Mercenary Kings

 PC
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 62 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 62
  3. Negative: 11 out of 62

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  1. SlyguyTheCritic
    Aug 2, 2013
    8
    Now, I'm the first to admit that I was skeptical of this game at first, retro graphics are a bit of a fad, and, it seemed like they took some old game-play and slapped a poorly thought crafting system onto it. But even as a beta, the game is showing a lot of promise with a robust weapons crafting system, a decent soundtrack, a fair price, surprisingly good art design, and solid controls.Now, I'm the first to admit that I was skeptical of this game at first, retro graphics are a bit of a fad, and, it seemed like they took some old game-play and slapped a poorly thought crafting system onto it. But even as a beta, the game is showing a lot of promise with a robust weapons crafting system, a decent soundtrack, a fair price, surprisingly good art design, and solid controls. Now, keep in mind this was written while the game is in beta. But even in beta this game is definitely worth it… Expand
  2. beop
    Aug 5, 2013
    5
    Art style is awesome, weapons and crafting is very fun, but that's about where the good things ends. The map design and mission objectives are some of the worst I've experienced in a long time in a video game. They reuse the same objectives, art assets, maps, and enemies A LOT throughout almost 70 missions. It gets boring about 5 hours into the game of repeating the same things over andArt style is awesome, weapons and crafting is very fun, but that's about where the good things ends. The map design and mission objectives are some of the worst I've experienced in a long time in a video game. They reuse the same objectives, art assets, maps, and enemies A LOT throughout almost 70 missions. It gets boring about 5 hours into the game of repeating the same things over and over. It doesn't help that all the maps look very similar and enemies all have the same spawning points with extremely boring mechanics. The enemies feel like something out of super mario, where they wall back and forth, pop up and down, etc. Now imagine playing super mario with a machine gun that shoots heat sinking missiles and bullets that go through walls. You get an idea of how easy this game is?

    I don't recommend this game if you're looking for an action packed game like Metal Slug, this game is far from it. Of course it's still in beta, but I don't see things changing much besides bug fixes.

    I forgot to mention, at $15 this game feels a bit overpriced, and they are apparently going to selling it for $20. I feel for what I've played, this game should be no more than $10.    … Expand
  3. Fuz
    Jul 23, 2014
    3
    Yet another game designed for consoles and gamepad users only.
    Plays terrible on a keyboard because of way too many useless keys required, most of them caused by terrible design. One example... I have to press a key for talking, then have to use enter to move the dialogue forward? Two different keys just for talking? It also get even worse in some menus, basically I need to press X to    Yet another game designed for consoles and gamepad users only.
    Plays terrible on a keyboard because of way too many useless keys required, most of them caused by terrible design. One example... I have to press a key for talking, then have to use enter to move the dialogue forward? Two different keys just for talking? It also get even worse in some menus, basically I need to press X to talk to the character, select the menu item with enter, then press Q for confirmation. What the hell devs?
    Also, the reload mechanic is annoying (guess what? Another totally different key for reloading, used just for that), the combat is underwhelming, farming the same level over and over for materials is boring and customization is kinda pointless.
    Shame, the idea behind it is cool and the art style is pretty good    … Expand
  4. famicom
    Apr 6, 2014
    9
    note that many of the reviews were written about the early access version of the game. while things haven't changed drastically, keep in mind that it was an unfinished product and the reviewers were effectively beta testers.

    the best way i could describe mercenary kings is a combination of gunstar heroes, contra, megaman, and monster hunter- some parts are more successful than others.    note that many of the reviews were written about the early access version of the game. while things haven't changed drastically, keep in mind that it was an unfinished product and the reviewers were effectively beta testers.

    the best way i could describe mercenary kings is a combination of gunstar heroes, contra, megaman, and monster hunter- some parts are more successful than others.

    the megaman aspect comes into play from battling bosses with learnable patterns. you're going to want to learn them at some point, because the bosses drop materials for crafting new weapons, armor, and items like monster hunter.

    it's a slightly slower paced side scrolling shooter with a cool mechanic reminiscent of gunstar heroes (or borderlands, for the younger crowd)- the guns you can make can have several different bullet types, from bouncing cannonballs and shotgun blasts to homing missiles, and you can add a few different elemental effects on top of it. the game is a little more forgiving than contra- you respawn in the nearest medic bay, have a few lives, and can come into the mission with healing items to revive or heal.

