I figured that with all the news flying around, from developer interviews both good and bad, the news on the Vita and the PS4, and just generally the lack of great discussions (thanks Zinix, much appreciated), I believed it was time to turn speculation of the truly unknown in the gaming industry. To start, I'd like to hear the communities opinions on something that may have flown under everyone's radars.
Resident Evil: Mercenaries 3D, for me, is still one of my favourite 3DS games. Despite the fact that it had the "no data resets" problem (and from there, isn't able to be sold back to retailers for credit of a form), I just generally really enjoyed the game overall (I think Lain and Floorless enjoyed it a lot as well). After it was released and played, I remember that Capcom were to consider a new entry further along the line for just the Mercenaries mode, but then it kinda just... vanished.
So, for this discussion, we put up ideas of what could be in a new Mercenaries title. I guess I'll start because I made the topic.
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Characters
I figured that to increase the roster, the has to be room for numerous differences. I figured that it could be done in three different fields. The first would be the abilities, innate skills that remain static to the characters. The second would be the parameters, which show the individual traits like Health, Melee Power, Weapon Efficiency and Speed (or whatever they could be). The third would be the actual weapons.
** Abilities. I believe that two basic skills and a character specific skill could be used. The basic skills are skills you'll find mix and matched between the cast of characters, small things like better healing from herbal sprays, or potentially having a few members getting +1 second from time extension crystal. Small effects that create a uniqueness but without being too prominent. The Character Skill, the one specific to the character, is basically an attempt at making characters fun to use. For example, let's say that you could have a mechanic where you could use a dying enemy (in a standing state as opposed to being shotgunned across the floor), you could grab them and use them as a shield to projectile weapons. I reckon that a character could have a skill that lets them take a live enemy from behind, forcing that mechanic to play. Little things that makes things fun.
** Parameters. They make it really easy to make differing characters. Rebecca is to Wesker in Mercs 3D as Rocket Raccoon to... well, Wesker in UMvC3. I think that, along with main parameters, you could have sub parameters. If you think of of main ones, like health and melee power, as green circles (typical health display in RE), then think of sub parameters as a... purple circle running along it. Sub parameters would be for minor things in each field. For Health, the sub parameter could impact damage reduction, or reduce how hard you flinch from attacks. Since costumes are a thing over at Capcom, changing your costume could change these sub parameters.
** Weapons. One of the main 'draws' of Resident Evil... until people started doing knife runs on RE:4. In previous Mercs renditions, weapons are forced into sets based on characters (I don't know about RE:6, never played). I wouldn't mind having it so you could switch weapons, but rather in that weapon class. For example, different characters will have different types of SMG. By leveling those characters to the maximum level, you can let any character in the SMG class to have access to it. I did consider suggesting attachments for the weapons, but I didn't want it to feel like it was about the guns, and more about the character.
As for the actual characters themselves, I wouldn't mind seeing a massive diversity. There are your typical entries, like Chris, Jill, HUNK, Claire, Leon, Wesker, Barry, Rebecca, Ada etc. But giving the fact there are numerous characters, and different ways listed above to make them different, you could easily have up to 30 different characters, which means other favourites like Billy Coen and Marcus Oliviera, to badasses like Nikolai Ginovaef (I still think that scene in ORC was badass, the helicopter snipe one), and then the absolutely absurd like Alfred Ashford, who could be the best joke character ever.
On the note of costumes, I wouldn't mind if they threw in some crossover gear for the fun of it. Phoenix Wright with a rocket launcher, anyone? No? Well, how about Ryu with a gun. It breaks everything ever.
Modes
The game needs to be larger than it is if it is ever to sell stand alone. The addition of a lot of modes could take this side game to be a main game. If anyone played Mercs 3D, you'd know that all you got was a Mission based mode. I didn't mind it, however the fact you were restricted to a particular set of rules each time was annoying. At least in RE4 and RE5 you could pick whatever stage you want and have everything there in it.
