Mercenaries 2: World in Flames

Game: Mercenaries 2: World in Flames

System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, PS2

Release: August 2008


Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is an action packed third person sandbox shooter made by Electronic Arts and Pandemic Studios. Taking on the same characters as the first game players choose between Jen Mui, Mattias Nilsson, and Chris Jacobs. Once again each character has a unique ability. Mui runs fast. Nilsson heals more rapidly, and Jacobs can carry additional ammo. This time the mercenaries find themselves in Venezuela. The game begins with the chosen hero taking on a contract from the billionaire Ramon Salono. After completing the job he attempts to double cross you. This is a bad idea. Mercenaries apparently hate dead beats that don’t pay up, and really dislike getting shot in the ass. The basic revenge plot guides you on a path of obliteration that ultimately leads to big bucks and a disappointing ending.

Destruction is a major influence for the overall gameplay. Every building, vehicle, bush, and tree can be decimated. Don’t like that sky scrapper? Blow it up! Forest in the way? Burn it down! The only objects that cannot be destroyed are rocks and already destroyed objects. You can’t turn rubble into dust.

So everything can be smashed, cracked, and ruined. How then does one bring about this destruction? Like the first Mercenaries tons of tanks, cars, helicopters, and air strikes are at your disposal. Unfortunately the Russian Black Market is no longer available. Players must either find items out in the field, or purchase them from faction outposts. Throughout Venezuela there are plenty of vehicles to hijack that usually entail a short yet sweet God of War like mini game. Resources can also be extracted from various locations once the helicopter pilot Ewan is unlocked. If players don’t feel like scavenging, then they can check out the shops of five different factions—Pirates, Guerillas, Chinese, Allied Nations, and Universal Petroleum. Each offers various unique items and also provides contracts. The faction items cost money to buy, and everything requires fuel to deliver. Supplies that are in your “Stockpile” are distributed right into the heat of combat by your recruited helicopter and jet pilot.

I can’t stress enough, the vehicles and air strikes are what make this game fun. GTA4 dose not have this many tanks and helicopters. No game has this variety of support items. This adds to the replay value. Beat the mission using a tank? Try it again in a helicopter, or completely devastate the area with a Carpet Bomb. The unique feel that each item has is truly impressive.

So the game is a blast, but it is no where close to perfect. The visuals are impressive at first, but those with an eye for detail will notice issues. Floating objects abound once base structures are destroyed, and two-dimensional trees are the standard animation at high elevations. Also the character models and cut scenes are not up to next-gen standards. Finally, the mission structure is rather limited for the next- gen versions. The PS2, oddly, has deeper more diverse contracts that actually take advantage of the entire map. For the other consoles and PC, outpost and delivery missions are the norm. Only about 40% of the contracts take advantage of the games strong points. The remaining filler will only be completed by diehard fans and perfectionist. These issues, and more, are not huge but take away from the overall experience. It would have been great to see that extra level of polish, and more contracts that do not involve capturing outposts or delivering supplies in pick-up trucks.

The other major short coming for Mercenaries 2 is the co-op limitations. Players can pair up to take on the various armed forces throughout Venezuela. This looks great on paper, but once the client joins a host the annoyance will begin. There is a tether system that limits the distance allowed between players. This means that you cannot be on one end of Maracaibo while your buddy is on the other. The limit is set to five hundred yards, but could have used a boost up to a thousand. Players are also not allowed to take there weapons or stockpiles into another persons game. The only thing a client gains from joining a friend is money. All of the cool toys are dependent on the progression of the host’s game. Finally, resolution and rendering issues that occur in co-op are yet another ding to the already sublime graphics.

Mercenaries 2 is a fun game. Being able to destroy just about everything in Venezuela in numerous ways is entertaining. There are, however, many issues that hinder the replay value of this title. Co-op is limited at best, and only provides a way for players to make more digital dollars. The lack of polish deters from the otherwise awesome visuals, and repetitive missions combined with an uninspiring plot fail to deliver. Despite these issues many people will enjoy this game, and find it a nice change of pace from GTA4. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames receives a 3.8 out of 5. Hopefully future down-loadable contact will help flush out some of this games potential. More conceivably the game will make enough money for another attempt at perfection with Mercenaries 3.

