Game Reviews

Resident Evil Mercenaries VS.

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Resident Evil Mercenaries VS.

Rather than embodying the role of the mercenary as a can-do workforce for hire, Resident Evil Mercenaries VS. typifies the lazy, incompetent contractor that does nothing but waste money.

From poor graphics and cumbersome controls to a general lack of fun, Resident Evil Mercenaries VS. doesn't get the job done.

Looks good on paper

Like a well-composed resume, the game seems qualified. Local and online multiplayer matches have you and up to three other people battling for points by killing grotesque creatures, shooting at each other, and finding special coins hidden in each of three stages. Free-for-all mode is joined by 2-vs-2 Team play, giving the game a nice competitive-co-operative mix.

True to the Resident Evil franchise, the enemies, items, and weapons have been pulled from the main series. As you scurry around each stage in search of kills, you're able to pick up ammo for classic firearms including the basic handgun, shotgun, and sub-machine gun, as well as a variety of explosives and curative items like first aid aerosols.

Careful adherence to the franchise ensures that the game is authentic, even if its quality is questionable. It's the sole success of this otherwise disappointing game.

It's all about the controls

Push aside the fact that it's a Resident Evil title - this fails as an action game. The controls are clunky and outdated, the action stilted, and the fun lacking.

The games adheres to the much-maligned single analogue stick control scheme employed in earlier Resident Evil games on iPhone, so moving, shooting, and adjusting the camera is awkward. Cumbersome shooting mechanics make matters worse, and not being allowed to move and use the knife is absolutely insane.

Put simply, the controls and basic combat mechanics suck.

Not enough fingers and toes to count them all

Even if you can stomach the controls, Resident Evil Mercenaries VS. has plenty of other problems. There are cosmetic issues: the graphics are hilariously outdated and low resolution, and there are too many menus to sift through before getting to the action.

Along with signing into Game Center you're asked to set up a PIN for a proprietary network in order to play online. Why? It's annoying and unnecessary.

Then there are gameplay issues: hit detection is all over the map - attacks that look like a sure fire hit just don't register, lag abounds when playing online, and there's no progression or customisation of the characters to keep you invested in the game.

Quite frankly, there's just not a lot going for Resident Evil Mercenaries VS. While the authenticity should please a die-hard franchise follower, its lacklustre, flaw-riddled gameplay is a letdown.

Resident Evil Mercenaries VS.

Ugly, cumbersome to control, and lacking fun, Resident Evil Mercenaries VS. casts a dark spot on Capcom's survival-horror franchise
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Tracy Erickson
Tracy Erickson
Manning our editorial outpost in America, Tracy comes with years of expertise at mashing a keyboard. When he's not out painting the town red, he jets across the home of the brave, covering press events under the Pocket Gamer banner.