    on the downside, you may get sucked in to farming the same levels over and over to get the materials needed for your next upgrade, and this can get tedious (again, think monster hunter, though nowhere near as bad). that being said, this game really shines if you can play multiplayer with someone else in the room/a friend over chat, as you can break the monotony helping each other doing different missions or splitting up in the same mission to clear it faster. if you don't have someone you know to play with, it will dampen your enjoyment of the game a bit, which is not reflected in my score.

    all things considered, i had a blast reconnecting with my much younger brother (14 year age difference) and chalked up about 30 hours of playtime. there's still plenty of room for improvement, but i feel i more than got my money's worth.    … Expand
  5. augh18
    May 1, 2014
    5
    Retro art and soundtrack can't make up for what's an underwhelming game. Plays like a mashup of Borderlands, Contra, and River City Ransom, and doesn't do any of them effectively as a result. A cool experience if you're looking for something to co-op with a friend, especially 2 - 4 players as that's rare these days, but outside of that this is another painfully average indie-styled retro game.
  6. garethspanglish
    Apr 6, 2014
    0
    This should have been put in the early 90's where it belongs. Slow, repetitive and too hard. Lack of clarity as to what exactly you're supposed to be doing most of the time, repetitive enemies you've just killed keep re-appearing while you wander round lost.
  7. Dunge
    Apr 3, 2014
    3
    I tried this game after seeing it compared to Metal Slug and expecting good coop fun. It's not. Enemy movements are bad (they just patrols area, not spawn by thousand as you progress like Metal Slug), controls are not responsive and the overall gameplay is just too slow. When you die you have to restart the whole missions and enemies respawned.
  8. MrBrioche
    Jul 7, 2014
    0
    So yeah this game is hard... There is game where it is hard and fun but this game just feel punishing, really punishing. The customization looked fun but when you get around you discover that it lack depth.
  9. hodub
    Apr 30, 2014
    8
    I just now completed Mercenary Kings, including all missions. I must say, this is by far the longest side scroller/ platformer I've ever played, no exaggeration. Not necessarily a bad thing though. It shows that a great deal of work went into the game, especially in the animations. There's clearly an NES Megaman-style influence in both the music and the "8-bit" aesthetic, but with MetalI just now completed Mercenary Kings, including all missions. I must say, this is by far the longest side scroller/ platformer I've ever played, no exaggeration. Not necessarily a bad thing though. It shows that a great deal of work went into the game, especially in the animations. There's clearly an NES Megaman-style influence in both the music and the "8-bit" aesthetic, but with Metal Slug-style characters and Borderlands-style weaponry. There's a very wide array of customization on weapons, plenty of missions to play, and a wide variety of foes to fight. My only complaint is a minor one - you'll find yourself playing through some of the same levels multiple times, albeit with different objectives. Overall though, if you're itching for a game with retro-style pixel animations but with more modern variety, you won't be disappointed by this one.… Expand
  10. TheFlavorPurple
    Jul 14, 2014
    9
    Plays like Metal Slug or Contra but not as hectic... unless you're running out of time! Up to 4-player CO-OP local and/or online. Unlock loot modifiers, upgrade your armor, unlock new knives, craft various combinations of guns. Put a sniper rifle barrel on your shotgun or a trombone horn on your smg, lots of weird combos. There are 100+ missions! The movement and controls are a little morePlays like Metal Slug or Contra but not as hectic... unless you're running out of time! Up to 4-player CO-OP local and/or online. Unlock loot modifiers, upgrade your armor, unlock new knives, craft various combinations of guns. Put a sniper rifle barrel on your shotgun or a trombone horn on your smg, lots of weird combos. There are 100+ missions! The movement and controls are a little more deliberate and slower paced, once you get the hang of it the controls/movement aren't an issue.Some of the maps are repeats, but the missions change, and they are well paced.… Expand
  11. somedude14
    Feb 22, 2015
    1
    Good pixel art and a half-decent soundtrack are the only appeal here. Gameplay is slow. Maps are large and boring, and you'll replay them over and over for "new" missions. Upgrade system is awful, having a loot-drop system akin to Borderlands would've been 100% more enjoyable than farming endlessly for mats for measly upgrades. Not much else to say about this, it's just a bad game.
  12. TitaniumDragon
    Nov 8, 2015
    6
    Pros:

    * Decent Megamanish/Metal Slugish 2D shooter-platformer gameplay. * Reasonable variety in weapons. * Decent level and boss design. * Amusing if flat characters. Cons: * Weapon crafting system penalizes you for experimenting with weapons. * Farming for enemy drops to craft better gear is grindy. * Game does a poor job of explaining how its various systems work. *    Pros:

    * Decent Megamanish/Metal Slugish 2D shooter-platformer gameplay.
    * Reasonable variety in weapons.
    * Decent level and boss design.
    * Amusing if flat characters.

