History Videogame / Mercenaries

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* SnipingTheCockpit: With judicious use of the anti-material rifke, the merc can fend off a squadton of Hind [=Ds=]. If you penetrate the canopy in one shot, the merc will compliment your aim.

* ShotInTheAss: The driving force for the plot of the second game. Really.

* SchrodingersPlayerCharacter: All three Mercs exist, but only the one you choose is sent after Song in the first game. In the sequel, the other two show up briefly in the intro to taunt your chosen Merc for getting shot in the ass, and are presumably still hanging around the bar throughout proceedings, but play no further part outside of Co-Op.
* SlaveToPR: Colonel Garrett laments that his superiors' insistence on minimizing collateral damage is actually costing lives, as it prevents him from unleashing the full night of his forces against the Norks in a quick and decisive campaign, instead dragging things out into a bloody quagmire with the Chinese involved.

* IdenticalLookingAsians: North Korea is Jennifer's preferred terrain, for obvious reasons. NK forces and their rival factions will be slower to attack her due to her Asian features; the subterfuge won't hold up under close scrutiny, though.

* TheStarscream: Sergei, the Russian mob boss from the first game, eventually tries to oust the player and his second-in-command, Josef, by drawing them both into a North Koreann ambush. He fails, and the final series of missions for the Russians involves Josef sending you to clean house. Ultimately inverted, though: Josef is bound by his code of honor to obey Sergei, no matter how ludicrous his orders are. Unfortunately for him, Sergei grows jealous of the way Josef commands respect from the rank and file; The growing animosity between the two men provokes the MobWar.

-->'''Peng:''' It it fate that we are matched against each other, he and I. One's worth in battle is measured by one's opponents.

* CuttingOffTheBranches: North Korea loses its nationhood in the original game's ending. Depending on which faction likes you the most, the country is either absorbed back into South Korea, becomes the newest province of The People's Republic, or degenerates into a Russian-owned ViceCity. However, the sequel confirms that China did indeed annex the North in 2009. In addition, the backstory for ''World in Flames'' states that Chris is the one who completed the Deck of 52 during the Song Initiative.

--->'''Merc:''' You ''do'' realize we're walking into a trap?\\

* MurderIsTheBestSolution: An illogical Sergei mission has him ordering the deaths of three of his spies (one from each faction) based on an ''inkling'' that one of them might be a triple agent, or something. He expects you to shoot these men in full few of witnesses, armed escorts, and numerous news cameras. It doesn't even occur to Sergei to provide you with a long-range weapon(!), which is why Josef slips you a Dragunov on the sly.

** When Colonel Garrett isn't voicing his dislike for [=PMCs=], he's throwing fits over not having "'''clearance!'''" or "'''authorization!'''" to intervene in North Korea. The last straw is when the [=NKs=] begin shelling the green zone, whereupon Garrett reluctantly gets into bed with [=ExOps=]. Due to being constantly monitored by GSRN, the Colonel can't afford to make any mistakes or let too many AN personal die.

** During "The Last In Line" Chinese Side Mission in the non-PS2 Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, as long as you don't run over any Allied troops or use ANY weapons on allied armor/troops during the side mission, they won't '''ever''' radio HQ nor fire back upon you, even when you set off the "extra time" [[ExplodingBarrels explosive barrels]] right next to Allied troops/lightly-armored vehicles by running into said barrels with the tank you drive and destroys/kills them, '''very''' convenient when not wanting to lower the relationship meter during said mission, and yes, it works for all three levels in said side mission, have some inconsequential fun!

** During "The Last In Line" Chinese Side Mission in the non-PS2 Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, as long as you don't run over any Allied troops or use ANY weapons on allied armor/troops during the side mission, they won't '''ever''' radio HQ, even when you set off the "extra time" [[ExplodingBarrels explosive barrels]] right next to Allied troops/lightly-armored vehicles by running into said barrels with the tank you drive and destroys/kills them, '''very''' convenient when not wanting to lower the relationship meter during said mission, and yes, it works for all three levels in said side mission, have some inconsequential fun!

