Mercenaries 2: World in Flames

"Mercenaries 2, a whole new gaming experience."

Mercenaries 2:World in Flames is a rather unique game. Although it is a sandbox game, similar to the Grand Theft Auto series, it is also very different in many ways.

Introduction : The game's cast is the same as it's first version, Mercenaries:Playground of Destruction. You get to chose to play as 3 uniquie characters in the game, Mattias, Chris Jacobs, and Jennifer Mui. Each character has a special trait. Mattias regains health faster, Chris carries more ammunition, and Jennifer runs faster than the others. This is the essentially the first task in the game; You choose your character. After that, you are immideitly dumped into the world of Venezuela, and war torn country for your exploring.

Gameplay The gameplay in Mercenaries 2 is almost too good to be true. You have access to a surplus of cars, airstrikes, weapons, and helicopters. The game is literally a sandbox of destruction. Every building in the game can be destroyed, and everything you can see you can drive. The overall map of Venezuela is GIANT. You have so much space to explore, you can't go wrong. One flaw with the gameplay is that the weapons are pretty weak, and inaccurate. For example, bullets tend to go in every direction after only 20 feet, but it isn't too much of an issue, as you can use explosions to make a better deadly weapon. The gameplay in Mercenaries 2 is superb.

Story The story in Mercenaries 2 is the average, "He betrayed me, and now it's payback time". The story starts you working on a contract for a rich man, Solano. After the contract is over, and you go to collect your cash, his mercenary pulls a gun on you, and you escape with a bullet in the buttocks. Throughout the game, you work with different factions to get information about Solano, to track him down, and get your revenge. The story isn't too strong, but it keeps you waiting for more.

Graphics/Sound The graphics in Mercenaries 2 are pretty great for this type of game. Seeing that the game has so much land to render, it keeps a steady framerate, and has barely any texture pop ins. The overall graphics are pretty average, like most next gen games we see today. The sound is great, especially when you watch a nuclear bomb go off a half mile away from you. The voice on the other hand gets quite annoying. Throughout the game, you will hear the same yelling from the enemies. "He's behind the wall!" "Shoot Him!" "He's behind cover!" "It's the mercenary!". This gets annoying, but isn't too bad when you really get into the game, ignoring the sound.

Final Thoughts Although the game has some minor flaws, and glitches, it's defiantly a game to have you hooked for a few weeks. The gameplay is over the edge, graphics are great, and the story is catchy. For the value of the game, pick it up to ensure a great playing experience for all gamers. My final grade is a 9/10.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/02/08

Game Release: Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (US, 08/31/08)