The recently released free Mercenaries mode DLC for the Resident Evil 4 remake has had a mixed reception. While newer fans are delighted to play as characters from the main story and Resident Evil franchise (Leon Kennedy, Louis Sera, Jack Krauser, and Hunk all make an appearance), veterans are understandably upset that two of the original characters, as Albert Wesker and Ada Wong are absent from RE4's mercenaries mode. Nevertheless, when it comes to fighting hordes of Los Iluminados, Mercenaries mode delivers an arcade experience like no other.
But Mercenaries mode hasn't been present in all Resident Evil titles, and with good reason. It only appears in titles that lean towards action and combat. In order for the franchise to stay within the survival horror genre, Resident Evil has to make sure that it implements elements that fit with each game's specific tone.
Mercenaries Mode Only Appears In Select Resident Evil Titles
Mercenaries mode has been in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Resident Evil 4 and its remake, Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 6, Resident Evil Village, and a standalone game for the Nintendo 3DS, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D. All of these titles save for Resident Evil 3: Nemesis feature the tight controls that were introduced in the original Resident Evil 4. Resident Evil's Mercenaries mode allows players to fight waves of enemies while carefully managing their resources and time to attain the best score possible. It provides a nice alternative to the somewhat more serious nature of these games' main campaigns where players can cut loose and focus on the combat rather than the narrative.
More importantly, Mercenaries mode can only be found in Resident Evil's more action-oriented titles. Because the combat mechanics in these games are so good, Capcom is more than happy for players to experiment with them in a controlled environment. Mercenaries mode fits with the overall tone of the games it appears in, which usually have absurd writing and focus on bombastic setpieces and fighting tons of enemies. It isn't hard to imagine Resident Evil 4's Jack Krauser in Mercenaries mode fighting off hundreds of Los Iluminados in an attempt to test his newfound Plaga powers.
Slower Resident Evil TItles Would Suffer From Fast-Paced Modes
In contrast to the action-filled Resident Evil games, slower titles like the original Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard wouldn't benefit much from a mode like Mercenaries. These games' controls are slow and clunky compared to their faster-paced brethren. As such, players aren't meant to handle multiple enemies at once (if at all). The overall tone of the games would suffer as well. Having Ethan claw his way out of the Baker estate in Biohazard only for him to fight hordes of Resident Evil 7's Molded in Mercenaries mode wouldn't make much sense. Instead, Capcom did right by introducing slower, more methodical DLC into the game like the Banned Footage volumes. Not only do these chapters give context to the main game, but they keep with their horror themes.
There have been attempts at adding more fast-paced multiplayer modes to Resident Evil titles. The Resident Evil 3 remake's multiplayer mode, Resident Evil Resistance, pits four players against a single mastermind as they navigate traps, zombies, and special player-controlled foes to escape the mastermind's domain. The unique premise is held back by poor performance issues and the fact that the multiplayer mode is nothing like the main game. Thankfully, Capcom has a generally good idea of which Resident Evil titles benefit the most from its unique Mercenaries mode. Those looking for the mode's return in future titles should examine the next game's overall tone and combat, for these are what give away if a Resident Evil game will have a Mercenaries mode or not.
Resident Evil 4 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X.