Latest Resident Evil 4 update adds Mercenaries Mode

Resident Evil 4 has been receiving a lot of praise as a faithful remake with meaningful changes. While most of the feedback is positive, the latest update is something of a mixed bag. The addition of the free Mercenaries Mode DLC is great for players, but the update also adds a few pay-to-win elements. Players can now spend real-life money to buy upgrade tickets. Capcom hasn’t commented on this addition yet.

Resident Evil 4 update 1.004 brings pay-to-win elements as well

A brief summary of the mode has been provided by Capcom:

“Race against the clock and battle your way to the top of the leaderboards! First featured in the original Resident Evil 4, The Mercenaries is back! Are you ready to test your mettle in this thrilling, breakneck fight for survival against an increasingly dangerous horde of enemies? Characters, old and new, can now use Mayhem Mode—unique abilities that add new layers of strategic and tactical depth never seen before in The Mercenaries! Like the main story, The Mercenaries is reimagined and awaiting those who enjoy fast-paced action combat!”

The listings for new microtransactions were first spotted in the New Zealand stores for Xbox and PlayStation. Here’s the description of the DLC listing:

“To gun enthusiasts, knife collectors, and lovers of weapons of any and all kinds: here’s your ticket to the gun show! Specifically a ticket to be redeemed at the Merchant’s shop. With this, you’ll have access to a weapon’s exclusive upgrade at any time, regardless of the weapon’s level. Not only that but once unlocked, the upgrade itself is free of charge!

Note: This item will be added to the Treasures menu and will be available across all of your saved data.”

A bunch of other bundles were also listed, each varying in price and the Weapon Upgrade tickets given out. While not game-breakingly easy in this example, microtransactions in single-player titles are quite often met with criticism. The trend of progression paced to push players toward microtransactions is worrying. Capcom is yet to address the addition.