Unlocking mercenaries after playing the main Resident Village campaign should feel like a reunion with an old friend, and perhaps a scary old friend for longtime fans of the series, as the mode has already been implemented in previous Resident Evil titles. The Village is the first mainline title to include mercenaries since Resident Evil 6.
The rules are simple, destroy as many enemies as possible in each stage and reach the goal before time runs out. Simply reaching the goal that appears after defeating a certain number of enemies is enough to advance to the next area. However, most players will want a higher goal. The goal of Mercenary is to clear as many enemies as possible in each stage, and fast, Because the number of kills and the time remaining when reaching the goal combine to form your score.
Before entering a new area, the player is sent to a room where there is a weapons merchant-The Duke. Here you can buy weapons and ammunition and first aid meds, just like in the main game, you can also upgrade your weapons.
This new preparation element adds a welcome strategic layer that was not present in past versions of Mercenaries.
When preparing for battle, picking out one or two of the many available weapons to focus on will get you far. This is because the type of enemy and the layout of the next area play an important role in choosing how to prepare.
In the long run, knowing your personal preferences is the key to victory. You may even want to go ahead and sell your other gear and use that money to focus on upgrading just one weapon, and it takes courage to throw away precious firearms. Mercenaries reward players for the courage to focus on what they know best.
Destroying all 30 enemies in the first area within the time limit isn’t super difficult. Every time you kill an enemy, you get a few extra seconds, and by getting a yellow orb, you get another 30 seconds, which feels pretty generous.
The difficulty definitely ramps up with each stage, but ultimately, the real challenge for mercenaries lies in fighting for higher scores in a sea of skill-based shooters, with a new strategic focus that makes mercenaries feel more welcoming.
Your shooting and close combat skills will certainly be put to the test, though, as defeating enemies with quick combos will give you higher scores.
It is equally important to know your strengths and prepare a strategy that matches those characteristics. There are multiple blue orbs hidden in each area that allow you to choose from three different abilities to equip each time, choose wisely as you keep those abilities until the end of the game.
These abilities allow you to build your character just as you would in an RPG. But in a simplified way that matches the fast-paced action of mercenaries perfectly.
When searching for blue orbs, it’s important to choose an ability to enhance that matches the weapon you choose in the Duke’s Shop. Find the style of play that best suits you and choose accordingly as you kill enemy after enemy, results in a rewarding balance between fast-paced action and strategic planning.
