Resident Evil 4: The Mercenaries - Is The Mode Included At Launch?

Critics and gamers agree that the "Resident Evil 4" remake captures the essence of the original while also standing on its own as a next-gen marvel, despite some divisive alterations. But once gamers take down all the infected villagers standing in their way and the credits begin to roll, they might notice something is missing. The fan-favorite "The Mercenaries" mode, in which players face hordes of enemies to rack up a high score, is not available as part of "Resident Evil 4" at launch.

Luckily for longtime fans, that doesn't mean "The Mercenaries" has been lost to time. Much like the upcoming "Resident Evil 4" VR mode, the remake's "Mercenaries" mode will be available to download at a later date. And the even better news is that the DLC will be completely free. 

"The Mercenaries" will also arrive soon enough that players might not even miss it while playing through the base game.

After the title card rolled on the new "Resident Evil 4" Launch Trailer, Capcom added on an exciting announcement: "The Mercenaries" mode will be available to download on April 7 as a free DLC. But what exactly is "The Mercenaries," and how can players unlock it after it releases?

"The Mercenaries" is a survival mode that the series has packed into games starting with the original "Resident Evil 3," but the "RE4" version holds a special place in many gamer's hearts. Unlocked after beating the game, the original version of this mode features a fair bit of extra content, with four maps and five characters to choose from. "The Mercenaries" begins as the player spawns into a small arena and is tasked with killing as many enemies as possible before a rescue helicopter arrives. This mode also provides ample opportunity to attain some bragging rights, as it features a scoring system. "The Mercenaries" also provides a substantial reward upon completion, with the powerful Handcannon magnum unlocking after players attain a maximum rating with every playable character.

It's unclear if the remake version of "The Mercenaries" will be a copy-paste from the original game, or if it will add new skins and weapons for players. Considering how open the remakes' development team has been to altering the source material for maximum fun, the latter seems very likely.