When it released in 2005, the
original Mercenaries was a fun and interesting title that took the open-world
sandbox concepts of the Grand Theft Auto series and gave it a different focus,
putting you in the shoes of a mercenary-for-hire in a war-torn city. Now, the
sequel is launching on next-gen consoles, and it offers what you’d expect,
namely more weapons, vehicles, explosions and a bigger environment to explore.
Additionally, there are some great touches to keep the game interesting,
including co-op multiplayer. All in all, Mercenaries 2 touches on the same vein
as its predecessor, but packs a much bigger punch.
Mercenaries 2 has you selecting from
the same three mercs as the first game (Mattias Nilsson, Christopher Jacobs, and
Jennifer Mui) as they agree to take on a job from a rich Venezuelan named Solano
who ends up double-crossing you and tries to kill you, stiffing you on the bill
(a big no-no). Therefore, you embark on a revenge quest, gaining influence and
building your assets in Venezuela, leading up to the big showdown with Solano.
The caustic wit of the first game returns for the story, as your character will
have something quippy to say for every situation, and there is plenty of dark
humor throughout.
The core gameplay will feel very
familiar to fans of the original game. The controls feel pretty much the same,
and the mechanics of the game are basically unchanged. You can still hijack a
variety of vehicles to drive, as well as call in drops for different vehicles
and special weaponry. Now, you can also use aquatic vehicles like boats and jet
skis to get to where you’re going, as well as motorcycles, helicopters, cars and
such.
As far as weaponry goes, you will
have access to the same variety submachine guns, pistols, rifles and grenades as
the first game, but you’ll also be able to use some truly heavy duty weapons.
You’ll have nuclear weapons like bunker busters and the MOAB (Mother of All
Bombs), which are capable of completely leveling entire buildings and
encampments. The effect is pretty awesome, and just about every building in the
game is destructible.
In lieu of the “Deck of 52”
sub-mission element in the first game, you’ll have another set of sub-missions
in Mercs 2 in the HVT (High Value Target) system. Essentially, you become a
bounty hunter, capturing certain people alive while avoiding their faction’s
gunfire. This can have ramifications, as you’ll be dropped in the faction’s
allegiance and lose points with them, meaning you’ll have to bribe them to get
back into their good graces.
The multiplayer co-op element is one
of the bigger features in the game, allowing you to drop into your friend’s game
at any time and then sign off without interrupting their game. The multiplayer
works great, putting you right in the middle of the conflict with your teammate.
If they’re driving a car and you join the game, you’ll be placed right in the
passenger seat with them. There are no co-op specific missions, as you’ll
basically go through the regular campaign missions with a friend, but it’s still
a lot of fun.
Graphically, the game looks pretty
good, save for a few issues. There are some noticeably murky textures throughout
the environment and a lot of pop-up, but the character models look pretty good
and the explosion effects are very cool to watch. The game also moves along at a
pretty fluid clip.
The sound is also quite good, with a
nice score and some crisp sound effects. The explosions sound great and the
voice work is pretty good, including Peter Stromare reprising the voice Mattias.
Mercenaries 2 gives fans of the
original game exactly what they would want, namely bigger explosions and a
bigger world to destroy. While there are a few technical problems, Mercenaries 2
is a nice improvement over the carnage and pandemonium of the original.
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Gameplay: 8.5
Mercenaries 2 gives you a bigger world to explore, more vehicles to drive,
and more things to blow up. The great gameplay mechanics from the first game are
present here, as well as some great new elements.
Graphics: 8.0
Mercenaries 2 has some great explosion effects and character models, but
there are some technical issues like pop-up and muddy textures that pull you out
of the experience.
Sound: 8.5
The sound effects are done very well, with crisp explosions and vehicle
sounds. The voice acting is also pretty good.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 8.0
Everything in Mercenaries 2 is bigger and louder than in its predecessor in
just about every way. While the story isn’t really here to pull you in, the
gameplay is a blast to play.
Multiplayer: 8.5
The new co-op element is a great touch, letting you jump into your friends
game at any moment.
Overall: 8.5
Mercenaries 2 gives you a big environment to explore (and destroy), tons of
vehicles and weaponry, and varied missions, making it a great step up from its
predecessor.
