Resident Evil 4 DLC – Mercenaries is Out! What Comes Next?

As you're bound to be aware by now, we recently got the first big Resident Evil 4 DLC - the fan-favorite Mercenaries mode! Released as a free upgrade to the base game for all owners across all platforms, Mercenaries mode is a franchise mainstay that simply wasn't ready to go on launch day. But! It did set a precedent or two for the core gameplay of RE4, an already remarkable game.

A precedent that we're eager to discuss in this here article! As the franchise has changed and, indeed, grown over the past decade or so, Resident Evil's post-launch content has changed accordingly, too. Gone are the days of one-and-done playthroughs from the looks of it, as Capcom has developed a habit of long-term post-launch support for almost all of its titles.

This is particularly interesting because a very specific batch of content got scrapped for the launch of the base game of this particular Remake. Or did it?

READ MORE: The 6 Best Changes Resident Evil 4 Remake Made

Resident Evil 4 DLC: Did Mercenaries Mode Do Its Job?

It doesn't take much looking to discover that we're huge fans of Resident Evil's classic Mercenaries modes here at 2Game. Though the feature has gone through a fairly substantial list of changes over the years, the core of it really has remained the same! Players need to do the following:

• Kill enemies (to rack up a high score)
• Stay alive (to not lose points)

Simple! The joy of the mode comes from its arcadey approach to the otherwise grim and somber Resident Evil core gameplay. And look, there are no two ways about it: RE4R's gunplay is absolutely phenomenal. Possibly the finest gunplay an RE game has ever had, now that we think of it. Now just transplant that into a high-score chasing combat arena and that's Mercenaries for ya.

What makes this game's Mercenaries special is that it's got oodles of unlocks for players to chase after:

• Four distinctive characters (Leon, Luis, Krauser, and Hunk)
• Three unique levels
• Heaps of achievements

Since each character comes with their own special loadout and abilities, it's all good fun! Especially for those who aim to min-max their score and compete on the leaderboards.

Play Resident Evil 4's Mercenaries Mode on PC today!

Resident Evil 4 DLC Roster May Get Expanded Upon

Now, those who've had some experience with RE: Village's own Mercenaries mode may recall that this system is quite different from what we saw there. In Village, players only had one character to choose from, and they could buy upgrades, gear, and abilities/Perks as they progressed through a given match.

The funny bit, though, is that Village received a substantial expansion of this unique Mercenaries mode with the Winters' Expansion DLC. With three rather awesome new characters added to the roster, a bunch of new levels, and plenty of extra goodies to chase after, it was the first time that Capcom had built upon a RE Mercenaries mode post-launch. Does it set the stage for future RE4R DLC, too? It may!

Remember: the original game also had Ada Wong and Albert Wesker as Mercenaries mode combatants. Considering some of the other missing content, the writing may be on the wall here...

Assignment: Ada and Separate Ways Are Still Missing

Veteran gamers may recall that, in one of its re-releases, Resident Evil 4 received two substantial new campaigns featuring Ada Wong! Assignment: Ada and Separate Ways are the DLCs in question, and they're suspiciously absent from the remake. Moreover, all of their respective unlockables and content are glossed over, too.

Since Ada plays a big role in the remake, we're hard-pressed to imagine that Capcom has simply decided to forego all of this fan-favorite content without so much as an explanation as to why it's missing from the main story. No, our bet is that all of it (or, rather, most of it) will be included as part of a post-launch DLC, not unlike the Winters' Expansion for Village.

Don't Forget About Two Major Boss Encounters

Indeed, the eagle-eyed among us may well have noticed that Resident Evil 4 Remake did away with two of the original game's major boss fights: the U-3 and the second Verdugo henchman. Now, we're going to have to get all conspiratorial for a bit so bear with us, but what if these were being held back for Ada Wong's own chapters?

Capcom said precisely nothing about either of these bosses. Given how big of a deal the first Verdugo boss fight - the Right Hand, as it were - is for Leon, simply ignoring the Left Hand is... weird! That's why we think chances are good that there are other plans afoot. Note, too, that we've been given precisely nothing on either of Ada's original two standalone chapters. And, since Village got its own batch of DLC over a year following its launch, we can't help but think that Capcom is working on alt-chapters featuring Ada right now.

We could be wrong, mind! We just think there are too many coincidences to ignore them all. And hey, don't forget: 2Game's editorial theory crafting had been right numerous times before!

So... Stay Tuned!

All in all, we genuinely believe that we're onto something here. The fact that the specific bits of content that used to be unique to Ada and her standalone adventures are missing is exceedingly suspicious on its own! Add the obvious lack of both Ada and Wesker in the new Mercenaries mode to the mix, and you've got all the makings of an extra mini-campaign that Capcom may or may not be working on. And one that isn't just more Resident Evil, (good as that is in and of itself!), but that brings something new to the table! We've got a hunch here, but, of course, we could be wrong.

Whatever the case may be, odds are good that Capcom's not nearly done yet with Resident Evil 4. Especially now that it's plainly obvious just what a massive success it's ended up being. Remember: you can get your own PC copy of Resident Evil 4 right here at 2Game, but we also have the good old HD version of the original RE4, if you wanna compare and contrast. Do you have what it takes to help Leon Kennedy rescue the President's daughter, and survive the horrors that await? Take advantage of our discounts to find out!

• Original Resident Evil 4 in HD
• Resident Evil 4 Remake

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