars, stealing tanks is the next best thing anyway. Also, look for an appearance from Harrison Ford as two very well-known characters. Mercenaries is in no way a bad game. It's not ground-breaking, but it is guaranteed to be well worth the buy. Send comments to dcshobiz@mail.uh.edu |
To contact the
To contact other members
of
 |
