Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D vs Resident Evil: Revelations – Which is the Better 3DS Resident Evil Game?

The 2010s would prove to be a strange time for the Resident Evil series. Coming off of the commercially and critically successful Resident Evil 5, the release of Resident Evil 6 in 2012 would come as a shock, almost single-handedly derailing the franchise’s nearly two decades of success as one of Capcom’s premier IP. However, while the franchise somewhat languished on home consoles, Nintendo’s 3DS handheld proved to be a great home for quality Resident Evil games, with both Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D and Resident Evil: Revelations representing Capcom’s survival horror juggernaut on the handheld. But pitting Mercenaries 3D vs Revelations for the best RE game on the 3DS highlights just how different these games are.

While Mercenaries 3D is an excellent arcade shooter with a multiplayer focus, Revelations would come as a refreshing change of pace, bringing the Resident Evil series back to its horror roots following increasingly action-adjacent entries. Revelations‘ single-player campaign puts the “horror” back into the series’ survival horror lineage, all while allowing players to take the reins of one of the series’ most important protagonists. Both titles are ultimately strong contenders for carrying the Resident Evil franchise prior to the launch of Resident Evil 7. However, only one can reign supreme as the best Resident Evil game on the Nintendo 3DS.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D vs. Resident Evil: Revelations: Side-by-Side Comparison

The first of these games to arrive on the 3DS would be Mercenaries 3D, launching just a few months after the release of the 3DS hardware as a first-wave title. The game combines the Mercenaries modes from both Resident Evil 4 and 5 and packages them together, adding in stereoscopic 3D visuals and some new alternate costumes for returning characters. Resident Evil: Revelations would arrive just a year later and be much more positively received thanks to its embracing of classic Resident Evil gameplay. Revelations‘ impressive commercial and critical success would result in the title receiving numerous ports to other hardware. Additionally, the title’s console ports would see a surge in sales following the somewhat disappointing Resident Evil 6.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D vs. Resident Evil: Revelations: 5 Must-Know Facts

Here are 5 must-know facts when comparing Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D vs Resident Evil: Revelations

• Both Mercenaries 3D and Revelations are games using Capcom’s MT Framework engine. The creation of the MT Framework engine dates back to 2004, with its development occurring alongside Onimusha 3. This would be Capcom’s main game development engine until the creation of the RE Engine.
• The commercial and critical reception of Mercenaries 3D falls short of Revelations‘. In terms of review aggregate scores, Mercenaries 3D has a 65% positive reception while Resident Evil: Revelations has a more impressive 82% positive review average. Similarly, Mercenaries 3D‘s sales are a fraction of Revelations‘ 5.5 million units.
• Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is a compilation of levels and characters from Resident Evil 4 and 5‘s Mercenaries modes. As such, it is a 3DS port of these modes. Revelations, on the other hand, is a title that would launch initially on the 3DS and receive plenty of praise. As a result, it has 7 ports and a sequel.
• Though Revelations is more fondly remembered for its single-player campaign, it also includes the multiplayer-compatible Raid mode. This mode is somewhat similar to Mercenaries 3D‘s gameplay in that players can team up with a friend to take down waves of enemies in co-op.
• Though players can experience everything Mercenaries 3D has to offer as a solo player, the game does not feature a traditional story mode or campaign. Out of the two 3DS Resident Evil titles, Revelations is the only one to feature a full-fledged single-player campaign.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D vs. Resident Evil: Revelations: Built Using the Same Engine

Capcom’s MT Framework engine would end up being the engine for both Mercenaries 3D and Revelations, as well as many other games from the studio during the 7th and 8th console generations. The engine’s development dates back to the studio’s work on Onimusha 3, with both the game and engine being worked on side-by-side. The first official Capcom release to use the MT Framework engine would be Lost Planet, with just about every other Capcom game on the PS3 and Xbox 360 following suit. While the MT Framework engine and its offshoots would be Capcom’s proprietary engine for many years, the studio now primarily uses the RE Engine.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D vs. Resident Evil: Revelations: Critical and Commercial Success

In terms of which title has the greatest critical and commercial success, it’s not even close. Mercenaries 3D is a great game and compilation of the fun and addictive Mercenaries mode, but its review scores are average at best. The title has a mixed 65% review aggregate score, and its sales are similarly lackluster. Current data available on the game suggests that it holds sales figures of just under 200,000 copies. Conversely, Revelations is both a critical and commercial success for Capcom. Not only would many reviewers praise Revelations‘ return to form for the series (resulting in a strong 82% review aggregate score), but the title’s many ports would help it achieve strong commercial success. To date, Revelations holds sales figures of just under 6 million units, roughly 5.3 million more units sold than Mercenaries 3D.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D vs. Resident Evil: Revelations: Ports and Sequels

Interestingly, Mercenaries 3D is itself a bit of a port. The title is a compilation of sorts collecting levels and characters from both Mercenaries modes that feature in Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the collection remains exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS and does not have any ports or follow-ups. On the other end of the spectrum is Revelations, which has several ports and a direct sequel (which would also receive several ports). Revelations‘ highly positive fan reception would result in the title almost immediately breaking free from its 3DS exclusivity, arriving on home consoles just a year after its initial release. The sequel, Resident Evil: Revelations 2, would arrive shortly thereafter in 2015 and also receive ports to PC and Nintendo Switch following its initial PS4 and Xbox One versions.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D vs. Resident Evil: Revelations: Differences in Multiplayer Modes

Though most fans remember Revelations for its excellent single-player campaign, the game also includes multiplayer. The Raid Mode in Revelations is similar to the Mercenaries mode in that players can take on waves of enemies either solo or with a friend in co-op. Additionally, both Revelations and Mercenaries remix environments and areas from the single-player modes of Resident Evil games as playgrounds for taking down waves of enemies. That’s where the similarities between the two begin and end, though, with Mercenaries‘ multiplayer gameplay focusing more on score attack challenges and survival rather than Revelations‘ take on the classic “horde” mode from many shooters.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D vs. Resident Evil: Revelations: Campaign

Thanks to its origins in a single-player game, Mercenaries 3D can be enjoyed either solo or in co-op with a friend. Players can link 3DS systems or play via WiFi to experience the entire game as a multiplayer title, or they can go at it alone. However, Mercenaries does not have a traditional campaign or story mode like most Resident Evil games. Instead, it is simply a collection of the levels and unlockables from the fun Mercenaries mode that features in other mainline titles in the series. Of the two Nintendo 3DS Resident Evil games, Revelations is the only one that features a classic campaign. The single-player mode of Revelations is the highlight of the experience, with its story mode celebrated as a return to the franchise’s horror roots following the more action-leaning Resident Evil 4 and 5.

Bottom Line

Both games are worthy pick-ups for any Resident Evil fan’s Nintendo 3DS library, but there’s a clear winner here. Without a doubt, Resident Evil: Revelations is the best Nintendo 3DS Resident Evil game, and its many ports to other consoles and PC means it’s available to just about anyone regardless of your console of choice. Mercenaries, on the other hand, remains a Nintendo 3DS exclusive and lacks the same breadth and depth of content that Revelations features. Revelations‘ story is about as off-the-wall as one would expect from a Resident Evil game, but its single-player survival horror gameplay is some of the best that the franchise has to offer. Not only that, the Raid mode in Revelations shares many similarities with Mercenaries 3D‘s gameplay, meaning choosing Revelations results in players getting the best of both worlds.