NK Tourist Traps
Mercenaries™takes place in a wide, detailed recreation of North Korea. LucasArts and Pandemic Studios give you all the tools and military hardware you need to scour the countryside for the Deck of 52 ... but you have access to both the southern and northern province maps once you deal with the Ace of Diamonds. If that's the case, why not take some time and do a little sightseeing?
The rumors are true about Propaganda Village.
Village People
The first half of Mercenaries is set on the southern province map, which features such population centers as Pyongyang and Kaesong as well as the port city of Haeju. Of special interest to a political operator like yourself is the Propaganda Village found at the center of the southernmost part of the map (between Haeju and the Demilitarized Zone). This is where you undertook the Persuasion mission and it's something of a planned community in that it was planned to be a photo op for the occupying forces. The buildings are real enough, but there are very few people and even fewer civilians. Luckily, there's a frequent and very loud radio broadcast that explains just how wonderful the Village is and how spectacular its future will be under the new regime. Be sure to venture into the wilds south of the Village and explore the billboards in the hills—you might just find a few items of interest.
What to See There: The statue of the Great Leader.
What to Do There: Fight off a South Korean incursion; blow absolutely everything up, especially the statue of the Great Leader.
Abandon all hope, ye that enter here.
Gateway to Adventure
The southern province's toughest nut to crack is the North Korean fortress at the northeast corner of the map. It's just past the area listed on your GPS as the NK Fortress Gate, but those who've visited call it the Black Gate. You must get though the gate for the Jack of Diamonds mission, but the North Korean tanks, armored personnel carriers, choppers, and rocket launchers make it more than a challenge. After you've dealt with the Jack, take another trip back to the Black Gate just to give it some of the hardship it gave you. It's time well spent—the area beyond the gate is stocked with tons of bounties just waiting to be claimed, including a few national treasures, blueprints of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and even a statue of the Great Leader.
What to See There: The Black Gate itself, an imposing structure which protects one of the most heavily fortified North Korean bases in the game.
What to Do There: Break on through, roll up onto the ridges just inside, and call down a heavy-duty airstrike to bring new meaning to the term "gate crasher."
Island hop to gorgeous Unsan Village.
Islands of Tranquility
There aren't many quiet, thoughtful places in Mercenaries, but two of them are found on the northern province map. The first is the Temple in the southwest, but the really spectacular one is in the precise center. Unsan Village is accessible only by air or over a single, easily defended land bridge, but it's definitely worth the trip (especially after you've taken care of the Queen of Spades and cleared out the North Korean forces). Nestled at the center of a natural island in the middle of a lake, Unsan Village's architecture is absolutely stunning—don't miss the huge temple on the mainland side of the bridge. This location has the added bonus of great views in all directions, especially if you come in via air. Don’t forget to scour the tiny island for national treasures and WMD blueprints, because there are several of each available.
What to See There: The fabulous great temple on the mainland side of the bridge.
What to Do There: Stay low until your Chinese support troops take out the enemy choppers.
Bask in the warm ... okay, hot green glow.
Fall is the Time for Fallout
This one's a bit of a specialty trip for the truly adventurous, but I'm betting you have what it takes. The Taechon Reactor is famous for a special visual phenomenon that's a little bit like the Northern Lights of Alaska—if the Northern Lights were at ground level and could kill you in matter of seconds. The radiation that soaks Taechon creates a freaky visual effect that you can't escape, but you can get around that pesky radiation sickness by staying inside an armored vehicle like a tank or an armored personnel carrier. It's hardly a jaunt for the faint-hearted, but if you can stand the eyestrain you'll love the light traffic (even during rush hour) and enjoy plentiful parking—just don't get out of the tank without your SPF 1,000,000 sunscreen.
What to See There: Everything ... anything. Just do your sightseeing and get out before the radiation cooks you or the clicking of the Geiger counter drives you mad.
What to Do There: Get the heck out in one piece so you can brag about being brave enough to go there in the first place.
For every place there is to see in Mercenaries, there are a dozen things you can do. Keep on tracking down the Deck of 52 until you're done, so you can spend as much time as you like taking in all the sights and sounds of war-torn North Korea.
Bon voyage!
By Scott McGough
