Mercenary

1985 · Action-Adventure · Atari 8-bit / Multiple

Overview

Mercenary (1985) is Paul Woakes's open-ended 3D vector adventure, in which a stranded pilot plays two warring factions against each other to earn a way off the planet Targ.

Deep Dive

The player crash-lands on the planet Targ, which is in the middle of a civil war between the Palyars and the Mechanoids. Working for either side — or both — earns money towards a way home, and there are several different ways to escape. Tasks can be tackled in any order, and the player is guided by Benson, a "9th generation PC", whose messages scroll across the screen.

Developer Story

Paul Woakes and Bruce Jordan designed the game, and Novagen released it in 1985 for the Atari 8-bit and Commodore 64, with versions for the Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST and Amiga. An expansion, The Second City, followed in 1986, and the sequel Damocles in 1990.