** During "The Last In Line" Chinese Side Mission in the non-PS2 Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, as long as you don't run over any Allied troops or use ANY weapons on allied armor/troops during said mission, they won't ever radio HQ, even when you set off the "extra time" [[ExplodingBarrels explosive barrels]] right next to Allied troops/lightly-armored vehicles by running into said barrels with the tank you drive and destroys/kills them, '''very''' convenient when not wanting to lower the relationship meter during said mission, and yes, it works for all three levels in said side mission, have some inconsequential fun!

** During "The Last In Line" Chinese Side Mission in the non-PS2 Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, as long as you don't run over any Allied troops or use ANY weapons on allied armor/troops during said mission, they won't ever radio HQ, even when you set off the "extra time" [[ExplodingBarrels explosive barrels]] right next to Allied troops/lightly-armored vehicles and destroys/kills them, '''very''' convenient when not wanting to lower the relationship meter during said mission, and yes, it works for all three levels in said side mission, have some inconsequential fun!

&& During "The Last In Line" Chinese Side Mission in the non-PS2 Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, as long as you don't run over any Allied troops or use ANY weapons on allied armor/troops during said mission, they won't ever radio HQ, even when you set off the "extra time" [[ExplodingBarrels explosive barrels]] right next to Allied troops/lightly-armored vehicles and destroys/kills them, '''very''' convenient when not wanting to lower the relationship meter during said mission, and yes, it works for all three levels in said side mission, have some inconsequential fun!

* AssistCharacter: Fiona in both games, and Ewan, Eve and Misha in the second.

''Mercenaries'' is a military [[WideOpenSandbox sandbox]] series by Pandemic Studios, makers of ''VideoGame/ArmyMen: [[RealTimeStrategy RTS]]'', ''VideoGame/StarWarsBattlefront'', and ''VideoGame/TheSaboteur.'' The plot revolves around the titular Mercenaries, each of them employees of the private military contractor Executive Operations. With the help of their support operative, Fiona, the trio compete for bounties in hot spots throughout the globe. [=ExOps=] isn't in the humanitarian business: They accept contracts from Washington, Beijing, crime syndicates, and even other private corporations -- for a price.

Though overshadowed by the likes of ''VideoGame/JustCause'', the game sold well and garnered enough of a {{cult|classic}} following to warrant a sequel: ''World in Flames''. Set in {{UsefulNotes/Venezuela}}: ''World in Flames'', a social-climbing oil exec hires the mercenaries, shafts them out of their payday, and then crowns himself the new president. The over-arching mission is to take him down, but in order to get there, the mercs must once again form alliances with various factions, including: guerrillas, Rastafarian pirates, Big Oil, and the returning AN and Chinese superpowers. Each of the factions seek to control the outflux of oil. More care and attention is given to the explosions, particle effects, and the way buildings deteriorate. This game was sort of ''Just Cause 2'' before ''Just Cause 2'': you can grapple onto and hijack helicopters later in the game.

[[caption-width-right:330:''Everybody'' pays.]]

''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' fans, you're in the army now.

''Mercenaries'' is a military [[WideOpenSandbox sandbox]] series by Pandemic Studios, makers of ''VideoGame/ArmyMen: [[RealTimeStrategy RTS]]'' and ''VideoGame/StarWarsBattlefront''. The plot revolves around the titular Mercenaries, each of them employees of the private military contractor Executive Operations. With the help of their support operative, Fiona, the trio compete for bounties in hot spots throughout the globe. [=ExOps=] isn't in the humanitarian business: They accept contracts from Washington, Beijing, crime syndicates, and even other private corporations -- for a price.