The Overly Biased Top Five Favorite Multiplayer Old School Brawlers

I love old school brawlers. The simple side scrolling concept of kicking ass and smashing buttons just works for me. Often these games are multiplayer allowing many hours of social bonding as you pummel or be pummeled by various bad guys. The plots are sometimes cool, but often it’s all about the game play. The controls need to feel simple yet deep, and the levels must offer something engaging.

5. Altered Beast:

This title was one of the first games available for the Sega Genesis. The concept was simple. You are a centurion raised from the dead by Zeus to save his daughter. Athena is being held captive by the Demon God Neff. To conquer this foe you turn into various beasts like wolves, tigers, dragons, and bears. By the end of the game you’ve rescued the girl and made Zeus happy.

The game itself is nothing too special. The combat is very simplistic, and the level design is repetitive. Changing in to different creatures, however, was always a blast. It provided a unique experience that was rarely duplicated in this genre.

4. Golden Axe:

Similar to Altered Beast, Golden Axe takes place in a mythical land where bad guys want to do horrible things. Death Adder plays the villain in this Sega hit, and used the Golden Axe to capture the King and his daughter. You play as a male dwarf, or a male and female human warrior, bent on revenge against Death Adder. The game has numerous features that include magic and mounts. Each character has a unique supernatural ability, and the mounts increase in strength as the game progresses. This game is truly a classic, and it is no surprise that it is picking up in popularity today. The upcoming Next Gen sequel, Golden Axe: Beast Rider, and the recent release of the original title on Xbox Live Arcade will allow this title to reach a whole new generation of gamers.

3. Double Dragon:

This game is one of the most recognized classic brawler games around. It’s like the Karate Kid finished puberty, got cool, and found a kick ass buddy to kick it with. Chilling in there garage these bodacious bros notice a hot chick being kidnapped by some gun wielding maniac. Naturally these dudes hit the streets hard. Kicking ass and taking names against numerous foes, these guys kick and punch there way to that sweet ass.

The game features basic level design, but an amazingly deep combat system. Kicks and punches can be combined together, back-attacks exist, and of course there are awesome karate jump kicks. The game provided me with hours of entertainment, and paved the way for numerous future titles.

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was one of my favorite childhood shows. I have seen countless television series, movies, and played many video games staring Leo, Michael, Don, and Ralph. In this epic saga, the Turtles discover that Shredder has shrunk and stolen New York City. Of course the fighting foursome must save the day.

There are five levels consisting of the city streets, secret hideouts, caves, ghost ships, and of course the Technodrome. Jammed pack with classic villains the levels consist of wave after wave of Shredder’s foot clan and a boss at the end of each level. Not all of the television stars make the cut in this game, and it is a little short. The replay value, however, is high thanks to an intense combat system. The three buttons are Run, Jump, and Attack. The combination and timing of the three buttons produce dozens of moves. Jumping, for example, has four different attacks with the same two buttons. Add a smooth frame rate, awesome graphical presentation, and decent sound, and you have the number two in this top five.

1. Streets of Rage 2:

The sequel to one of the best original brawlers, Streets of Rage 2 adds to its predecessors strong points with style. Taking the role of a karate expert, female judo master, skating kid, or oversize wrestler you fight through numerous bad guys to save a character from the previous game from Mr. X. The levels are fairly generic, but the combat is fantastic. The three basic attacks remain—punch, jump, and special—but are a little different then the last game. There are several more moves for each attack, and the characters abilities have an abundant variety. Each special attack takes a small amount of health, but there is a secondary special move that doesn’t affect hit points. The enemies are also diverse with there own special attacks. Many of the mini-bosses and bosses are difficult, and even some of the basic villains are a challenge. All these features improve the replay value significantly, and more then make up for the somewhat bland levels.

Well that is my overly biased top five multiplayer old school brawlers countdown. If anyone is reading this, then feel free to comment on your favorite old school brawlers.

