Resident Evil 4 VR brings back The Mercenaries mode on Oculus Quest 2

a screenshot of Resident Evil 4 VR on Oculus Quest 2
(Image credit: Oculus)

Resident Evil 4 VR is one of the best VR games to play on the Oculus Quest 2 (now titled Meta Quest 2). And for those demanding some more zombie action, a free update is coming next year that adds a much beloved mode from the original.

The Mercenaries, an arcade-style remix of the base gameplay, will return to Resident Evil 4 VR as a form of free DLC next year.

The mode works much like Left 4 Dead, where waves of enemies lunge towards the player as they must scrounge for resources between timed rounds of hoards. The goal is to make it through as many hoards as possible before a helicopter swoops you away to safety. 

"The Mercenaries has been a staple of Resident Evil 4 since the GameCube era. Pitting players against both the clock and a never-ending horde of Ganados, your goal is to kill as many enemies as you can before time runs out and the helicopter arrives," explained Meta, the new name of Facebook's parent company that also oversees Oculus. 

"It’s a tense arcade take on Resident Evil 4’s combat, and the intensity will reach new levels once you step into Leon’s shoes on Quest 2. You’ll need true mastery if you want to achieve that vaunted five-star ranking on each stage."

Personally, Resident Evil 4 VR has become my best reason to buy an Oculus Quest 2. Not only is engaging to toss a knife from hand-to-hand in VR, it brings a level of familiarity while also remixing it enough to make it feel completely new. 

Meta also announced that new mobility and comfort settings are coming: "Early next year we plan to add hand-based steering, improved left-handed controls, height adjustments, and an option to fine-tune the location of your chest and waist inventory slots so you can grab your grenades from a place that suits you best."

The Mercenaries DLC is set to launch sometime in 2022. The Meta Quest 2 is also seeing some sales, with Amazon offering a free $50 gift card with purchase. It's such a good deal that it's on our best Black Friday deals list, and for good reason. The Quest 2 rarely sees sales or discounts, making this one of the best ever.

Unfortunately, the Oculus Store doesn't offer gift cards, meaning you can't use that $50 Amazon voucher to buy additional Oculus credit. But it would be possible to buy a $50 Visa gift card, and use that on the Oculus Store. Another great item to buy alongside the Quest 2 is the Elite Strap with Battery and Carrying Case bundle. Not only does it give additional battery life, it's more comfortable than the base strap, plus, the carrying case is handy and well designed. 

Imad Khan

Imad is currently Senior Google and Internet Culture reporter for CNET, but until recently was News Editor at Tom's Guide. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with the New York Times, the Washington Post, ESPN, Wired and Men's Health Magazine, among others. Outside of work, you can find him sitting blankly in front of a Word document trying desperately to write the first pages of a new book.