A slightly disappointing Mercs 2 (dont hate me)

[Atrer]

Just throwin it out there.

The vehicle driving felt not really broken, but more just strangely off. For example, when you hit a motorcycle head on the rider doesn't go flying off like they would in sayyy GTA4, but just gets pushed along. I know that really doesn't affect the gameplay, but I find it strange that they would put work into being able to crash through a few select buildings when the motorcycles work the way they do. The A button doesn't really allow for really accurate speed control the way the triggers do.

The tank hijaking sequences seem unnecessarily long, what with you having to pull a grenade from the driver then throw it back into the tank cabin when you could just as easily take out your gun and blast them. It looks fun and maybe a little cartoony, which is good, but when I'm out of RPG ammo and grenades and am trying to protect a church from enemy tank attack I don't need time wasted on this.

The combats alot like the Merc's original, without blood to preserve that T rating, and thats not bad at all, it's just strange that it's so much like the original. The explosions have been improved and look better which is very nice, and the buildings collapsing look much more realistic than those from the original.

The airstrikes need fuel now which can be collected by picking up destroyed vehicle oil pans and fuel tanks which can be found in faction outposts and bases, and this seems like unnecessary and mildly out-of-place realism in a game that seems to be based entirely around the idea of over the top gameplay, combat, and explosions. On the other hand the airstrikes and other explosions look beautiful and its always fun to take out a group of buildings in a massive explosion.

The stockpile feature I didn't like. It just seemed unnecessary and in the original (I'm going to keep on relating this game to the original) the factions you helped provided whatever you needed (supplies, med kits, vehicles, and airstrikes) as long as you had the money when you ordered it.

All-in-all Merc's 2 WAS a very fun game but it could've been so much better if they left the good things alone and tightened up the driving a little. Again, after having watched many episodes of Reveiws on the Run, I feel obligated to give a number for those who don't feel like reading this whole drawl so I give:

7.5/10

 

[Spartan Bannana]

Just because you stick a score on something doesn't make it a review, this belongs in the gaming discussion section

I also feel it was a bit disappointing, but an overall fun experience.

 

[Atrer]

Reposting...

 

[Atrer]

I think I fixed it.

 

[Whiskey_Tango]

I don't understand how people trash this game, I would still buy it if it was the same mechanics as the original, I loved the original. and they add more room, weapons features, destruction physics. That's a good sequel if you ask me.

 

[PurpleRain]

You can't stop me from hateing you! But I wuv you to much.

My opinion, this was barely a review. You told us about the things you didn't like. Anything else? What's it about? At least whack on a intro and conclusion would be nice.
One last thing, you gave it a 7.5 but you never commented on anything that was good about it. It looked as if you should have given it a 4 or 3.

 

[The Poet]

I love this game. While certain areas could definetly be improved I got what I wanted out of it and that was a shot of concentrated fun, I mean what other game let's you bring a nuke down where ever you wanted? The main problem I had with it though was that sometimes strategy was thrown right out the door. Example, I left to climb up a hill and destroy an enemy bunker. After looking over it I decided that a tank up the hill would let me get to a gun emplacement to topple enough towers to keep the guys off me long enough so that I could lock an airstrike on it. After a 10 minute fight up I got killed right before the airstrike hit. I got pissed and just bum rushed up the hill. Short answer was that in 2 minutes I had taken a chopper, hide as them and just landed on a hill and blew it to hell. While it was fun it kinda made the game feel a bit shallow, but who really was expecting more from this then mindless destruction. It could have been a bit longer but I think it is a good length (Roughly 30-35 hours to get 100%, 10 to beat the story) and was pure enjoyment.

 

[Spartan Bannana]

This still doesn't really seem like a review, needz moar wrdz lol. Also, about motorcycles, the rider does go flying off if you hit something at high speed.

 

[Novajam]

Your review has potential, but looks like you've pruned it down as if it were a sick rosebush. An introduction and some arguments supporting your score would make this better tenfold.

 

[blueindian3]

the critics are out , i played the hell out of this game , i think its way better with a friend , its pretty hilarious with two people , i thought it would be a little better tho , im glad i got it but have been debaten to trade it ,with hardrives and everything ,when is the popup gonna die ,the boat areas are terrible at times ,but the explosions and humor keep it average

 

[TaboriHK]

I thought it stunk on ice. I actually just finished a review on Amazon, which I guess is topic-relevant:

Let me start this by saying I wish I could love this game.

I bought this game with HIGH hopes that it would be a step forward for the series. As a fan of the original, I was hoping they would get past the at times bewildering AI (anyone with a rocket launcher immediately attempted to make a suicide pact with you), the sometimes wonky controls, and strange difficulty pacing.

Unfortunately, Mercs 2 can best be summed up as one step forward and two steps back. It looks and feels like a launch title delayed one too many times. EVERYTHING that this game attempts has been done better, especially by Grand Theft Auto IV. I bring GTA into it because Mercenaries 2 has made me pine for it more than I thought possible. Let's start with the unskippable developer screens. Not a dealwrecker, but annoying for sure.

Nothing is polished; the graphics, with the exception of the explosions, look amazingly dated. I seriously have no idea where they are pulling these screenshots, it has to be from the PC version because the 360 version is at times at the level of the original Xbox. The controls are jerky and bizare. The vehicles handle like the programmers just couldn't be bothered to simulate anything resembling realism. The voice acting is subpar, the characters are generally unlikeable (with the exception of your two pilots), and the plot is hilariously paper-thin. It has been a long time since a game that I've wanted to so badly to get into has failed to engage me in so many ways.

The weapons are by and large amazingly inaccurate. I was under the impression that rifles shot in the direction you pointed them in. If you want me to believe that I'm playing the world's most skilled mercenary, then how about making him/her shoot straight? The AI thankfully suffers from this same aiming issue - unless their target is you. If you trip an alarm, a system which by and large seems to be set by arbitrary rules, every enemy building suddenly becomes full of men with RPGs, who hang out of every other window and shoot at you until you take the building down. And considering you now have to FIND ordinance rather than just purchase it as in the previous game, you consistently find yourself in situations where you do not have the capability to deal with these murderous structures. I've never played a game where buildings were actually a bigger threat than the army controlling them.

That brings me to another problem - quick time button sequences. ENOUGH ALREADY. The first time it was quasi-entertaining (not really) but seriously, do I have to see this EVERY TIME I steal a tank? I've actually failed missions because while the people I was protecting were being murdered, I was stuck pulling the grenade off a tank driver's chest for the millionth time in a hijacking attempt.

The only, and I repeat, the ONLY redeeming quality of this game is the explosions, which are beautiful and devastating. They almost forgive the above problems - but only when I'm in an amazingly destructive mood, and even then I see them so infrequently that I can't even be bothered to stick with it. This game is going back on my shelf, and I don't see myself picking it up again any time soon. Boo, Pandemic.