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should not compare with GTA

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 65 / 72
Date: January 21, 2005
Author: Amazon User

A lot of people who are unhappy with the game seems to be hung up on a simple issue: "Why isn't this game like Grand Theft Auto and more?" Although players who've spent any time with GTA will feel immediately familiar with the game's draw, a few hours in, you know that it's a very different experience. GTA is more about DRIVING; Mercenaries is about BLOWING STUFF UP! Where as GTA has better vehicle physics, the third-person-shooter aspect of Mercenaries is much more deep. Where as GTA has a generally upbeat tone (with the incessant radio music, bustling city landscape and often humorous/cartoon-like urban dwellers), the mood in Mercenaries is a lot more sober (music right out of a war movie, dark war-torn landscape and hostile soldiers).

If you enjoy GTA for the sheer freedom of actions you can take, whether it is to mow down pedestrians with a sedan, do impossible arial flips and in general, cause havoc just for the fun of it, you'll really enjoy Mercenaries; in the sheer carnage factor, Mercenaries top GTA. In terms of character development (of both your character and various ones you encounter along the game), Mercenaries is rather flat and uninteresting, compared to GTA. Take your pick.

There are two annoying things about the game for me. For one, the fact that you can routinely run through an enemy stronghold with a SMG and mow down dozens of soldiers while on foot without a hitch makes you feel uber-invincible. Whether it's a good thing (more opportunity to kick butt!) or a bad thing (makes missions too easy and unchallenging) is up to you. Another is the faltering AI of the enemies. Sometimes, they swarm all over you at the slightest trigger of danger with no regard for their own safety other than the most simple reactions (duck out of the way of speeding cars or raining bullets); other times, you can brush past your enemies and they won't lift a finger just because that particular faction is not your worst enemy in that particular mission. Often times, this leads to the feeling of being a in a Twighlight Zone; that you're the only 'human' in the entire game while others are just pre-programmed to interact with you within the bounds of a rather limited script. Again, this really doesn't hinder your ability to blow stuff up; but the interactive aspect with other 'people' kinda fall short of GTA.

Overall, one thing's without a doubt: Mercenaries will hook you the very minute you start playing and won't let you go until you can no longer keep your eyes open (or die from dehydration and starvation).

GTA and Ghost Recon had a baby!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 20
Date: January 12, 2005
Author: Amazon User

First off let me say that my review is based on the single player campaign only. I know it kinda sucks without multiplayer and the Xbox live people will bitch but single player games have been coming up way short lately selling the game on the live or multiplayer when these things should be added benefit!
Ok, so the game has all the concepts of GTA3: Map system is identical, one massive area (about the size of at least 2 or maybe all 3 GTA3 islands put together), and contracts can be taken from different groups for cash and new merchandise in your online black market store. The game play is like a combo of Ghost Recon 2 and GTA3. The graphics are exceptional and the music was surprisingly good too. Every structure, vehicle, prop, and aircraft is destructible! The more creative you are the more fun you can make the game... have a large group of enemies near by? Air Strike and blow em to bits! Road Block? Put a pack of C4 on the hood of your vehicle, drive towards and jump out then trigger the C4... Road block cleared! There is so much more you can do and so much I have yet to discover but this game defiantly came under the radar and is shaping up to be a very nice surprise.
My only negative is that it did seem to have about a 2 hour learning curve to get comfortable with the controls and general functions of the game.
In short this is a great game for a solo experience, huge replay value and from what I can tell the length is very refreshing.

Excellent GTA style free-flowing 3rd person shooter

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 17 / 18
Date: February 24, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I'd been looking for a decent GTA style game for a while now and since XBox owners won't see GTA:SA for some time I thought Mercenaries would fill the slot nicely. And boy it does!

Following on from the GTA's groundbreaking no-rules gameplay, Mercenaries allows for complete free-roaming non-linear action. The first time I exited the campground I wanted to see just how much freedom the game would offer - so rather than go an speak to whoever it was the game was directing me to, I decided to try to steal and enemy vehicle and go off on my own adventure. After finding a North Korean jeep and 'acquiring' it, my road journey began. Before I knew it, I was deep in a North Korean compound apparently having convinced the NK's that I'm one of them. The sensation of knowing I might be caught at anytime is just one of the thrills the game serves up. I took out bunkers, subdued guards, stole tanks destroyed entire buildings - all without being instructed to. Marvellous.

Sure, like with GTA, the game has certain plot points and story quests that will allow your character to progress and use bigger and better weapons. But you can do them in your own time when you choose - I love that. Even when you die all is not lost - unless you're on an ace contract all that happens is you resurrect in the ally campground and lose some money; just like a hospital visit in GTA!

