Mercenary Kings

 PlayStation 4
User Score
5.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 231 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 81 out of 231
  2. Mixed: 79 out of 231
  3. Negative: 71 out of 231

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  1. sacredbear
    Sep 12, 2014
    5
    I greatly appreciate the couch coop, and the modding, but this game needs more than that. More focused story and less copy and paste missions that might as well be randomized. I could only recommend this to someone who really loves this type of side scrolling shooter, or really needs a game to play with friends. I also personally despise throwback graphics like this (and obnoxiousI greatly appreciate the couch coop, and the modding, but this game needs more than that. More focused story and less copy and paste missions that might as well be randomized. I could only recommend this to someone who really loves this type of side scrolling shooter, or really needs a game to play with friends. I also personally despise throwback graphics like this (and obnoxious chiptune music), they gave me massive headaches when I was younger and I do not miss them.… Expand
  2. Dukay66
    Apr 1, 2014
    7
    Mercenary Kings may be worth your time if you can convince three of your friends to play co-op with you. It's early stages drag a bit, but once you get to new locations. The game also becomes naturally funner when you upgrade weapons, armor, and when you buy mods. Mercenary Kings also benefits from having a looting system if you will, which keeps things from getting stale. It's a free gameMercenary Kings may be worth your time if you can convince three of your friends to play co-op with you. It's early stages drag a bit, but once you get to new locations. The game also becomes naturally funner when you upgrade weapons, armor, and when you buy mods. Mercenary Kings also benefits from having a looting system if you will, which keeps things from getting stale. It's a free game on PS Plus that should be given a chance if want something new to play. Don't expect anything to grand though.… Expand
  3. Skreshavik
    Apr 21, 2014
    7
    What I was expexting? Metal Slug with customizable weaponry.
    What I got? A gathering game with shooting elements.
    A few things I want to say before the actual review. First, this is a throwback of the old side-scroller shoot 'em ups, so yea, graphics are going to be snes/ps1-era graphics. Second, story is going to be generic as it usually is for side-scroller beat 'em ups. Third, the    What I was expexting? Metal Slug with customizable weaponry.
    What I got? A gathering game with shooting elements.

    A few things I want to say before the actual review. First, this is a throwback of the old side-scroller shoot 'em ups, so yea, graphics are going to be snes/ps1-era graphics. Second, story is going to be generic as it usually is for side-scroller beat 'em ups. Third, the game starts off a bit slow. If you're too ADD-ridden to deal with it after the fact you purchased it, go buy the same COD installment that Treyarch has been releasing the past decade.

    With that aside, Mercenary Kings is a 2D-side scroller shooter that is heavily influenced by the Metal Slug series. The vertical/horizontal shooting patterns, melee attacks, plethora of enemies to shoot, and weapon upgrades. What's different from the two is that Mercenary Kings has actual objectives, some different gameplay mechanics, and the weapon upgrades are permanent.

    First of all, what the game is about and what you do about it. The Kings are an elite mercanary group sent out to destroy an evil group called CLAW and their baron overlord. You do that by being sent out to a very large, pre-generated map (several areas the game progresses through) and completing an objective. These can be anything from blowing a generator with C4 to extermination. Some missions will have bonus objectives but every mission has a secret objective which both will net extra cash and materials. The enemies you meet along the way are the classic, generic grunt to riot shield grunts to large, rainbow-glowing dog bosses. All enemies will have a chance to drop some materials used to craft gun parts, melee weapons, and body mods for stat boosts and other useful functions.

    Unfortunately, this is where Mercenary Kings loses focus. If you want to collect and experiment gun parts, you better hunker down and spend a couple hours grinding for every tier set. This is the main reason I knocked this game two points down. The game became more grinding than gunning down helpless fools with your spinning skull trombone shotgun. It wouldn't even be half-bad if there was at least a "try-before-you-buy" demo room. With that aside, the gun customization is MASSIVE. Want a shotgun with the capacity of a rifle? You can make it. Sniper rifle derringer that fires acidic bullets? By all means. A cat attached to a toilet that shoots flaming pellets? It's there for the taking.

    Gameplay mechanis are pretty simple. You can aim either vertically or horizontally, jump, crouch, roll to avoid attacks, and melee. You also have a mini-map you can access from the touchpad button, a backpack to hold secondary items, and an active reload. Otherwise, pretty simple. The game will punish mistakes pretty roughly and reward skill as you won't be half-dead when you reach boss #2.

