“Mercenary Kings? That’s that free PlayStation Plus title that’s like Metal Slug, isn’t it?”
If by comparing this game to the classic arcade title you mean that it’s a 2D side-scrolling game containing guns, co-operative gameplay and numerous bosses then yes you’d be correct. But to say that Mercenary Kings is just another clone of the legendary series could be doing the latest title from Tribute Games a slight disservice.
Mercenary Kings began life as a Kickstarter title which surpassed its target goal back in 2012. The team behind Scott Pilgrim Vs The World: The Video Game reunited to develop a 2D action game which combines an interesting crafting system and precise platforming action. With the game also being available on Steam, it’s great to see a Kickstarter game finally make its way onto the PlayStation 4, which just happens to be the version that I have been playing.
The gameplay mechanics are relatively easy to grasp and will help players familiarise themselves with Mercenary Kings no matter what their gaming ability is, which helps everyone who has a PS4 and PlayStation Plus. The shooting mechanics also play into the theme of classic gaming too as you can only shoot up, down, left and right adding an extra challenge to defeat enemies on hard to reach ledges. In order to progress through the game with minimal frustration, collecting materials is essential as you use these materials to create various resources such as first-aid kits, grenades, rations and various weapons. The main objective of the game is to complete certain tasks within a certain time limit including rescuing hostages, defeating certain enemies or gathering specific materials which do feel like a grinding at times.
It’s clear to see that Tribute Games have put a lot of emphasis into the customising options in Mercenary Kings, the weapons especially. You start the game with a simple handgun and as you gather more materials such as copper, aluminium, wood and even sulphuric acid, you can create unique and manic weapons. The basis of these unique killing utensils comes from the simplest of guns and they can be altered in any way you wish. You can fit a handgun with submachine gun parts if you wish, even though you can own a handgun and submachine gun separately. How you play this game is completely up to you, although certain levels will sometimes require a certain type of weapon.
Like numerous indie titles, Mercenary Kings attempts to create an ‘old school’ style and backs up the classic graphics with a suitably addictive soundtrack. With Tribute Games responsible for the well-received Scott Pilgrim Vs The World: The Video Game, the same art style is applied to Mercenary Kings and the colour palette is wonderful. In around 6 hours of gameplay I didn’t get bored of the enemy designs as they change and become more interesting as you progress through the campaign. The boss characters are all unique and even though they all mostly resemble robots to some degree, the boss battles always seem fresh and challenging… although a little too challenging sometimes. You take on a number of tasks in the same area, which is both good and bad as it does become repetitive, but you eventually learn your way around the tricky levels. It does take a while to get used to some of the environments as the maps aren’t all that clear.
While the concept has seemingly been forgotten these days, Mercenary Kings features local co-op as well as online co-op for up to 4 players. As the game progresses when playing in singleplayer, it becomes clear that it is sometimes a necessity that you are playing with at least one co-op partner unless you enjoy numerous frustrating attempts at defeating a boss. To coincide with the old graphics, most of the bosses can be defeated by targeting weak spots as you learn their routes around the environment. These battles take place in close-quarters and there isn’t too much room for mistakes, which I found happened often when playing myself. The game can be played in singleplayer, but it has definitely been designed to be enjoyed best when playing with friends.
I’m unsure if it was down to my internet connection or the PS4, but whenever I played online the game performed flawlessly and there were no difficulties in the slightest. This may be one of the benefits of playing a 2D game online as there shouldn’t be lag of any sort. Mercenary Kings seems to suffer from the problem which many other online games suffer from, however and that is the players. While I played my fair share of games which were enjoyable, I experienced a fair few sessions where the same level was being played numerous times in a row. Even though the objective had been reached to completion, our team ended up playing through the same stage time and time again. I understand that getting materials is crucial for progression in the game, but it’s not enjoyable to replay the same level constantly.
One of the main flaws comes in the form of respawning enemies. As you become overwhelmed with the amount of enemies at certain points in the game, it is a huge relief when you dispose of them and you feel a sense of achievement. When you leave an area which you have just been in, where you have eradicated all possible threats and when you re-enter the area later, all the enemies are where they were. This is extremely frustrating, especially when playing by yourself, as it feels as though you are fighting a never ending battle and the gameplay doesn’t change a great deal so it means you are performing the same actions over and over again.
Mercenary Kings is a rewarding and occasionally an enjoyable game, if you are willing to put in the time and effort in this ‘old school’ action platformer. Many may feel frustrated when they first play the game, as did I, but if you find the right people to play with, then it becomes a completely different experience and can be an enjoyable one. If you are playing on your own however, the game becomes flawed and frustrating. The enemies respawning, the feeling of repetition and the difficulty may not appeal to everyone. But as a free title for PlayStation Plus subscribers, it is definitely worth a chance. As for PC gamers on the other hand, as long as you are playing with reliable friends, it can be a rewarding game.
Mercenary Kings is available now for free on the PlayStation 4 via PlayStation Plus (£15.39 for non-PS+ subscribers) and Steam for £14.99.