Mercenary Kings

Despite the repetition, Mercenary Kings offers an addictive customization system and a good all-round shoot 'em up experience.

Mercenary Kings is an old-style shooter with interesting twists. The multiplayer mode and the weapon customization are enough to make it a really pleasant game.

Whether you're buying it outright or getting it free from PS Plus, Mercenary Kings not only provides something new to get your teeth into, but has plenty of reasons to keep coming back for more.

Mercenary Kings is not only one of the best indie games released so far this year, but also a great retro-hardcore-experience filled with tons of content.

Like any good game in the Metal Slug-style, Mercenary Kings is by turns maddeningly frustrating and wonderfully cathartic.

Despite looking and playing like a 90's throwback, Mercenary Kings adds character and weapons customization options, and a novel mission structure to create a game that feels contemporary. Its content can feel somewhat repetitive, but by the time it does, most players will have already got their money's worth.

As it is, this style of shooting action feels like it’s stretched thin over such a lengthy campaign, and some of the missions might have been more fun if I hadn’t already explored the maps so thoroughly. That tedium certainly isn’t enough for me to warn people away from such a richly illustrated tribute to the roots of the shooter.

If you like 2D action and platforming games, and if you have friends to play with, this is a must have. It is not perfect, but we like its retro feeling and the content and options it adds to make it work nowadays.

PlayStation 4 was crying out loud for a 2D action game like Mercenary Kings. Addictive, co-op, tons of nods to the classics and decent length. It's like being in the arcade with a bunch of quarters in your pocket.

Challenging, with a massive variety of gun customisation, held back by unfortunate bugs. [June 2014, p81]

The game looks and feels nostalgic with its 2D gameplay and challenging gameplay. However, the endless grinding and re-using of level design eventually make it an incredibly repetitive and overall tedious experience.

A great cooperative retro action title with plenty of challenge and reward.

Mercenary Kings delivers a hardcore, compelling, sometimes frustrating action platform experience, packed with plenty of missions, weapons and enemies.

Fast and furious 2D action side scrolling adventure which resembles the glorious 16 bit era. A bit short, but still a slick classic production.

Both a brilliant modern riff on classic arcade games and a frustrating chore.

Just keep this endgame glory in mind when pressing through the chore-like opening.

The mission time limits seem unnecessary, but look past them and you’ll find plenty of fun here – especially if you recruit three real-life soldiers to share the frantic foray with.

Those guns feel rigid and lacking in power. [July 2014, p.78]

A modern platformer focused on crafting and dressed in a wonderful retro garb. Sadly, it recycles itself way too much. [Issue#242]

While its 8-bit action RPG fusion fulfills a baseline addictive quality, frequent missteps and repetitiousness pushed me too far away to ever get hooked.

Less than the sum of its many and varied parts, Mercenary Kings never gets the mix of modern and retro influences right – apart from with the amazing visuals.

Charming art design, an infectious soundtrack, and compelling weapon crafting supplement the standard action, but too much recycled content, irritating technical issues, and occasionally confounding design prevent the project from ever surpassing its inspiration. The result appeals to an old-school sensibility, but you'll need to overcome some unfortunate obstacles to see the appeal.

It's a nice idea for sure, but Mercenary King's parts just don't come together in a satisfying way.