    Mercenary Kings could have had a lot more potential, but the lack of map variation leaves players visually bored and the materials system mentally bored. For 15 USD, you could get about 20 hours if you blaze through. If you collect all of the pieces, a heck of a lot more. Not a bad investment, and even better if you got the free PS+ deal. 7/10    … Expand
  4. grim977
    Jul 13, 2014
    7
    what;s with all the complaining of the quality. this shooter game is an arcade game that is meant to have the graphics it has like "tower fall: ascension." this game allows you to customize your weapons to whatever you please. the multiplayer is a bit repetitive with great boss battles that makes you want to beat more bosses. this brings back memories of older games that i have played. iwhat;s with all the complaining of the quality. this shooter game is an arcade game that is meant to have the graphics it has like "tower fall: ascension." this game allows you to customize your weapons to whatever you please. the multiplayer is a bit repetitive with great boss battles that makes you want to beat more bosses. this brings back memories of older games that i have played. i would rate this game a 74/100… Expand
  5. djrussell
    Sep 6, 2014
    5
    I personally didnt enjoy my time with this game. I really liked the art style and how it reminded me of the Metal Slug games (which I love to bits) but Mercenary Kings just didnt hook me at all. I found the controls clunky and the regeneration of enemies especially annoying. I know some people love it though so give it a shot, it just wasnt for me.
  6. Makaveli
    May 11, 2014
    7
    This game is fun and free with PS Plus right now... There are 112 missions so this game is not short....repetive yes... There is 1 mission where you control a Mech, they should of had more levels like that because most of the levels are the same...rescue hostages, neutralize boss, capture boss, destroy fuel tank etc.....
    There are loads of customizing options for your guns and you can    This game is fun and free with PS Plus right now... There are 112 missions so this game is not short....repetive yes... There is 1 mission where you control a Mech, they should of had more levels like that because most of the levels are the same...rescue hostages, neutralize boss, capture boss, destroy fuel tank etc.....
    There are loads of customizing options for your guns and you can also create biological mods that will help you in missions.... You collect materials throughout your missions so you can construct knives,guns,gun parts, decorations and banners, so there are a lot of things to do. The problem here is that, it takes devotion to get all the trophies for this game, mostly because you will have to replay missions and try and look for materials on constructing certain items, and it becomes a borefest.. They should of had a window pop up before every mission that tells you what materials are in the level before you play it... Instead you have to memorize what enemies are in each level so you can come back later and get materials you might need... You can talk to a guy that will tell you what each enemy drops but the problem is, is you may forget which enemies are in what levels because there are so many levels...

    The game is not very demanding, yet I have had this game crash on my PS4 numerous times, also when missions are loading the scene looks like it is skipping continuously... The game will also skip while you are playing a mission.. I found this annoying because if you are at a boss and it does that chances are the boss will get a free hit on you.. Seems to skip out at the worse possible times too....
    The loading times are pretty bad for this game, everytime you fail a mission you have to go back to the camp and talk to the dude and then talk to another dude to take you to your mission... I also have not found anyway to quit a mission once you start it, and some missions can take 30 mins.....
    I also do not like how you have to play a guessing game on where the boss in the level might be. Also when you fight a boss you better beat him quickly because he will move on to another location and you will have to either wait for him to come back to your location or go across the map but by the time you get there you will fight him for literally 2 seconds and then he will move places again...

    Overall I think this is a good game, if I had to pay money for it, I probably would of never even thought about buying it, but free it is worth a play, just do not be surprised to get bored from repetition.    … Expand
  7. justachair
    Apr 22, 2014
    7
    If you are a geek of Metal Slug like I am, then you will dig Mercenary Kings no matter how frustrating its difficulty is, how unbalanced the gameplay is and how the upgrade system does not entirely work. It is a definite tribute to the old arcade shooter and its visual art-style and pretty violent slain options are really appealing.
    The game doesn't make use of a lot of the PS4's new    If you are a geek of Metal Slug like I am, then you will dig Mercenary Kings no matter how frustrating its difficulty is, how unbalanced the gameplay is and how the upgrade system does not entirely work. It is a definite tribute to the old arcade shooter and its visual art-style and pretty violent slain options are really appealing.
    The game doesn't make use of a lot of the PS4's new additions: The light bar turns to the colour of your character, and you can pop up the map with the D-pad. This is not a game that proves PS4's power, and only a crazy person would buy this game (It doesn't play as enjoyable as it should, and I am not talking only about the overwhelming difficulty but just how plain and unfair the game is as a whole) but Free with PS+, there is nothing to lose. It is not a game you will play that much either. Is a fun experience for some time, that quickly turns into dreadful. Mercenary Kings, by all means, is not the great game it wants to be. However, arcade shooters are meant to play ocasionally. If you respect the rule, then Mercenary Kings succeeds as a casual, energetic, violent and awfully punishing game.    … Expand
  8. hashtaglegend
    Apr 30, 2014
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mercenary Kings may be worth your time if you can convince three of your friends to play co-op with you. It's early stages drag a bit, but once you get to new locations. The game also becomes naturally funner when you upgrade weapons, armor, and when you buy mods. Mercenary Kings also benefits from having a looting system if you will, which keeps things from getting stale. It's a free game… Expand
  9. IntelligntGamer
    May 19, 2014
    6
    Mercenary Kings is a game that hearkens back to yesteryear, when games like Metal Slug ruled the arcade. But it lacks the polish that made those games great, and when this is combined with the often sluggish controls, it leaves you grumpy more often than it leaves you happy. http://intelligentgamer.org/2014/04/14/review-mercenary-kings-ps4/
  10. goodgriff33
    Dec 24, 2022
    6
    Answer: 75 characters is between 10 words and 19 words with spaces included in the character count. If spaces are not included in the character count, then 75 characters is between 12 words and 25 words.

Awards & Rankings

89
#89 Best PS4 Game of 2014
58
#58 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 25
  3. Negative: 2 out of 25
  1. Games Master UK
    Jun 7, 2014
    61
    Those guns feel rigid and lacking in power. [July 2014, p.78]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jun 5, 2014
    60
    A modern platformer focused on crafting and dressed in a wonderful retro garb. Sadly, it recycles itself way too much. [Issue#242]
  3. DarkStation
    Jun 3, 2014
    60
    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.
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