The graphics perform well although there is a mist that's obviously covering up pop-up. Understandable though given that massive terrain you can traverse (with NO loading). And the game does have a certain dark brown feel - but again it's in keeping with the theme of the game. The physics of the game is incredible though, with almost everything destroyable, moveable or stealable. I was shooting some rockets at a guard tower and upon the third hit the whole thing fell. And it didn't just go 'pop'... it slowly FELL, with dust, bricks and debris flying off it all acompanied by appropriate bone crunching audio. It really took my by surprise at how it all went down, and since then I've been blowing up everything I can by using hand-planted C4 or even laser-targeted airstrikes for the big stuff.

Overall this game seems quite shallow initially, but after scores of hours playing I can say this is every bit as deep GTA3 et al, and worth every penny. Highly recommended.

AWESOME GAME!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 12
Date: March 24, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is a very fun game. It is like a combo of a strategy war game and a Grand Theft Auto game.

Basically, the plot is to catch (dead or alive) the deck of 52 and complete missions for The Allies (The AN, like the UN in real life), South Korea, The Russian Mafia (has their own website to order supplies so they're good to work for), and China. You can switch who you want to work with time to time but make sure to not become enemies with other countries.

A really fun part of this game is you get paid for completing objectives like stealing a North Korean missile truck, blowing up North Korean tanks, eliminate the Russian Mafia captains, blowing up pretty much anything (except civilians or AN troops), and more.

While not on a mission, you can do side missions to earn extra cash and drive around to find a person from the deck of 52. You can kill a member of the deck of 52 but you only get half the cash so bringing them alive is a lot better.

Every car is "steal-able" and certain cars give you a certain disguise like a civilian, a North Korean, and as any of the other countries.

You choose from three characters to play as through the whole game. One has more armor, one is more stealthier, and one a the fastest. This game is a lot of fun.

It's just like Grand Theft Auto but with an international plot. I give this game five out of five stars without a doubt.

Impressive. Most impressive. Rockstar has taught you well.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 14
Date: January 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is excellent!

I wish that this had been an Xbox exclusive, because then all my friends with a PS2 and the Grand Theft Auto series would be feeling left out for once!

This game rivals the GTA concept but surpasses and delivers where GTA fails. Don't get me wrong, GTA is a great game, but the series seems to have grown stagnate - Mercenaries does something new but very familiar, making it a great game that is easy to pick up and play. The military story is fresh and seemingly ripped from the headlines. The game is very enjoyable and not overly simplistic, but not frustratingly difficult.

Plus you can blow stuff up! And then blow it up again! And then blow the crap out of it some more! Totally awesome greatness!

This is definitely not a game you rent, this is one to be purchased and put on display in your finest game display case!

big hit

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 13
Date: February 12, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I'm a busy father: small infant daughter, full time tech job, loving wife, etc. When I finally find time to sit down with the xbox, the last thing I want to do is get involved in a year-long role-playing game, online clans, or anything like that. My xbox time is spent on one thing only: blowing stuff up. Mercenaries is perfect for this. I can drive and blow stuff up, fly and blow stuff up, or run and blow stuff up. The game is deep enough to keep my interest over time and visually interesting enough to make me want to play. There's nothing like peeking over a ridge and letting an RPG fly into a DPRK tank. Bring 'em on.

GTA times 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: January 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

There is finally a game that takes the GTA concept and makes it 10x better. Think GTA in vietnam or Iraq. i LOVE this game! Where in the GTA games I quickly got bored after completing half of the missions, in Mercenaries, i've beat the game once and am starting it all over again with another charecter! The maps are huge. You run through the different terrains in one of dozens of different military vehicles hunting down the 52 cards represented by 52 members of the hostile North Korean regeme.

You also can do side missions for diffent factions like the Russians, the Chinese, the South Koreans or the Allied Forces to earn money to buy equipment and armory. You can even buy air support to help you complete a mission! ( imagine calling an air strike on an enemy base and leveling the whole place with a carpet bomb as you run for your life to escape the hail storm!)

Graphics and sound are amazing. They make this game a whole lot more enjoyable. Overall, this game beats GTA hands down in fun factor. Replay value is unbeatable. One game that's actually worth the $50.00 I paid for it. Get it and see what I mean.

Awesome, everything it promises.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: January 19, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I admit, I've gotten frustrated with this game a few times, but only because I got too excited and ran right into the middle of a field of North Koreans without realizing there were tanks all around.

But that's it.. that's where the bad ends, and the good takes the rest. I'm on the second map so far, which comes after you've beaten the Clubs and the Diamonds (you get a deck of 52 cards, a la the Iraqi playing cards, with the bosses aka top ranking NK officials on them). And let me tell you.. these maps are gigantic. Think Grand Theft Auto 3, all islands combined, and then some. Maybe not quite San Andreas size.. but I've only played that once.

