Mercenaries

Private military contractors have just recruited The Grand Theft Auto antics.

Mercenaries is for those thugs in the Grand Theft Auto world who feel that crime in the big city is just too tame. Think of it as expanding your worldly horizons in concert with a lot more explosive combat.

Military Contractor

Mercenaries doesn't shy away from the fact that it copies the widely popular GTA formula--an expansive, free-roaming world coupled with nonlinear gameplay and the act of stealing vehicles to aid in completing missions. But there's one major characteristic of this action game that makes it different from the rest: This is a military operation. And much like today's military, a show of force through a judicious use of firepower only spells out a merriment of mass destruction.

Working under a private military contractor, you're sent to a near future Korea where Allied Forces, South Korea, China, and the Russian Mafia are jockeying for power. Your objective is simple: Capture (dead or alive) 52 of the most-wanted North Koreans using any method necessary, and team up with any of the four factions to get a lead on the wanted bounties.

Showing Your Colors

The dynamics of your relationship with each faction is where Mercenaries excels. Partner with a particular group, and others won't like you very much. For instance, if you aid the Allies, China will consider you an enemy. And if you join up with the Russian mob, you're everyone's enemy. Your romps with each faction vary from stealing cargo trucks to rescuing informants, and with each mission success, you gain intelligence on where to capture the most-wanted North Koreans. Through completing each mission, you also gain extra goodies, such as the ability to buy a variety of transportation vehicles, cargo drops (weapons and equipment), and all types of air support. This in turn provides tons of ways to complete future objectives in any style that you see fit.

Mercenaries' visual and audio presentations round out the game's entertainment value. Although there's a lot of draw-in and its size isn't even in the same league as GTA: San Andreas, the level design is still pleasantly befitting. Areas are distinct and populated with the different factions, and the environments offer a lot to explore on foot, in wheels, and in the air. The battle-ridden Korea is also very unrelenting as even skirmishes between groups take place as you drive by; you can opt to help with the fight or just move on. The great sound effects from the booming explosions and roaring jet engines from above greatly add to the war-torn ambiance, too.

Soldier of Fortune

Sure, Mercenaries features a lot of familiar elements that you've seen in other games, but the action has certainly been repackaged in a creative way to bring gamers a unique gameplay experience. Don't hesitate to hire Mercenaries for some government-sanctioned fun--just don't ask which government.

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