Splinter Cell Series:

Games: Splinter Cell, Pandora Tomorrow, Chaos Theory, Double Agent

Systems: Xbox and Xbox 360

Releases: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

When ever someone asks me, “Why did you buy an Xbox?” I give them three answers. Halo, Ninja Gaiden, and Splinter Cell. Thus it is only fitting that I dedicated some time to the third member of my holy Xbox trinity. Splinter Cell is a stealth action game developed by Tom Clancy and Ubisoft. This series revolutionized the much neglected stealth genre, and produced some of the best looking games on the Xbox.

The plots for this series always take place in the near future, and typically revolve around a catastrophic event that could trigger World War III or worse. The main character, Sam Fisher, is the best of the best in modern day spies. He is selected by Irving Lambert, an old friend, to be apart of the black ops team for the NSA called Third Echelon. The character development is remarkable in each of the tittles. The actors give top notch performances, and the events portrayed are realistic and exciting.

The first three games stuck to the generic prevention of world wide threats, but the fourth title, Double Agent, took a different approach. Fisher and Lambert get wind of a plot to set of numerous WMDs throughout the United States. Without the approval of Washington, they decide to infiltrate the terrorist organization. Fisher goes along with the dangerous idea presumably because his daughter died leaving him alone in the world. Throughout the game there are tough choices that have to be made. Fisher can’t appear to be a spy, but at the same time he’s suppose appease the US government. By the end of the game Lambert is dead, Third Echelon is dissolved, and Fisher is on the run from the CIA. Double Agent presumably sets up the next Splinter Cell game entitled Conviction.

The gameplay for the Splinter Cell series consistently improves from title to title. The first game is arguably the hardest to complete. There are numerous missions where no alarms can be triggered; no guards can be killed, etc. You have to be the perfect spy. No one can know that you were there. The second game, Pandora Tomorrow, is more forgiving then the first, but still requires a greater degree of stealth then Chaos Theory or Double Agent.

Pandora Tomorrow introduced the first multiplayer aspect to the series. Players pair up into teams of spies and mercenaries. The spies are given a set amount of time to complete various objectives, and the mercenaries attempt to prevent the spies from succeeding. When playing as a mercenary there is no third person perspective, and the gameplay is very similar to a FPS Tom Clancy game. Spies are the equivalent of a non-lethal Fisher. The action is intense, and the tension of some matches is incredible. Unfortunately, this revolutionary multiplayer has a high learning curve that often shuns away new players. The community never really hit record numbers, and many games suffered from connection issues.

Chaos Theory and Double Agent improved some of the faults of the first attempt at Spies vs. Mercenaries, and also introduced co-op. Players take on the role of two new recruits to the Third Echelon. My personal nick names for them is Blue and Red—based on the color of thier goggles. There are about a half dozen awesome missions that you can accomplish with a friend. Each require team work unique to the co-op mode, but ultimately the gameplay is very similar to the single player campaign.

To accomplish your missions the NSA provides you with some really cool toys. There is the infamous sticky camera that can be shot from an attachment on your gun. This device will scout out numerous areas, and can also be used to distract and/or neutralize guards. My other favorite spy tool is the sticky shocker. This weapon can take out numerous guards who always seem to stand in large puddles of water. In addition to these devices, there are not so standard military weapons. The third game upgraded Fishers arsenal to include a knife (the best item in the game), an electronic jammer connected to his pistol, and a shotgun and sniper attachment to his rifle.

Of course all of these tools are useless in the wrong hands. Luckily Fisher, and the other spies, has amazing acrobatic agility and strength. The player can take full advantage of the levels environments. The famous split kick will allow the spy to hide in narrow hallways. Climbing across rooms on pipes, and crawling in air vents, is vital to moving across heavily guarded areas unnoticed. There is nothing like snapping the neck of an unsuspecting enemy has you hang upside down from a pipe. The game does an excellent job of providing multiple paths and numerous ways to complete each level. This is especially true in Double Agent and Chaos theory where more aggressive gameplay is allowed aka the stupid but ballsy style.

The Splinter Cell series has provided me with countless hours of entertainment. The games are solid from top to bottom. Gorgeous graphical presentation, top notch sound, and smart and adaptive gameplay create a unique experience every gamer should try at least once. The overall series gets 5 out of 5 with a special recognition to Chaos Theory. This game introduced the preeminent upgrades to the series, and propelled its popularity to new heights. If you have to pick only one Splinter Cell game to play, then make it Chaos Theory.