Mercenaries 2: World in Flames Review
By Jonathan Hunt - Posted Sep 08, 2008Lock and load and get ready for endless explosions in EA's fast-paced action shooter Mercenaries 2: World In Flames for the Xbox 360, PlayStation3, and PC.
The Pros
- Exhilarating explosions
- Fast-paced, over-the-top action
- Hilarious cooperative play
The Cons
- Rough visuals
- Annoying glitches
- Repetitive mission types
- Limited options
If film director Michael Bay dabbled in video game development, he'd hope to create Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. Locked and loaded with relentless action, cheesy dialogue, and more pyrotechnics than the entire summer movie season; Mercenaries 2 is a free-roaming, sandbox-style game that involves shooting, incinerating, and obliterating the military compounds of five oil-seeking factions in a stylized re-imagining of Venezuela.
Oh No They Didn't
Forrest Gump couldn't come up with a simpler premise - get revenge on those who not only attempted to kill you, but didn't even pay your contract. You begin by choosing one of three mercs from the original game, each offering a specific talent. Loose cannon Mattias regenerates health faster, super-strong Chris carries more ammunition, and the exotic Jennifer runs like the wind. No matter which character you select, the storyline and missions remain the same. The only difference is which snippets of amusing but extremely repetitive dialog you'll hear while engaging enemy forces.
Demolition Man
Those disappointed with Just Cause, Crackdown, or even Grand Theft Auto IV's destruction model won't find much to gripe about here, as anything and everything can be hammered into pancakes. Missions are simply an excuse to let you break out the heavy artillery and watch the world crumble around you. This sense of power you have over your environment can be intoxicating. You are a one-man (or woman) army, the Energizer Bunny of ballistics, and it's truly difficult for anyone to slow you down.
This is partly because the enemies are cannon fodder. Factions cannot embrace the concept of coordinated attacks, as most are perfectly happy to stand in one spot and shoot. The AI will run to an unmanned turret or tank, but that's about as clever as it gets. Bullets streak through the air, making it easier to dodge incoming fire. The best gift for thrill seekers is that if your vehicle explodes, you are merely tossed to the ground at full or near full health. Even if find yourself in the middle of a bad situation (typically involving rocket launchers), sprint away and let your health regenerate before running back to settle the score.
Arcade-style Action
While the developers obviously made the game lenient in terms of challenge, your uncanny ability to survive at seemingly insurmountable odds helps make up for the rather basic moves at your disposal. You can sprint, jump, crouch, fire your weapon, perform a melee attack, and plant or throw explosives. There's no cover mechanic, no acrobatics, and you can't even pick up and toss live grenades found on the ground. The act of commandeering enemy tanks and helicopters involves rhythmic button tapping instead of direct action, which simplifies things even further. Mercenaries 2 doesn't feature any real character development, as you are simply visiting each faction's headquarters to complete missions, earn cash, and purchase expensive new toys. The story and optional missions consist of the following: blowing up specific structures, capturing or assassinating enemy targets, completing races through hostile areas, and taking over guarded compounds. The latter unlocks landing zones for instant travel as well as faction-specific shops to buy vehicles, weapon supply crates, and air strikes. There are 165 shop items available in total, but you really only to need to stockpile six or seven to get you through even the hairiest of scenarios. Each item is dropped by helicopter to your location, providing you have enough stored fuel to cover the cost of transportation.
Bungle in the Jungle
While the game's early previews made it sound like you could customize your support staff, headquarters, and vehicles; all are automatically unlocked by completing missions. This overall lack of customization hurts the game in other ways. One control scheme means you have to get used to awkward things such as pressing down on the analog stick to sprint, or using a button instead of an analog trigger to accelerate while driving. A single game mode and difficulty setting means you're stuck with the same AI even after you finish the main storyline (which can be beaten within seven hours if optional missions are skipped). The wonderfully seamless co-op play is also limited to online users only.Yet the game's most glaring flaw is its unpolished feel. The presentation isn't quite up to 2008 standards, featuring a significant amount of fade-in as objects materialize into view nearly right in front of your character. You will experience both small glitches, like enemies or items suspended in air, and temporary showstoppers, like infinite loading screens, in-game lockups, or getting stuck within the environment. Disappearing weapons and fuel reserves can be corrected easily enough, but expect to save frequently and use multiple files to minimize further problems. The Xbox 360 version has a nasty habit of not crediting certain achievements despite having met the conditions.
Mercenaries 2 won't entice those expecting glitch-free gaming, diverse missions, gritty realism, and cerebral combat. Yet for the run-and-gun crowd, it's escapist entertainment worth seeking out just for the sheer amount of chaos you can create within the colorful jungle setting. It’s not long, it's not deep, but it's never boring, especially with a friend. Had the developers ironed out some of the quirks and expanded the game's options, Mercenaries 2 would have easily earned a higher commendation. Apparently those involved were guilty of pulling the trigger before steadying their aim.
Review by: Scott Alan Marriott
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