Though overshadowed by the likes of ''VideoGame/JustCause'' (which follows a similar structure), the game sold well and garnered enough of a cult following to warrant a sequel: ''World in Flames''. Set in {{UsefulNotes/Venezuela}}: ''World in Flames'', a social-climbing oil exec who hires the mercenaries, shafts them out of their payday, and then crowns himself the new president. The over-arching mission is to take him down, but in order to get there, the mercs must once again form alliances with various factions, including: guerrillas, Rastafarian pirates, Big Oil, and the returning AN and Chinese superpowers. Each of the factions seek to control the outflux of oil. More care and attention is given to the explosions, particle effects, and the way buildings deteriorate. This game was sort of ''Just Cause 2'' before ''Just Cause 2'': you can grapple onto and hijack helicopters later in the game.

Though overshadowed by the likes of ''VideoGame/JustCause'' (which follows a similar structure), the game sold well and garnered enough of a cult following to warrant a sequel: ''World in Flames''. Set in {{UsefulNotes/Venezuela}}: ''World in Flames'', a social-climbing oil exec who hires the mercenaries, shafts them out of their payday, and then crowns himself the new president. The over-arching mission is to take him down, but in order to get there, the mercs must once again form alliances with various factions, including: guerrillas, Rastafarian pirates, Big Oil, and the returning AN and Chinese superpowers. Each of the factions seek to control the outflux of oil. There's more ways to blow shit up (''e.g'' a mini-nuke), and more care and attention is given to the explosions, particle effects, and the way buildings deteriorate.

** In ''World on Flames'', enemies won't aggro over physics-related deaths. So for any of the assassination missions, all you have to do is [[DeathByLookingUp drop a car on the target]].

The team who made it [[GodDoesNotOwnThisWorld were killed]] by Creator/ElectronicArts, so a trilogy is unlikely. Following the buyout, a demo was leaked of ''Mercs, Inc.'', apparently a co-op continuation of the franchise. John Ricitello claimed that EA had a commit to Pandemic's franchise, implying that ''Mercs, Inc.'' was in-development. But it was cancelled when Danger Close Games shuttered in 2013.

Though overshadowed by the likes of ''VideoGame/JustCause'' (which follows a similar structure), the game sold well and garnered enough of a cult following to warrant a sequel set in {{UsefulNotes/Venezuela}}: ''World in Flames''. The new villain is a social-climbing oil exec who hires the mercenaries, shafts them out of their payday, and then crowns himself the new president. The over-arching mission is to take him down, but in order to get there, the mercs must once again form alliances with various factions, including guerrillas, Rastafarian pirates, and the returning AN and Chinese superpowers. Each of the factions seek to control the outflux of oil for profit. There's more ways to blow shit up (''e.g'' a mini-nuke), and more care and attention was given to the explosions, particle effects, and the way buildings deteriorate.

Following the closing of Pandemic by [[Creator/ElectronicArts Electronic Arts]], an early video was leaked of ''Mercs, Inc.'', an apparently co-op centric continuation of the franchise. John Ricitello had previously stated a commitment by EA to Pandemic's franchises as an implication that the game was in development, but as of the closure of Danger Close Games in 2013, the game has been cancelled.

Additionally, a [[ComicBookAdaptation three-issue comicbook miniseries was released]] by [[http://www.dynamiteentertainment.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?CAT=DF-Mercenaries_TPB Dynamite Entertainment]], written by Brian Reed (who also wrote the cutscene dialogue for ''World In Flames'') was released in early 2008, as a prequel to the second game. It features the three mercenaries fighting for Taiwanese guerrillas against a Chinese invasion. Things go South, and for one merc, ItsPersonal.

* TheJoysOfTorturingMooks: Tearinf around North Korea in a helicopter swinging an SAM truck around on a winch and into a building-sized artillery gun behind enemy lines.

The two main things ''[=PoD=]'' brought to the table were [[EverythingBreaks destructible environments]] (any structure can be leveled with rockets or [=C4=]) and a smorgasbord of air strikes you can call in [[NoHeroDiscount for a fee]], raining death on your targets, whether inanimate or otherwise.

