Mercenaries dated, Web site now in action

LucasArts today announced the release date for Mercenaries, the upcoming third-person shooter from Full Spectrum Warrior developer Pandemic Studios. Rated "T" for Teen, the game will ship out January 11, 2005, for both the Xbox and PlayStation 2.

Though Mercenaries won't hit consoles until January, LucasArts today launched a Web site for the game, which includes detailed game and storyline information, character descriptions, and various downloads, including screensavers, wallpapers, and buddy icons for chat programs. Visitors can also get a peek into the creation of Mercenaries through developer diaries from lead animators, level designers, and sound designers.

The site's interface allows browsers of the site to shoot various targets with the click of a button, and in the case of vehicles, you can click on a hijack menu option to get streaming game footage of the vehicle in action.

In the game, players will assume the role of guns-for-hire in a warring North Korea, full of free-roaming environments and high-tech weaponry. The title combines on-foot and vehicular combat as soldiers undertake missions for the highest bidder.

For more information on Mercenaries, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.