Resident Evil Mercenaries VS: IOS review

For the first time I'm going to delve into an IOS game that is not universal and made solely for the Ipod Touch, Iphone and compatible with the Ipad. I know that this blog is supposed to be solely about Ipad gaming but honestly I am the biggest fan of Resident Evil, especially the mercenaries mode that comes with Resident Evil 5. I'm anticipating this title to eventually hit the Ipad but honestly Capcom takes their sweet time transferring their games over to HD quality. Resident Evil Mercenaries VS is an online game that features free for all combat with four characters or two vs. two combat. There are only three arenas to choose from, including "creative" titles like fortress, castle and docks. There are also only three characters to choose from, including Wesker, Jill and Chris. Surprisingly Chris seems to be the worst player to choose from while Jill and Wesker have superior weaponry. The levels aren't huge, they are big enough to get some distance. The one thing that just kind of bugs me is that at the end of May Capcom is going to release Resident Evil Mercenaries for the 3DS. I can tell from videos and screenshots that Capcom has put a lot more effort into the 3DS and I understand that there is a difference in graphics and price point. Currently Resident Evil Mercenaries VS. is priced at only $2.99 and is apparently on sale while the 3DS version will most likely be around $30 to $40 bucks. 

Game play: 

First off this game suffers from the same control scheme the previous Resident Evil 4 IOS title. You must always stop, pivot and take your time shooting through the guided laser sight. It will take some time to adjust to the controls considering there are much better ways to handle the layout of buttons. One thing I liked is that in your top corner they show you your current weapon and if you press that button and drag your finger to your secondary weapon you can easily select the next weapon while on the go. I honestly hate selecting the items menu while in action because it takes forever to equip something to your character. I doubt these issues will ever be addressed, Capcom seems to be satisfied with their wacky buttons and yet they still don't want players to be able to walk and shoot at the same time. 

If you can get past these downfalls then this game can provide fun, I think you have to be a fan of Resident Evil to buy this one. Capcom promises additional content but that may require an IAP. For the time being there is already a community of players and if you want you can play against AI enemies.