Hands-On: Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D

Tom Goldman

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Aug 17, 2009
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Hands-On: Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D drops the storyline and pumps in gallons of action instead.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is way more of a blast than I thought it'd be. It's just a mode from previous Resident Evil titles that Capcom brought over to the 3DS, so it can't be all that great right? The thing is, that mode happens to be fun, and it could get pretty addicting.

Capcom's demo of the game included four of the already revealed characters: Chris Redfield, Claire Redfield, Hunk, and Jack Krauser. Each begins with three different weapons that operate in varying ways. Jack's knife can be used indefinitely, but has a short range. Hunk comes equipped with a rocket launcher, but you sure as hell don't want to fire it at your feet. Chris is more balanced, wielding a handgun and a shotgun. These loadouts ensure that each character plays very differently.

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After dropping into one of the demo's two maps, I immediately noticed the gorgeous visuals. Mercenaries puts the handheld's 3D capabilities to good use when aiming and moving around, but it also has detailed textures that make the game's foes just as scary as they are on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

The game mode I played was simple. I had a limited amount of time to run around an enclosed map, like an arena, to kill as many enemies as I could. Successful attacks and kills added to my time, allowing me to take out more bad guys. When each foe is defeated, it drops health replenishment items and ammunition.

Players hold the R button to aim and press Y to shoot. The previously revealed [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/105955-Capcom-Finally-Allows-Resident-Evil-Players-to-Run-While-Shooting] ability to run while shooting is definitely real, but you move very, very slow. Still, it is helpful, and almost required for an action-based game of this type, so I'm very happy Capcom included the new ability.

My first thought was to find a wall and keep my back to it, but enemies hopped over the fence onto my head. When I figured that a little shed across the way must be safe instead, the jobber zombies/possessed suddenly stopped appearing and my worst nightmare took their place. The extremely tough, bag-headed, chainsaw-wielding foe from Resident Evil 5 [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Z7BE24/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000ZK6950&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0WARJQP5MB985GZ7QVRA] started coming my way, and I was still trapped in the shed. Luckily, my time ran out just as he moved to transfer my head to another location, so I lived to see another day, but I only got a C rank for the level. The longer you survive, and the better you play, the higher a rank you'll get. To get the best rankings, you'll have to work out a solid strategy.

Mercenaries 3D will definitely feature more characters at launch, in addition to new modes. One of these modes features online co-op with two players, and I was also told that something else co-op might be in the works for more than two.

It was hard for me to get excited about a repurposed mode transferred to the Nintendo 3DS, but I have to admit that I had a lot of fun with Mercenaries 3D. If Capcom really blows it out with hidden secrets and lots of maps, weapons, and characters, it'll be a handheld title worth taking a look at, even through the holes of a potato sack.

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Snotnarok

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Looks like sub xbox1 quality graphics. Nice for a handheld but the 3DS is just not interesting to me.
 

Tom Goldman

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Snotnarok said:
Looks like sub xbox1 quality graphics. Nice for a handheld but the 3DS is just not interesting to me.
The are Capcom's official screens, but I'm not sure what's up with them. The game definitely looks better in motion.
 

Snotnarok

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Tom Goldman said:
Snotnarok said:
Looks like sub xbox1 quality graphics. Nice for a handheld but the 3DS is just not interesting to me.
The are Capcom's official screens, but I'm not sure what's up with them. The game definitely looks better in motion.
The system probably makes up the lack of texture quality with motion blurring and other such tricks. I'm sure the 3Ds would be capable of more but I believe they're still using cartridges which means the more memory the more money.
 

Worgen

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Whatever, just wash your hands.
I wants it but Im not sure Ill have 250 for a 3ds for awhile
 

internetzealot1

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God, I really wish they would turn this into a survival mode instead of a two minute arcade shootout. I just feels unnatural for me to try and get more time in a zombie mob. Wouldn't it be more fun to try and get away?
 

Axzarious

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internetzealot1 said:
God, I really wish they would turn this into a survival mode instead of a two minute arcade shootout. I just feels unnatural for me to try and get more time in a zombie mob. Wouldn't it be more fun to try and get away?
I think it probably would have that... but then again, I was so good at the gamecube mercenaries that I could go an entire round without taking any damage. Not sure if the system could even support the amount of enemies it would actually take to kill me.... Then again, it could just start spawning stronger and stronger enemies.
 

brunothepig

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I do have rather fond memories of this mode in the Wii version of RE4... Spending a whole night with my stepbrother working to unlock the handcannon. Good times. So I'll probably pick this up when I finally get a 3DS. Which will likely be christmas...
 

Mako SOLDIER

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If it has a mode more akin to the Mercenaries mode from Nemesis or the survivor modes from Re2 and Code:V then I'll consider it, but so long as they stick with the style of Re 4 and 5 I'll probably save my money. Not a big fan of capcom's brand of 'action horror'.
 

Sarah Kerrigan

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Johnnyallstar said:


Hopefully it plays well...
I agree with this statement.

Anywho, just a nitpick here, why would Krauser..evil, killing, beserker turning Krauser..have a bow and arrow. .-.

and I'm sure Krauser and Claire will be DLC for RE5 once this comes out. I mean, people still play the console game surprisingly.
 

RejjeN

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Sarah Kerrigan said:
Anywho, just a nitpick here, why would Krauser..evil, killing, beserker turning Krauser..have a bow and arrow. .-.
He uses one in the first phase of your battle with him in RE4 (though it has some kind of explosive attached to the arrows then I believe)
 

Erana

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manythings said:
Resident Evil has a story?
You're missing out on one of the best B-Movie plots in video game history.

Still, REAction games work suprisingly well on handhelds- I picked up RE4 for a dollar for my iTouch the other day. From what I've played, its a good translation. The only problem is that I don't handle scary games well, and the only time I use my ipod for anything other than music is at the gym, doing my cardio...
Jumping and screaming randomly on a stationary bike is, in fact, more disturbing to those around you than talking on your cell phone, yelling at the gym TVs, or handling weights that are too heavy for you, apparently.

I'd love to play it with an actual joystick.
 

Sarah Kerrigan

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RejjeN said:
Sarah Kerrigan said:
Anywho, just a nitpick here, why would Krauser..evil, killing, beserker turning Krauser..have a bow and arrow. .-.
He uses one in the first phase of your battle with him in RE4 (though it has some kind of explosive attached to the arrows then I believe)
ohhh. I haven't played it in a while. Thanks for pointing that out.
 

Yopaz

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Jun 3, 2009
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internetzealot1 said:
God, I really wish they would turn this into a survival mode instead of a two minute arcade shootout. I just feels unnatural for me to try and get more time in a zombie mob. Wouldn't it be more fun to try and get away?
Hopefully that will be one of the new modes.

It looks pretty cool, I might get this.