Mercenary (video game)

Mercenary is a series of computer games that have been released from Novagen and can be counted to the genre of adventure games. Mercenary I was one of the first 3D games. All three parts of the series simulate a sprawling, freely explorable environment and have a non-linear, open gameplay, similar to the approximately contemporaneous pioneer elite. The games were reviewed favorably in The Press. 2008, there is a porting project, a website and a small community. A new implementation in contemporary graphics engine is being planned (as of October 2007).

Mercenary: Escape from Targ

The first part of the series, Escape from Targ, was published in 1986. After the loss of his own spaceship through the collision with the planet Targ, the protagonist, who was on his way to a job, find a way to leave the planet again must.

It explores the planet with different gliders and ground vehicles, and there is also underground hangars with branched premises, you can search for technical equipment, useful objects and keys. In the underground facilities, there are teleporters can be achieved with which widely separated places without delay.

The buildings and objects in the game are implemented for fluent display on 8 -bit computers in wireframe vector graphics. However, this abstraction does have its own aesthetic appeal, so remember, for example, the more complex building through the transparency of glass sculptures.

The game contains a lot of humorous elements. Examples: During the crash landing at the beginning of the game, the ship's computer over to the pilot after a terrifying nosedive, about half a second before the unvermeindlichen surcharge, the "manual control". The launch of placed signs in the landscape with the Atari symbol was praising comments in the Commodore version, the launch of Commodore signs in the Atari version as well. A mysterious "Essential 12939 - Supply" turns out to be a box with the impressing of the eponymous number, which through the transparent vector graphics on the back the word " PEPSI " forms. From the orbital station there is a door with a skull symbol; takes you through it, you realize that it was a useful free outer door while you fall for minutes stagger to the planet's surface.

Mercenary: The Second City

In the same year a mission disk, in which the protagonist is still on Targ, but everything is much more sophisticated than in the actual game was released.

Mercenary II: Damocles

Four years after the Mercenary, 1990, brought the long-awaited successor Novagen Damocles out. It builds on The Escape from Targ. The protagonist has finally reached his job location, a solar system with multiple planets. The reason for his presence: The planet Eris is threatened by the impact of a comet. The collision with Targ and efforts to come to a new spaceship, time has become scarce.

As in the first part of the gameplay is nonlinear with different ways to the target ( here: the abandonment of the comet strike ) to reach.

For flights between the planets of the system resulting from the theory of relativity Time dilation is taken into account, so that shortens near the speed of light travel time, which, however, must be given the time limits carefully weighed to the comet hit.

In contrast to the first part have the objects and buildings at Damocles - we are in the 16- bit era - walls. As a nice reminiscence there on the moon of a planet Targ an open-air museum where some of the wireframe objects are exhibited from the first part of the game.

It is possible, Damocles to start with a saved game from Mercenary. The player has but this is no particular advantage.

Damocles mission Discs

The mission discs is modified Scores for Damocles. You invite them into the main game and therefore receives a slightly different environment and new tasks, some of which are much more difficult than in the original Damocles game. For example, you have to get the Nova Bomb from a building roof or you have a lot less time to preserve Eris, the home planet from the threat of the comet Damocles.

Mercenary III: The Dion Crisis

In 1992, the third part appeared. It starts in the Timewarp prison on Metis, where the protagonist was imprisoned to await his next job.

Right at the beginning of the game, the player is informed that a certain " Mr. P. C. Bil " ( again an inside joke: in the first part of a troublesome opponent was " Palyars ' Commander 's Brother - In-Law " ) tries to usurp the presidency via the gamma system itself and reduce Pulvin ore on Dion. This would destroy the entire ecosystem of Dion. Thus, it is the player's task, P. C. To prevent Bils projects. As shown in the Damocles there are again several ways to play through the game. For example, the character candidate for the presidential election or destroy all fighting ships of the antagonist.

The venue is the same as in Damocles, only there is now also a public transportation system - buses, taxis, commercial inter-city flights or flight connections between different planets and moons. In addition, vehicles can be rented and purchased.

Parts two and three appeared only for the 16 -bit computer, Atari ST and Amiga. A PC implementation, exist from the screenshots with textured graphics, was almost completed, but is due to marketing decisions of the companies involved and Sony Psygnosis never appeared.