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Mercenaries is a good open world combat game, but the setting has a plaguing issue.
In a locale beset by open military combat between various factions, it does not make sense to see members of the factions driving around all over the map. They fire while driving past one another, but then carry on about their business as if nothing had happened.
I am also not a fan of infinite spawns and this game has plenty of them. I should be able to clear an area before calling in for extraction, but when enemy helicopters just keep respawning, it is frustrating.
The game seems to imply possibilities which it cannot deliver. In one mission, for instance, I was supposed to stealthily rescue a captive from the Chinese-held airport. I could find no way of achieving this without detection. Perhaps the female character can do it, but it doesn't seem possible with the fast guy.
My favorite aspect of Mercenaries is the ability to take 3 or 4 guys with me to a fight and have them provide some cover/additional targets. It is like having a useful and temporary squad without having to micromanage everything.
Though not perfect, the AI generally does a good job at combat. The same cannot be said for NPC ambient behavior. Agents seem to wander around aimlessly, existing only to keep the world from being empty. In contrast, the AI in Fable created bustling towns, with people moving from place to place purposefully.
I find that I am not using a major feature yet. The game has a shop (I never shop). I keep unlocking new things in the shop, but I never bother to even look at them.
Overall, this is a solid game with lots of options and ways to destroy a bunch of stuff. However, due largely to the inadequate ambient AI, the world feels somewhat contrived and lifeless.
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