[b]TL; DR[/b] [i]Mercenaries Saga 3[/i] is good but some of the time it is simply alright. In general, it is the same as its predecessors, but it has some nice encounters and is likely my favourite out of the Saga Trilogy.
[b]Note[/b] No mouse controls, and while the story is its own thing it does features characters and places from previous titles.
[h1] Story [/h1]
The northern continent was unified, and this seemingly all-powerful imperialist nation set their sight on the south, they conquered, established a puppet regime, and came to be embroiled in a struggle against the local resistance, the Liberation Army. You, and the mercenaries of the Gray Wolves, are employed by the occupiers and do as you are told to maintain their hegemony, even though you know they have little respect for you.
I find that this set up is very interesting it could go a lot of ways and can be used to tell a nuanced and very engaging story. However, if you've played other [i]Mercenaries[/i] games you will know that their plots are typically simple and on the straightforward side, it is disappointing. I keep finding myself wishing that these games would interrogate their premises more but as always that does not happen.
I find it strange how throughout the story no one really questions the legitimacy of the warmongering monarchy that has killed countless people and occupied the south. Well, mostly, thank you Yvon and Celeste, your words of high treason bring me comfort, and joy. You have done a great service to me, and if not for your commander you could have saved the world, it is a shame that he cannot see the wisdom of your plans.
With that said I found myself caring more about the fantastical side of this story than in the others, it is somewhat hinted at, at several points and as I played it felt more interesting than the McGuffins of the two previous titles, but it is still used in the same sort of way as in the previous games.
What I do really like is that we get to see some returning characters, even if the ones that return are never fighting alongside you in any encounters. It is simply nice to see them up and about, and not lazing around with their fame. However, I find it disappointing that there is only the single route and that the only options we get are choosing between optional party members and their associated missions. Yes, these two choices offer more replayability than [i]Order of the Silver Eagle[/i] but that game did have two endings, while [i]Gray Wolves of War[/i] only has the one.
[h1] Presentation [/h1]
Could you guess that it looks the same as the rest of the Mercenaries Saga games? Throughout my playthrough I did not notice any revamped sprites, but I did appreciate the very small selection of new models. One late boss in particular has a nice design though it is somewhat simple on account of the art style, I still managed to find it somewhat unsettling.
Rest assured that the issues with being blinded by the game whenever someone crits or e.g. changes classes remains, and that it is still an annoyance. I really do not like my screen turning white especially when it's late at night.
For the other titles I have called the soundtracks nice but unengaging and not very interesting, this is not exactly a diversion from that, but the final boss theme stands out as the one song that I increased my volume on. In my opinion it is the most interesting, showing the frantic situation you're in with the odds stacked against you, it is the best song in a game that otherwise, just barely, had the best soundtrack of its trilogy.
[h1] Gameplay [/h1]
Combat is the same sort of turn-based tactics and strategy RPG stuff as before, you equip stuff, create magic items use height and flanking and generally kill your enemies before they kill you.
While I do think that the scenarios are simple I would also say that level of quality is higher than the earlier titles, that is to say completely functional but not anything special, I also think that they are more interesting in [i]Gray Wolves of War[/i] and that there is an effort on display to try different things.
Sometimes your party has predetermined positions while you're surrounded, you fight numerous bosses sometimes several at once, and there are many time limits to change the pace. I did not struggle per se, but it did offer a greater diversity of situations and some slight challenge which kept me more engaged than I might have been otherwise. [i]Gray Wolves of War[/i] manages to keep missions from feeling superfluous but yes, a small amount of them feels a bit repetitive, such as the boss rush near the end. They should probably have removed one Chapter or two and moved its boss to a different one.
However, I do think there are some missed opportunities, at one point you are narratively protecting a group of civilians, but we never actually see this in gameplay. I dare suggest that some defence section or, yes, even an escort map could have been a good idea. This would have offered a type of challenge that the series have never tried before, but which is common in different titles.
I also wish they had been more willing to choose my party for me, which was something they did in [i]Order of the Silver Eagle[/i], it was a good way to highlight the different skillsets of different characters, both mechanically, and writing wise, and it incentivized you to use everyone, no need for that in [i]Gray Wolves of War[/i], so I stuck with roughly the same party throughout.
As for standalone scenarios, they are an improvement over [i]Order of the Silver Eagle[/i], most of them are repurposed campaign maps but with a different set of enemies, however, a few are levels from cutscenes that you never actually got to fight on. This is good and gives you some reason to play the free-battles but grinding is not too necessary if you diligently collect secret items, chests and steal from bosses. You can always buy some equipment with puzzle-pieces if you really need to.
