Capcom has released a free update for its Resident Evil 4 remake, adding The Mercenaries game mode.
This mode, which was part of the original RE4 game, involves players battling waves of enemies to achieve high scores.
However, the company has also introduced microtransactions to the game, allowing players to purchase weapon upgrade tickets with real money instead of using in-game currency.
This has a lot of players divided. As it introduces new pay to win incentives which could alter the way the game plays in the future if the developers decide to make the game harder so that players have more of a reason to purchase the upgrades.
This also introduces the question of how this affects players who really care about Achievements or gamer score. Essentially these tickets make it easier for anyone who purchases them to get an achievement or increase their gamer score. Which is described very well in this video by Dreamcastguy:
These tickets can be obtained by completing missions or bought for $2.99 each, or in bundles of three or five tickets. Capcom has included similar microtransactions in its recent Resident Evil games, including Resident Evil Village and the Resident Evil 2 remake.
If the developers make tons of cash from including pay to win microtransactions, you can be sure that you will be seeing them in games going forward and eventually they will start effecting the way these developers program these games. With overwhelming incentive to make the games too hard to play without purchasing the microtransactions. Which could turn the Resident Evil franchise into a pat-to-win grind fest.
