Mercenaries 2: World in Flames

"Feels half finished but still an epic game"

Mercenaries 2 is a sandbox free-roam action game with having almost every building able to be demolished. The game is a squeal to the hit game for Xbox and PlayStation 2 Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction. The sequel stays with it's roots and is based around the same element of gameplay with updates. The destruction ability of which the first game was praised for has also made a return.

Story - 7/10
The story is lacks a lot of depth and is very short and can be completed without trying in about 6-7 hours but that being said there are a lot of side missions to be done like capturing high value targets and destroying certain buildings. To complete the game 100% it will take longer maybe ranging from about 10 - 20 hours so that makes up for the short story.

The basic story without any spoilers is about the player's chosen mercenary being betrayed on a mission and then wants to get revenge on the person that betrays them. The mercenary doesn't actually know where he is hiding to they work with factions in exchange for information.

Gameplay - 9/10
Mercenaries 2 is a third person shooter with a sandbox style of gameplay; the player can freely explore with restriction to begin with but which are lifted as the game begins. There are a range of weapons that available for the mercenary from handguns to carbine rifles but only two forms for throwing weapons which include grenades and C4 explosives that are very powerful against buildings. The mercenary can call in air-strikes that they buy from faction shops or steal from them, there are many different types that can cause serious damage. Each air-strike has a different effect depending on what it is designed for; a tank buster will send a bomb down to all tanks in range of the smoke signal while a mother of all bombs will destroy everything in it's path. Other than air-strikes and supplies, the mercenary can call in help to have vehicles delivered to their position including tanks and helicopters.

The mercenary is able to hijack vehicles to from the enemies and then later in the game; will be able to hijack helicopters. This acts out as a quick time event that requires the player to press certain buttons or push the analogue stick a certain way. If all is done correctly the mercenaries will be in control of the vehicle. Vehicle controls vary depending on the vehicle itself, a normal car will use the 'X' button accelerate and the 'square' button to reverse while a tank uses the left and right analogue sticks.

Every building in the game can be destroy, depending on how big the building is it will it will take more for a larger building to fall than a smaller building. Destroying the builds is one of the most funniest things to do in Mercenaries 2 and it could give the mercenary an advantage as some buildings are occupied by enemies that fire rockets at the mercenary.

Graphics - 7/10
The graphics are nice but they could have been a lot more better if EA never rushed the product out to the shelves. The landscapes of the game are nice and visually beautiful and the character designs are nice but they seem to be a bit stale with the expressions like when the mercenary fires the gun they make a grinding teeth like face and that seems to be the only expression that all the mercenaries have. Also when the player is standing still and turns the camera sometimes the screen gets dotty and looks very unattractive.

The cutscenes are terrible, they are all fuzzy and stretched and not at all at 720p quality. The good thing is there is not many of these cutscenes. Now, the animations are nicely done and although may not look fully realistic they are fun including some of the quick time events. The melee attacks are also pretty funny when they are send flying miles back.

The graphics for the buildings being destroyed are amazing, it is nice to call in an air-strike and watch the chaos at a distance. The air-strikes themselves are awesome and are nicely done and fun to use even if there is no reason to do it.

Sound/Voice Acting 6/10
The voices of the mercenaries are the same actors as the previous Mercenaries game, this was a nice touch but the phrases are so overused that hearing their voice will get so annoying. It doesn't help that each of the characters will use the same phrase that other mercenaries use. The cutscenes are okay but are always filled with some soft of pun that just seems unnecessary.

The sound of the guns are nicely done but by the far the best is the air-strikes and the explosions they cause; these sound very realistic and add to the fun of the chaos that is being cause. The biggest downfall in relation to the sound is cars; the tanks sound great but when it comes to the car they don't seem finished and engine noises are a massive let-down. That being said though and helicopters are excellent sound that are really realistic.

Overall - 8/10
Mercenaries 2 is one helluva fun game and the flaws that it does have shouldn't ruin the gaming experience. With destructive environments and a lot of fun things to do this is a great game even it does feel half finished. This is a recommended game or least give the game a rent and go destroy everything in sight.

Summary
Story: 7
Gameplay: 9
Graphics: 7
Sound/Voice Acting: 6
Overall: 8

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/01/09, Updated 10/16/09

Game Release: Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (EU, 09/05/08)