Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, known as Biohazard: The Mercenaries 3D in Japan, is a video game announced by Capcom for the Nintendo 3DS at the 2010 Nintendo conference in Japan and released in June 2011. The game is a combination of the Mercenaries Modes featured in Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5 in which players must defeat as many enemies as possible within a set time limit in order to achieve the highest score. Capcom also confirmed WiFi connectivity for co-op play from players around the world, as well as new modes and characters from across the series. Players will be competing in maps from Resident Evil 4, and Resident Evil 5. The official release date is June 2, 2011.

A Co-op mode has also been confirmed. It can be played local or via Wi-Fi.

A demo of Resident Evil Revelations is included within the game. If pre-ordered through Capcom's official site, they offered a free 3DS case as a pre-order bonus.

Characters
The game features eight playable characters:

There is also one alternate costume for each character:
 * 1) Chris Redfield
 * 2) Jill Valentine
 * 3) Rebecca Chambers
 * 4) Claire Redfield
 * 5) HUNK
 * 6) Barry Burton
 * 7) Jack Krauser
 * 8) Albert Wesker
 * 1) Chris Redfield (Pilot)
 * 2) Jill Valentine (Casual)
 * 3) Rebecca Chambers (Nurse)
 * 4) Claire Redfield (Suit)
 * 5) Hunk (Mr. Death)
 * 6) Barry Burton (Patriotic)
 * 7) Jack Krauser (Exo-skelton)
 * 8) Albert Wesker (uroboros)

Missions
The game contains 30 missions across 8 stages. The stages are:
 * 1) Public Assembly
 * 2) Village (RE 4)
 * 3) Castle
 * 4) The Mines
 * 5) Missile Area
 * 6) Ship Deck
 * 7) Prison
 * 8) Deserted Island

Mission modes vary from being the standard "kill as many enemies in the time limit" to a wave mode and missions where a boss has to be defeated. Some missions have varying Majini and Zealots, and mini bosses such as the Executioner, Chainsaw Majini, and Garrador etc. Stages can also be set during the day or night and the time bonuses can be placed in different positions in different missions.

Each mission has its own theme music, each an entirely new piece composed especially for the game. Once completing the main mission mode with any character, a new "EX" mission set is unlocked, which includes remixed versions of previous maps. Each map uses a Mercenaries theme from Resident Evil 4 and 5 (I.E., the remixed Castle uses Wesker's mercenaries theme from RE4, and so forth.)

Customization
The game allows the player to switch weapon loadouts with other characters once certain requirements are met. There are 9 loadouts, with one being a bonus loadout that no character has as her/his default loadout. There is a skill / talent tree in the game which allows the player to choose skills or perks to enhance the player. There are 30 skills, and each can be upgraded three levels. An example of these skills is adding electricity to the character's melee moves. Up to three skills can be used at once.

Gameplay details


Like Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, the camera system for Mercenaries 3D is set behind the player and seen through real time, fully 3D environments. While using the same time-limit-score system as its previous incarnations, additional features will be present, such as the ability to customize character loadouts beforehand, as opposed to being limited with fixed character weapon selections. Additionally, Shinji Mikami confirmed, in an interview with IGN, that the game will have international drop-in-drop-out co-op, allowing partner cooperation similar to in Resident Evil 5 albeit on a much larger scale.

Unlike most other games in the series, players will have the option of aiming from a first-person viewpoint, although the over-the-shoulder aiming popularized by RE4 and RE5 will also be available. Another non-traditional feature is the ability to move while firing weapons (as well as reloading them), but you will be unable to aim. This feature was previously only seen in Resident Evil Outbreak File 2 and the other upcoming entry in the series, Resident Evil: Revelations. Gameplay is shown on the 3DS' top screen, while inventory management is handled by the touch screen. An optional setting to modify the aiming speed of any weapon is also avaliable. Another new feature is the ability to customize the playing character's abilities and weapons, and allowing them to gain new abilities over time; the characters will also have their own strengths and weaknesses. You can get more skills (more ammo, fast reload, melee moves).

Reception
Resident Evil The Mercenaries 3D recived mixed reviews from critics. IGN said the game seriously lacked content, While Game Informer prasied the game for its graphics. Capcom said the game sold around the amount of units it was projected to sell.



Trivia

 * Chris, Jill, Rebecca, and Barry all return from the Mercenaries of the fifth game. Krauser and Hunk returns from the fourth game and Wesker was featured in "The Mercenaries" of both Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5 though is taken from RE5 in terms of his play style. Claire is the only character who had never previously appeared in a Mercenaries mini-game.
 * This is also the first over-the-shoulder game in which Claire appears.


 * It features a demo of Resident Evil: Revelations.
 * Was announced after Resident Evil: Revelations, but released before it.
 * Claire's alternate outfit: Suit, is the same alternate outfit of Sheva in the PC version of Resident Evil 5.
 * Also, Krauser's Exo-skeleton and Barry's patriotic suits are recolored versions of Chris's heavy metal and warrior costumes.
 * Characters not returning from the Mercenaries of Resident Evil 4 are Leon and Ada and from the fifth game is Sheva, Excella and Josh.
 * In the character trailer for the game it shows characters in parts of maps that are unable to access in the final product. (Ex. claire does her neck kick move on a zealot in a part of the castle map that player cant access.)