Just platinum Killzone: Mercenary for the Vita, and just wanted to share my thoughts on it for those of you have played it too or are thinking of buying it. Coming from a hardcore Killzone fan, my opinion of is it's just alright. As a Portable FPS, it's pretty damn amazing. Second to none in fact. Especially after the last 2 First Person Shitters that Vita owners had to suffer through, this game was a true breath of fresh air. Problem is, as a Killzone title, it's just okay. It just doesn't capture the true Killzone feel. The weighty feel behind the guns. The feeling of taking part in massive battles. The game seems to just miss so much by taking the solo secret agent mercenary route, over the actual soldier. Anyways, here's my breakdown:
Graphics: For those of you who have seen gameplay or actually played it, you know that for a portable FPS the graphics are top notch. The Vita does a fantastic job running the KZ3 engine, and even with the few graphical hitches here and there, it looks phenomenal and is actually comparable to some FPS titles currently being released on console. The environments feel truly cinematic with their level of detail and scale. The Vita's graphical prowess truly shows here.
Gameplay: This is where the game kindof loses it's charm. If you've played Killzone in the past, you'll notice the difference in this title right off the bat. By no means is the gameplay bad, it's just too simple. Where previous Killzones contain a very unique weighty gameplay mechanic that gives a realistic feel like you're actually the one behind the gun, this game adopts the smooth sharp CoD-like feel. Not that that's bad, it just causes you to lose the immersive feel. The game still works greatly with Vita's dual analogue, and despite a slight feeling cuuve that takes a bit of getting used, FPS players will feel right at home. Overall, the gunplay still works pretty well. Beyond that, the game relies on MP + a universal currency system (similar to Unit 13). Each level, though linear, will allow you to take different routes to complete, some of which will actually affect certain portions and dialogue. Stealth tends to be ruined by some mechanical flaws, but overall it works.
Story: The Story of Killzone: Mercenary is nothing special. You're a mercenary completing contracts for a paycheck. Everything takes place in the background of the first 2 Killzone titles. There's rescues. There's betrayals. You get to fight against the ISA for a change, and even temporarilly team up with Helghast. The game has a spot in the Killzone universe, but doesn't introduce anything to the lore.
Multiplayer: Once again the game loses it's charm here. Killzone is a series very well known for it's multiplayer, particulary the unique Warzone mode. The multiplayer in Mercenary is functional, but nothing special. There are 3 modes across 6 maps. They are Mercenary Warfare (your standard FFA), Guerilla Warfare (your standard TDM), and the meat & cheese of Killzone, Warzone. The first 2 modes are self explanatory. Warzone is the same as we know it. Problem is the games's meager 8 player battle cause Warzone the lose the scale. The modes within Warzone are still diverse, even introducing Mercenary's own additions, but it's just not the same as 32 players competing on massive maps. The multiplayer loses it's replay value pretty quickly as the maps begin to feel pretty redndant, especially when shooting for the multiplayer trophies. Potential future DLC could help this somewhat, but without any new modes, not much will change.
Trophies: The Trophies in Mercenary are pretty straightfoward. With the exception of a few MP trophies that could prove annoying, it's probably the easiest Killzone to platinum. It mostly consist of beating X level on X difficulty, beatinf X level under certain conditions, completing certain mission specific mini objectives, and some MP and cummulative trophies. With some grinding, it'll take between between 25-30 hours to complete.
Overall, I'd give the title a solid 7.5/ 10. A great Vita title, and a decent FPS. If you own a Vita and are looking for the definitive FPS experience on Vita, this is it. Share your thoughts, as I'd love to hear other opinions on the game.
0331 Happiness is a belt-fed weapon
