E3 2008 Preview
– Hands On
Mercenaries for the PS2 and Xbox was a bit
of a hidden gem, offering some great sandbox features and tremendous action. The
game offered an interesting take on war-based shooters with great driving
features, tons of weapons and vehicles, and a light-hearted and clever
storyline. Now, developer Pandemic is readying the successor, Mercenaries 2 for
Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and PS2 (sorry PS2 gamers, no online co-op). The game is
looking to catapult the series into the next generation of consoles, being
bigger and more explosive than the original game.
Mercenaries 2 follows the same crew of three
soldiers as the original, and has them in Venezuela working for an eccentric
billionaire named Ramon Solano, who wants you to find deposed President Carmona
and put him back into power. However, once you do the job, Ramon Solano
double-crosses you and, worse yet, doesn’t pay you for the job. Therefore, you
embark on a quest to take him down.
Taking place in Venezuela, the game will be
brighter and have a more vivid color palette than the original, as it took place
in South Korea and was pretty dull. This entry will feature more jungle settings
and more diverse environments, and will look more visually interesting as a
result. Additionally, the area will be an 8x8km area, making it quite huge when
compared to the original.
You will have the ability to team up with
other factions throughout the area, including Universal Petroleum, an oil
company looking to take advantage of Venezuela’s resources, and the P.L.A.V.
(The People’s Liberation Army of Venezuela). Later on, you’ll even be able to
recruit your own military company, gaining a fighter pilot, mechanic, and other
unique fighters for your cause.
Just like in the previous title, you’ll be
able to call in vehicles, weapon crates, and air strikes, but they’re a bit more
fun this time around. Air strikes will require you to either plant a smoke
grenade, paint the target with a laser, or play a mini-game in order to aim your
attack correctly.
One of the biggest new features in Mercs 2
will be the drop-in/drop-out online co-op mode. A second player will be able to
jump into the game at any time and take part in the explosive action, and then
drop-out when they’re done playing.
Mercenaries 2 is looking to up the ante on
its predecessor, offering more fun, more excitement and more action. Look for it
to launch on August 31.
