Each mission allows only three deaths before an automatic failure kicks you and your team back to the base. Although co-op is truly enjoyable, the screen real estate is meager, even with only two players.Īnother mild frustration reared its head when I was playing with a partner of a different skill level.

During my time with the game I was often harried by the same flying enemy I had killed 4 or 5 times as I traveled back and forth across the map.Ĭo-op is fun and frenetic, although even when only two characters are onscreen, the game splits the visual real estate into four parts, (reserving the bottom half of the screen for two copies of the area map, one usable by each player) making it difficult to read menus even on a large television. While it lends itself well to gathering materials without making repeat trips to the same mission, the game’s tendency to respawn enemies as soon as their bodies are out of sight can get a bit aggravating. Normal enemies respawn constantly, but with the right weapon they will pose little challenge. Enemies can drop upgrade materials players can use to create armor, weapons, or unique modifiers, which adds a layer of strategy and sense of progress to the substantial campaign. Select missions to gather supplies, rescue prospective team members, eliminate enemy troops, or more before deploying to the area map. Playable solo, or with up to 4 players, gameplay in Mercenary Kings is a straightforward, satisfying loop of platforming, shooting, gathering, and upgrading. As a member of the Mercenary Kings, you must stop CLAW and rescue Dr. To keep the island’s secrets out of enemy hands, it’s up to the Kings to stomp CLAW out. CLAW has now taken over the secret island laboratory where the Mandrake formula was created, capturing the project’s lead engineer in the process. In order to bring King and his fellow soldiers back from the brink of death, they are infused with Mandrake formula, a secret serum which greatly enhances their bodies’ healing abilities. Mercenary Kings focuses on a mercenary company called The Kings, who are gunned down by rival company, CLAW.

I’ve watched it over a dozen times and the music always gets me amped! STORY The game’s opening is truly exceptional.

Mercenary Kings Reloaded Edition by Tribute Games is, appropriately, a tribute to classics like Contra and Mega Man, and draws inspiration from generations of side-scrolling shoot-em-ups with the added twist of crafting systems, weapon customization and a mission-based format in favor of the far more prevalent arcade-style stage-based games of old. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

Mercenary kings reloaded art