"Good, yet not the real thing."

When the makers of MDK broke off from Shiny, they joined Bioware. Since they also worked on the fantastic first game, the sequel should be just as great, right? Not really.

MDK 2 promises more of everything from the first game: Cutscenes, humor, action, playing time, and even replay value. Kurt Hectic and his sniper rifle no longer takes the monopoly of screen time; you can now play as the supporting characters from the irst game - Max the six-legged cigar-smoking robotic dog and the loopy Dr Hawkins. These newcomers play differently, as expected. Max is all about gung-ho-rambo action while the doctor's has more puzzles and is the least combat oriented.

Graphics: 10/10
Considering the small system requirements, as long as you have an OpenGl capable card you'll witness environments more expansive and beautiful than most newer games Transparencies and animations are handled beautifully, and the nifty touches from the first game return, like the neon signs of the power-ups and Dr Hawkin's dance. The only trouble is that most of the levels are pretty dark.

Sound: 8/10
The new cartoonish soundtrack, while serves the game nicely, doesn't live up to the rousing tracks of the first game. The voices are nicely acted, but the doctor's comments can be annoying. The enemiesa are also less funny this time around, although the sound effects are still rock solid.

Controls: 7/10
Perfectly customisable for both keyboard and gamepad, the basic setup is nevertheless unintuitive and will take you a few minutes to remap. The inventory system is unwieldy, putting 2 extra buttons two use, which can be annoying if you're using the keyboard. They are still responsive tight, though.

Gameplay: 7/10
Kurt's levels are as fun as ever, but the other two characters are unevenly paced. Max comes equipped with a jet pack, which gives the developers a reason to insert even more painful gap-jumping antics from the first game. The doctor's levels are nicely designed, but because of the aforementioned inventory system it makes his gameplay rather annoying, since you must combine items in your inventory to proceed.

Value:
The levels are longer and more challenging than the first game, which is a plus. Four difficulty levels are available for those looking for a challenge. You can play the last level as any of the characters, which means three endings. It's a very fun thirs-person game, and being able to find a platformer of this quality on the PC is a Godsend, but if you're raised on the first MDK, you'll be slightly disappointed. Shiny's progeny whould never have left in the first place.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10 | Originally Posted: 10/23/02, Updated 10/23/02

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