    Cons:

    * Weapon crafting system penalizes you for experimenting with weapons.
    * Farming for enemy drops to craft better gear is grindy.
    * Game does a poor job of explaining how its various systems work.
    * Repeated level/boss use results in the game feeling less than fresh the longer it goes.    … Expand
  13. CartoonHead
    Nov 9, 2014
    3
    Nothing particularly wrong with the game. it is just boring. Going of the same maps over and over again doing MMO style quests to get more powerful weapon bits that don't actually add any real variation to the game. It just feels like a chore rather than fun.
  14. NFFNSNC
    Jul 22, 2015
    0
    Devs still haven't implemented a way to reconfigure controller buttons, even though they said they would 2 years ago when the game was in early access. Doesn't work with x360CE for some reason even if the buttons are correct, it still mixes them up. Another popular way is to configure your controller in Steam big picture mode, but it doesn't work for all controllers (including mine). 0 forDevs still haven't implemented a way to reconfigure controller buttons, even though they said they would 2 years ago when the game was in early access. Doesn't work with x360CE for some reason even if the buttons are correct, it still mixes them up. Another popular way is to configure your controller in Steam big picture mode, but it doesn't work for all controllers (including mine). 0 for lying devs.… Expand
  15. MarcosRV
    May 22, 2015
    5
    I really wanted to enjoy this game. It has a cool concept, very reminiscent of the old platformers and SNK's war-themed games. But the PC version is so plagued with bugs and bad support that they stained the game to an irreparable level. At first, it was the first game on Steam that I couldn't run, and this situation persisted after trying all possible fixes. So, I gave up for a time andI really wanted to enjoy this game. It has a cool concept, very reminiscent of the old platformers and SNK's war-themed games. But the PC version is so plagued with bugs and bad support that they stained the game to an irreparable level. At first, it was the first game on Steam that I couldn't run, and this situation persisted after trying all possible fixes. So, I gave up for a time and tried some months after with a new build. Lucky me, the game worked now! Only to discover there's some kind of silly screen stutter that's very annoying and, according to forums, happens with a lot of people. Again, no fix available. The developer support is AWFUL, they basically suggest you to get rid of a lot of applications - much of them useful - that could be installed on your computer. So the bugs and crashes are not their problem, let the consumers find their way. This laughable and rage-inducing attitude made me quit trying to play this game, unfortunately. Because it was fun for some minutes.… Expand
  16. stop9091
    Feb 15, 2018
    5
    A curious but underwhelming cross between Borderlands and Metal slug.

    The artwork and music are nice, but there isn't much else to this game. The RPG element is a sort of excuse for mediocre platforming design; the player will repeat the same maps over and over again. The weapons system is... hard to say. Some people like it. I think it's fairly poor, as I end up using very few    A curious but underwhelming cross between Borderlands and Metal slug.

    The artwork and music are nice, but there isn't much else to this game. The RPG element is a sort of excuse for mediocre platforming design; the player will repeat the same maps over and over again.

    The weapons system is... hard to say. Some people like it. I think it's fairly poor, as I end up using very few combinations. The biggest problem though, is that there isn't much difference - it's purely a matter of stats: a little farther, a litter more powerful, a little lighter... doesn't change much.

    The same could be said of Borderlands, of course, with the exception that Borderlands had a great atmosphere, larger maps, interesting weapons, story, characters...

    And as a platformer, this game doesn't hold a candle to the smoothness of Metal slug. Especially, the controls are so-so. I can't believe that a platform in 2018 doesn't allow the player to turn direction while crouched, or to move directly from standing from a direction to crouching in the opposite. Picking the items is a sort of pixel-perfect sort of action; one gets used to, but why not making it easier?

    All in all, it's an addictive but mediocre game.    … Expand
  17. aditya1101
    Oct 5, 2017
    5
    Pretty well done game overall, but it didn't feel like anything special. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. CD-Action
    Jul 23, 2014
    50
    All the old school charm goes to hell because of the repetitiveness. [06/2014, p.69]
  2. Games.cz
    May 2, 2014
    90
    When a game's content goes hand in hand with its form, it's always a pleasure. Moreover, when the old times meet the modern-day, and it works great somehow, we may call it a miracle. Such is Mercenary Kings a shooter.
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  3. IGN
    Apr 25, 2014
    80
    Its high level of difficulty, catchy tunes, and pixelated graphics meld nicely with its emphasis on loot, customization, and online play.
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