Mercenary Kings (PC) Indie One Shot
Mercenary Kings follows a group that lives up to the title of the game. You're part of an elite squad - no the elite squad - of guns for hire on the planet. When the evil CLAW corporation seizes control of a massive laboratory on a remote island, it's the Kings's time to shine. Camp is set up on the island and every member is put to use in the fight to stop CLAW. There's bad guys to eliminate, allies to save, and dozens of missions to master. Can you hang with the Kings?
Now, the first thing to make note of in this game is the fact that it's not what you'd expect it to be. In fact, it's more. I will warn you, don't do the gamer thing. You know what I mean. Whether it's in a grand or tiny way, everybody makes a snap judgement on a game. Based off of a screenshot, or the cover art, whatever it may be, it's hard not to take pot-shot guesses at what a game might be. With this one, your gut would say a simple 2-D run-and-gun. But you'd be wrong.
The majority of the gameplay does encompass that style, but there's a lot more. You'll encounter crafting elements and RPG elements as well. Everything starts off the same, in your camp which will serve as the main hub of the game. Here, you'll be able to talk to every member of your team for things like purchasing and upgrading weapon, fixing your loadouts, cooking up new abilities (literally with meals) to use on your missions. This is also where you'll sign up for and head out to your missions, so get very familiar with the camp and everyone in it.
Out on the missions is where you'll see all the action. You'll have to talk to the general at the camp, and once you sign up for a mission, you'll be flown out to it on a chopper and drop in. The missions themselves aren't just simple side-scrollers. Screens will go from left to right, but they'll also go up and down too, and it's your job to navigate through them, locating your mission objective and getting out.
Objectives can vary, from elimination, to rescue, to everything in between. Most will come with a time limit too. It won't require you to speedrun through the missions, but you can't really relax and enjoy the sights either. You'll have full access to any weapons and items you loaded out with, but what's great is you can still radio in for air drops. Your transceiver is always on you, and every member of your team is a simple radio call away for you getting a first-aid kit or some C4. This is based on a point-system though, so if you can't "pay" for these drops, then you'll have to find what you need in the field.
Through the missions you'll come across plenty of varying types of enemies. Some will be just brainless duds, while others can provide a bit of a challenge. Naturally there are boss-type enemies as well, so you'll get to experience fighting a bit of everything. Most of these bad guys will drop something upon death. Sometime's it can be some sort of ration to heal with, but more often than not they'll drop a type of crafting supply : wood, leather, steel. All of this can be gathered up and brought back to camp and put towards upgrades.
The story itself may not always be at the forefront with Mercenary Kings, but it doesn't need to be. Some missions, not all, will forward the over-arching story. As engaging and exciting as the gameplay is, even if there wasn't a story at all this game would be just as incredible. This game offers plenty to keep you busy from start to finish, and you can go it alone or hop in co-op with up to four people total on the missions. Grind your way through the levels to obtain absolutely everything possible, or just load up and shoot your way through for the blood. No matter how you choose to play, Mercenary Kings has a lot to offer and will be more than worth every moment you spend playing it.
Rating : 9/10
Developed and Published by : Tribute Games Inc.
Also Available On : Playstation 4, Playstation Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
