Bjorn Tipling

Mercenaries 2 World in Flames

This challenge was very difficult because I can’t aim very well with the stupid xbox controller, at least not as good as this guy who shows you how to beat the 30 second challenge by blowing up the canisters on the left side of the cars on the left, and the canisters on the right side of the cars on the right, as well as some other strategies (such as jumping onto the front jutting portion of the roof and when to shoot the bonus statues for extra time).

Here’s the embedded video for people cool enough to use a feed reader supporting such advanced internets technologies:

Mercenaries 2 World in Flames

You know I love this game. It’s open world, destructible environments. At first I hated it because I compared it to Grand Theft Auto IV, and it’s a totally different game. It has many similarities but I consider those similarities now only as the same ‘interface’ Same interface, two different kind of games. Although the racing and delivery challenges are similar minigames.

Anyhow. I love this game. Because I can totally fucking cheat my ass off and the game doesn’t care. Like the PMC “Airstrike Challenge” contract at level 3.

Overview

The task is to use a laser designator to drop precision missiles in a field filled with trucks, jeeps, oil cans, and fuel storage containers. You only get two missiles. For each of the three levels you have a different score that you have to reach. Cans are worth 1 point, jeeps 2, trucks 3, and fuel storage containers are worth 5. You have to stay up on a hill surrounded by sandbags, or you lose the challenge. If you go outside the sandbags you have 10 seconds to come back or you lose.

Difference from Level 1 and 2

I don’t remember what the scores are for level 1 and 2 and it doesn’t matter because it’s cake. Just designate any of the areas with lots of fuel containers and you’ll get enough points.

Level 3

You need 100 points. Very hard. Basically if you don’t cheat, it’s just pure luck. You have to get just about all of the trucks, jeeps, cans and fuel storage containers. I tried it a few times and I always ended up short, once I ended up with just a 98.

The Cheat

What happened though that let me to realize I could cheat was that some UP guys came up and started shooting at me. I bashed their heads in and they dropped their weapons. When you do this challenge you have no weapons. But because they came up and died and dropped theirs I was able to pick them up. I then fired at a canister and it blew up and I got a point!

So guess what.

I cancelled the contract/challenge, went to the spot in the world where the challenge happens, and air dropped a big ass tank right by where the sandbags are during the challenge. Went back to the PMC, did the challenge again and VOILA. BIG TANK BLOWS EVERYTHING UP. 105 points. I win. Wish I could take screenshots with my Xbox 360.

Tip

Free money. Get a cheap tank. Air drop it on that spot. Max the wager to the highest amount. Win wager with tank. Repeat. Make kazillions.

Mercenaries 2 World in Flames

Overview

Another very hard mission at level 3. You are tasked with driving a jet ski along a crazy route through jumps, hostile waters, sharp turns and mines. I managed to solve this one without looking online, but I looked just now, to research for this post, and found this YouTube walkthrough from Mahalo, which is a joke, because it’s Level 1.

Difference from Level 1 and 2

Level 1 and 2 give you plenty of time, so if you make a mistake, even a big one you can turn around and try again. You can take your time through the minefield. The island toward the end of the route on your left is not filled with hostile VZ.

Level 3

There are two things that make Level 3 very difficult: very little time, and supernaturally skilled VZ soldiers who can hit your little jet ski with an RPG with one try from a long distance. The solution? You need to have no less than 2 Anaconda Attack Helicopters ($350K) available. You can buy them from the Pirates before you accept the level 3 mission. Once you accept the mission, before you get on the jetski, request the first Anaconda. Once it arrives jump in and fly to the island that you go around at the end of the jetski route, it’s across the island where you start (the route starts and ends on the same island). Once you get to the island kill everything. Use the two types of missiles to destroy the towers and bunkers. Once you run out of missiles, gun every VZ on that island down. Then land, and destroy all of the buildings left on that island. Make sure everyone is dead. If you have destroyed all of the buildings the VZ wont respawn.

If you die or make mistakes with the jet-ski later on, you have come back to this island to do it all again and those Anacondas are expensive. Most of the buildings and VZ on the island will re-spawn when you restart the contract.

Next call in the second Anaconda, destroy the two civilian ships that close in on you when you’re on the jetski. It only takes one missle per ship, do not use more, you need the other missles. These two ships will be to the North of that VZ island you just cleared, they are very big ships you shouldn’t miss them. There is a civilian kill penalty for blowing them up.

Once that is done, take Anaconda to the minefield and using the turret, not missles, blow them all up.

Next move backwards across the route from the minefield towards the ramp with the building and roof. It’s the second last jump before the minefield. Use all of your missiles and blow the hell out of that building. You want to completely destroy the roof. The problem is the that roof creates a situation where you have throttle the jetski just right in order to get this jump perfect so you don’t land inside the building instead of the water. If you go too slow you don’t make the jump, if you go too fast you hit the roof. Given that you have to kill all of the VZ on that island for each try, a long battle, why risk it? If you destroy the roof all you need to do is go as fast as you can to make the jump.

Having destroyed all the VZ, blown up the two ships, destroyed the minefield and blown off the top of the roof of that second to last ramp the ride should be easy. Go back to the jetski and if you are careful, you should be able to finish with less than 10 seconds to spare. The first two ramps, and the fourth ramp, do not require you to jump them, just drive real close to the side of them. Jumping these ramps damages the jetski and slows you down.

Mercenaries 2 World in Flames

Overview

You are tasked with delivering boxes filled with live parrots on a dirt road across a hostile island in a flatbed truck. The boxes tumble around the truck as you move and if you hit a bump too hard or jostle too much boxes fall out. In level 3 you have to deliver half of all the boxes. The path from the base to the delivery point is filled with hostile VZ carrying RPG’s and helicopters with lock on surface to air missiles.

Difference from Level 1 and Level 2

Level 1 and 2 of this mission you only have to deal with automatic weapon fire if before you get into the truck you hijack a Pirate helicopter and blow up the towers and barracks along the road you choose to take. There are several different ways to get the the delivery point. I take the far eastern road across the shallow water as it has less resistance.

Level 3

This has been the most difficult contract/mission so far in the game. It has taken me many, many tries. I finally gave up and looked online, but I found no decent solutions. Most people have beaten it mostly by luck. The trick is to not use the roads and take out the helicopters with Mischa. You’ll need to have bought a UP Combat Air Patrol ($250k). Instead of taking a road, once you are in the truck drive directly forward, not around the corner, but up the hill. Make your way through the jungle and then as you get to the edge of the island make a sharp right, go down the steep hill and start crossing the roads, staying off of them as much as possible. This is where the helicopter will come after you. Jump out of the truck once you are clear of the windy road and call in the Combat Air Patrol. Make sure the helicopters are taken out before you get back in the truck. Continue going up the hill toward the delivery point. Once you get to the shanty town which blocks the path be very careful. You can make it through the tiny paths if you go slowly. If you get stuck, hit the gas a little and knock a building down but be careful not to drop any of the boxes.

After about 30 tries using many strategies I was able to complete this contract with one try once I had the UP Combat Patrol. Winching the truck with a helicopter does not work for me (I’ve seen others say it has) because the moment the winch clamps down on the truck all of the boxes fly into the air.

I almost go so angry I broke the disk last night, but instead I turned off the xbox and went to sleep.