The first game, ''Playground of Destruction'', is set in UsefulNotes/NorthKorea. You're air-dropped into the middle of a war zone in search of nuke-happy dictator General Choi Song, who happens to have a ''huge'' bounty on his head. In order to gather intel on his whereabouts, the player must kill or capture his most trusted allies who, along with Song (codenamed the Ace of Spades), are collectively known as the "Deck of 52". The player can choose to work for four factions ([[UsefulNotes/SouthKoreansWithMarines South Korea]], [[UsefulNotes/ChineseWithChopperSupport China]], the [[TheMafiya Russian mob]], or [[AmericaSavesTheDay the "Allied Nations"]]), as they're the ones paying the bounties. Be careful whom you serve, because it just might determine which side ends up annexing North Korea.

*** The helicopter gunners, as with most of the allied units, are ''very'' unforgiving about friendly fire; coupling this with the fact that the helicopters will absolutely refuse to take off until you either destroy them or give them the HVT for transport even when you make enemies of them means that you can unknowingly have pissed them off in the firefight only for the gunners to start unloading on you as you're trying to load the HVT into the chopper.
** If you're driving any sort of ground vehicle, non-hostile soldiers have a tendency to panic and leap straight into your path. This can be a serious problem given that contacting an NPC with a vehicle you're driving will instantly kill them regardless of how slow you're going.
** In the second. Enemy ''soldiers'', on the other hand, often deliberately [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential spoil your fun]] by jogging out of the way...most of the time. Other times, they lunge towards your car like lemmings.
** Friendlies following you often have a hard time getting into helicopters.

* DeathFromAbove: WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation prefers to call Mercenaries 2 "Airstrikes 2: Hooray for Airstrikes"

Though overshadowed by the likes of ''VideoGame/JustCause'' (which follows a similar structure), the game sold well and garnered enough of a cult following to warrant a sequel set in {{UsefulNotes/Venezuela}}: ''World in Flames''. The new villain is a social-climbing oil exec who hires the mercenaries, shafts them out of their payday, and then crowns himself the new president. The over-arching mission is to take him down, but in order to get there, the mercs must once again form alliances with various factions, including guerrillas, Rastafarian pirates, and the returning AN and Chinese superpowers. All of the factions seek to control the influx of oil for profit. There's more ways to blow shit up (''e.g'' a mini-nuke), and more care and attention was given to the explosions, particle effects, and the way buildings deteriorate.

Though overshadowed by the likes of ''VideoGame/JustCause'' (which follows a similar structure), the game sold well and garnered enough of a cult following to warrant a sequel set in {{UsefulNotes/Venezuela}}: ''World in Flames''. The new villain is a social-climbing oil exec who hires the mercenaries, shafts them out of their payday, and then crowns himself the new president. The over-arching mission is to take him down, but in order to get there, the mercs must once again form alliances with various factions, including guerrillas, Rastafarian pirates, and the returning AN and Chinese superpowers. There's more ways to blow shit up (''e.g'' a mini-nuke), and more care and attention was given to the explosions, particle effects, and the way buildings deteriorate.

Though overshadowed by the likes of ''VideoGame/JustCause'' (which follows a similar structure), the game sold well and garnered enough of a cult following to warrant a sequel set in {{UsefulNotes/Venezuela}}: ''World in Flames''. The new villain is a social-climbing oil exec who hires the mercenaries, shafts them out of their payday, and then crowns himself the new president. The over-arching mission is to take him down, but in order to get there, the mercs must once again form alliances with various factions, including guerrillas, Rastafarian pirates, and the returning AN and Chinese superpowers.

There are good and [[{{Sequelitis}} bad things about it]]: good in that there's more ways to blow shit up (''e.g'' a mini-nuke), and more care and attention was given to the explosions, particle effects, and the way buildings deteriorate. Bad in that minor gripes from the last game--bugs, poor AI, last-gen graphics, [[UnintentionalPeriodPiece Bush-era politics]]--are [[FranchiseOriginalSin a lot more noticeable]] in the sequel, and the missions lack variety when compared to ''[=PoD=]''. Pandemic also made big promises in the lead-up to the game's release, such as being able to pilot any vehicle you see, that they didn't deliver on, which pissed the fans off. The game featured online co-op play, but no local multiplayer.