Mercenaries Mode Returns In 'Resident Evil Village'

The recent “Resident Evil” showcase for the series’ 25th anniversary has revealed a number of surprises for fans who are eagerly awaiting the release of “RE Village,” and one section of the showcase has spilled the return of the action-packed Mercenaries mode.

The time-based game mode will remain largely the same as its previous incarnations in the last three mainline games; players will go through maps while eliminating all enemies in the area before the timer expires, with the ultimate goal of amassing as many points as possible. However, there will be a few twists to the formula according to game director Morimasa Sato.

Mercenaries mode in “RE Village” will allow players to purchase weapons and items before starting an area. Players can browse the Duke’s Emporium and buy equipment with the money they collect from their run. Weapons can also be upgraded through the Emporium much like in the main story mode.

This change allows players to form their own strategies for each of the different maps by bringing specific weapons or customizing their current arsenal before starting the round.

The second major change to Mercenaries is the presence of ability upgrades scattered across the maps. The upgrades appear as big orbs that players will have to smash them to get their effects. Once smashed, a menu with three different selectable abilities will appear, allowing players to choose what buff they want to obtain.

This change gives Mercenaries mode a bit of a rogue-like element, with each run offering players a different way to approach combat scenarios. The upgrades grant stat boosts to players, buffing their damage output with certain weapons or increasing their survivability by giving more health or block effectiveness.

Earning the highest possible ranking in “RE Village’s” Mercenaries mode will unlock new items for players to use, but it’s not yet known as to what awaits players at the end of the game mode. “Resident Evil 4’s” Mercenaries mode unlocked the Handcannon for the main story and given that “Village” is heavily inspired by the latter, players may see a similar unlockable item as the ultimate reward for the new Mercenaries mode.