Army Men: Sarge's Heroes 2

"The first game was better"

This game did not meet expectations. The first game was fun; you fought plastic army men with plastic army men. The thing is, that game felt more real. You would invade a fortress, or a base. The levels felt like they were built for the army men. In this game, the levels seem to take place in the world with real people. The levels you fight in are designed for people, not toys. For example: a bedroom? It is much less fun fighting in a giant bedroom than it is invading the enemy base. Let's start with the usual:

Graphics: 6/10

They aren't too good, I'm sorry. The animations are robotic and the characters are blocky. The backgrounds are usually something like a giant refrigerator or a table. This may seem like a clever idea, but they look horribly unrealistic, which ruins the effect. The graphics are also quite blurry. No enhancements have been made since the first game in this area.

Sound: 6/10

Not too good, thank you very much. This game has annoying music and even worst sound effects. You can control Vicki in some levels, but if you fall she makes the same grunting sound as Sarge would make. What??? Not the games strongest subject.

Story: 5/10

Plastro is back again, and he is as an un intimidating villain as ever. A blue army woman named Brigitte has brought Plastro back to life with a special serum that reverses the effects of plasterazation, something like being petrified plastic stile. Sarge must destroy this Serum, otherwise Plastro will rule the real world, blah blah blah. Trust me the bad cut scenes with words that flash too fast and terrible animation carry out the plot very badly.

Gameplay: 7/10

This game is kind of fun occasionally, but is ruined by the controls. It is a standard third person shooter, but not nearly as good as Jet Force Gemini.

Controls: 3/10

No matter how I configure the controls, I never get comfortable. Sarge is slower than a three ton elephant, making you an easy target for snipers. It is hard to turn around and jump. You have to press really hard on the controller to move this guy. Hanging on ledges is a huge chore.

Replay Value: 5/10

Some levels are fun, but too many are too short or too hard or just uninteresting.

Rent or Buy:

I'd suggest renting it if you loved the first game, otherwise stay away.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 07/11/01, Updated 03/28/02