The graphics are awesome. The buildings collapsing after an air strike hits, or after you blow up C4 next to one, or hit one with an RPG or any of the other many explosives you get, is awesome. The tanks exploding, throwing their contents (aka soldiers) 20 feet in the air is awesome. The animation as you smack one of the bosses in the noggin, grab their hand, throw them to the ground, put your knee smack-dab in the middle of their spine and latch the cuffs on them is awesome. The helicopter coming to... well you get the picture. All this, and sooooo much more.

If you own an Xbox, you must own this game.

You blow things up.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: January 27, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Honestly, I've been sitting here for about ten minutes, fingers lingering idly over the keyboard, and have typed half-a-dozen sentences, and deleted every one.

You blow things up.

This is the part where you stare at your computer screen in horror, where you travel quickly down to the "no" button, but hear me out.

You blow things up.

Honestly, this is the main selling point of the game. When a friend asks me "Hey, Mercenaries, what's that all about?" I tell them that "you blow stuff up". And they look at me funny, but then they play it, and next time someone asks, they're ready to back up my answer. Explosions. Guns. Helicopters. C4, Airstrikes, Massive semi-nuclear bombs. Those are the bread and butter of this game.

If you like huge explosions - some of the best ever. Ever - then you will like this game. Some parts of it are a bit faulty, mainly getting from one place to another (the time it takes), the vehicle control (sloppy and unresponsive) but honestly, when you're tossing down carpet bombs and nukes onto a squad of enemy tanks, or landing a helicopter and taking out a heavily gaurded enemy base with your bare hands and a semi-auto rocket launcher, you don't think "If only the vehicle control was better".

No, it's something more like "Wow. That was cool. I wonder if I can launch a guy thirty feet in the air with a - oh, oh, yeah, I guess I can."

The Most Fun You'll Have With C4!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: July 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game has got to be the greatest game I have ever played for several reasons that I will get to in a moment. I think that it is important to back up my claim with some experience. So for that reason, I think that it is important to point out that I have been a gamer all my life and have owned the following games systems: Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn, Playstation, Sega Dreamcast, Playstation 2, and XBOX. I have played many great titles for each of those systems and have experienced a lot of fun in the process.

Now that I have established that I have extensive video game experience to make the previous claim I will go into detail on why this game is the best I have ever played. The best way to describe this game is that it is a cross between Grand Theft Auto and Star Wars Battlefront (only you don't die as easy as in that game). You are a MERCENARY, and you work for a company called ExOps that accepts contracts from countries and private interests. You play on a map that pits you and four other factions against the North Korean army. The four other factions (South Korea, Allied Forces (UN), China, and the Russian Mafia) contract you to do jobs for them that are most times targeted at the North Korean army, but are sometimes targeted at one another. The more you do for a faction the more you are liked by that faction, and the more you do against a certain faction the more you are hated by that faction. As you complete missions for these factions you are on the hunt for the deck of 52, which are 52 of the most powerful North Korean individuals that have ties to the North Korean army. Each have bounties and you can collect more or less based on whether the contract is detained dead or alive. Cool, huh?

This game is a complete and udder thrill to play because you can either complete missions, collect bounties or just drive around blow stuff up. I love the game play, because it is pretty straight forward and easy to use (especially if you have played GTA). There are lots and lots of weapons to use in the game and it is realistic (like Halo) in that you can only carry two weapons with you at a time in addition to your two grenade types and of course the C4!

Are you running low on life? Call in a helicopter to drop off some medical supplies. Want to do a mission in a tank instead of the civilian POS you just stole? Call in a helicopter to drop you off a fully equiped tank. Want to get somewhere fast? Order a helicopter with a full crew to be dropped off. Can't blow something up on your own? Call in a laser guided air strike. This game has something new for you each and every time you play it.

Things that I really like about the game...I like the fact that your character will make remarks throughout the game. When a blow a lot of stuff up at once he'll say something like "cool!" When I'm out of ammo and a tank is barreling down on me he'll say something like "you want me to throw my shoe at him?" It's just so much fun!!! I enjoy getting paid money each and every time I blow a North Korean jeep to pieces. I enjoy the creativity that you can use with all your weapons, like the C4. You can strap some C4 to the hood or your car, drive it into an enemy base, bail out and detonate. You can plant some C4 in the middle of the road and wait in the bushes while a North Korean jeep drives over it and then detonate.

BUY THIS GAME! You will enjoy it and think that it is the best game that you have ever played too.

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