Contra meets Monster Hunter in Mercenary Kings

Mercenary Hunter Ultimate

For some--ourselves included--Mercenary Kings feels like the game you were born to play. This 2D shooter hits all of our pleasure centers with a sledgehammer, blending the run-n-gunning of classics like Contra with the enemy chasing, weapon crafting addictiveness of Monster Hunter. The developers from Tribute Games (the masterminds behind the Scott Pilgrim beat-em-up) gave us an apt four-word description of Mercenary Kings: Metal Slug on crack.

Youd be forgiven for thinking this is in the same exact vein as Metal Slug--Paul Robertsons hand-drawn spritework is just as gorgeous and fluid as SNKs famed shooter, and you still dodge bullets and blast enemies at the same frenetic pace. But Mercenary Kings has so much more going on, particularly with the level design. Instead of endlessly scrolling to the right, the stages--like a tropical jungle and a bombed-out city--are absolutely massive and beg to be explored. These expansive levels facilitate the mission structure, which mirrors Monster Hunters: Seek and destroy one colossal target, or wipe out a small army of enemy soldiers in a specific location.

As with Monster Hunter, the bosses you fight are magnificent; only, instead of slaying a gigantic dragon, youll be gunning down merc-piloted mechs that wield Wilt Chamberlain-sized daggers. The best part? You can eventually craft that dagger for yourself. Crafting is a huge part of Mercenary Kings, where you can completely customize your loadout using materials youve gathered on the battlefield. Make a firearm from scratch, piece by piece, or craft such outlandish melee weapons as plungers, rotten fish, and incendiary knives. If something can be used with deadly force, theres a good chance you can craft it.

After playing the game for a scant 20 minutes, weve already started counting the days till Mercenary Kings hits PS4 and PC. Check out the following slides for additional images and more info on this promising indie game.

The gunplay rips off the active reloads of Gears of War, to amazingly fun effect.

Band together with your fellow mercs in four-player splitscreen or online co-op.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall--and the more crafting materials you'll score.

All your items have stats--this gun clearly excels in the "Kill everything" department.