** Mission Mode. I think that it should return, as a method of character unlocking to be blunt. I liked that you had this tier style to it: "Beat all the missions in this tier, unlock the last mission in tier, beat that and get new tier and character HUZZAH!" I reckon they could also force what kinds of characters you use for certain missions, allowing you to play through them with a story aligned element (not necessarily a story, just situations akin to the previous Resident Evil entries, like forcing the player to pick Claire or Steve for a Rockfort Island map in Code Veronica)
** Free Play. Basically in this, you pick a small map, and you play like you do a game of Mercenaries. Custom map options also applicable, so you can choose how many enemies, how much time, item frequencies etc. There's also the Versus option as well.
** Raid Mode. So in this mode, it's much like Free Play. However, you and the other players are competing against each other in scoring, as opposed to sharing the same score, but you share the same time. That said, you could attempt to turkey block your opponents victory by choosing not to intentionally play with time extensions mechanics.
** Grand Survival.
"Say hello to the big maps. Raccoon City Police Station, Antartica, the Ancient Cave and everyone's favourite, Arklay Mansion. Feel free to run around in the massive expanses, the masses of enemies and the trials that await you... I think you'll love this."
In this mode, the maps are big. The enemies are everywhere. The best part? You and 11 of your buddies are here to tear **** up. Don't mind me if we take a page out of Call of Duty's book. You start with only a small area, but with impending enemies that's not gonna last. You need the open expanse, you need the run space and the gun space, and the only way to do that is... to solve puzzles old school. Solve it, and you get more breathing room. You can also block areas too, should you wish. Also, unlike Mercs mode, you don't lose if someone goes down. If they do, you keep playing until there's only two of you left. Then the mechanic will kick in when one goes down. There's also no timer, so you might want to piss before you start. Also available: 6v6 Versus survival. That oughta be fun.
** Tyrant VS Tyrant. It might as well be Ultimate Tyrant VS Tyrant 3, because that's basically what it is. Just a little bit of a different mini-game where you play as overly powered and butt ugly monsters from the Resident Evil universe in a classic 2D fighting game, complete with online matchmaking. Tyrant, Super Tyrant, Nemesis, Thanos, William Burkin, Green Steve, Executioner, Nosferatu, Ustanov, Bitores Mendez, Mutant Krauser and Uroboros Wesker all join the ultimate battle... eh, throw in a nimble Hunter for the fun of it. Why not.
** Boss Rush. In this mode, you compete for the lowest time while fighting against a medley of bosses, simple as that. You'll be able to carry over ammunition between fights. The boss order is also randomised. Bosses will more than likely comprise of the less humanoid bosses in the series.
** Gallery. For me, I find it rather annoying when a game doesn't have a gallery of a sort anymore. I like viewing the artwork of the game, character bios, sound tests and movies just as much as I do playing the actual game. It often bugs me when I hear a really nice tune in a game and have no way of isolating it from the actual gameplay.
Stages
To be honest, I'm cool with any area that's in the RE universe. Capcom needs to learn not to be lazy and actually create the worlds for places that aren't in RE4/5/6. I don't mind if they just use all their old stages assets from those games, just include new ones as well or I am disappoint again. That said, if they ever do go with my idea of massive maps, they have no choice but to make those as well. Surely Capcom hasn't lost all their vision power.
Medals
For me, one of the things I like about games is getting rewards for effort. The medal system in Mercs 3D is but a sampling of how much I want to see in this title (assuming it ever comes to exist). Some are fun, some are frustrating, but overall, such systems expand longevity of a game. Especially for a game like this, it's essentially nothing more than a arcade add-on to a bigger game. It needs that extra push in the hope to ever keep it alive. From things that are character based, score based, stage based, mode based to Easter egging.
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Well, that's all the ideas that I have for now. Feel free to post what you think should be in this title, should it ever become true. Feel free to comment on anything I posted, but please, try not to troll the topic. I've been here long enough to know that it's been a very long time since a topic with decent discussion has been around outside of the Hardware section, minus a few attempts here and there.
Edited by Winged Warrior, 22 February 2013 - 06:34 PM.
