Mercenaries 2 World in Flames

I just got this game and so far I really like it. The graphics are very good, everything so far seems to be destructible. I am running this on a Vista box with 4 GIG of RAM and an nVidia 8800GT 512 graphics card with no issues. I did not have to make any special setting changes to get this to run, just clicked the icon and it booted. The driving, cars, trucks motorcycles etc. seems to be a lot like GTA (Grand Theft Auto). In some parts of the game, you need to go through key sequences to get through a fight, similar to other games, which when it involved hijacking a tank was a bit annoying. But this is an excellent game and I would highly recommend buying it.

Mercenaries 2 is the kind of mindless action game that is perfect for killing time - and that's about it. Its respectable graphics and diverse selection of weapons/vehicles makes the game interesting to play, but the numerous flaws and glitches keep this third-person shooter from being truly interesting. A few of the features and flaws of the game are:

- Extremely linear play. Though the various advertisements promise an open world, the "open world missions" tend to be repetitive and generally fall into three categories: base capturing, target destruction/capture, and racing. The base capturing missions run out quickly, leaving players to do the less enjoyable target destruction missions. If you want to do the "cool" missions, you HAVE TO FOLLOW THE STORYLINE. As well, most of the storyline missions have to be completed in a specific way, and that can be EXTREMELY frustrating to players that want a more free-form game.

- Poor control via PC. The controls seem to have been intentionally muddled for PC users, as the mouse control is not nearly as smooth as it is in other games. This can be EXTREMELY frustrating until players get used to it.

- Large selection of vehicles. There are a lot of different types of vehicles to use, ranging from numerous tanks to multiple helicopters, and even a few different types of boats. Most of these can be stolen on the fly, so if you see one, you can usually take it away and use it with ease.

- Near invulnerability. Your mercenary is almost completely invulnerable to one-shot kills (such hits generally knock your health down to 2 instead of killing you). You heal quickly, so running in a zig-zag pattern until you can hide behind a boulder for a few seconds is usually enough to see you through any tight situation. This level of healing generally lends itself to a more-exciting action game, but will disappoint players interested in a realistic mercenary game.

Mercenaries 2 is definitely worth looking into if you want some quick escapist fun, but be prepared to get frustrated with missions on a regular basis (especially if you can't figure out the "gimmick" that will help you win it). I give this game three stars, as it is a decent PC-port of a console game that had its enjoyable moments of play.

Note: Online multiplayer is limited to two total players in any given scenario, and both players are on the same side.

I got it when it came out and played it until I beat it. It was very entertaining but I rarely play it sense I beat it. Lot's of action and Coop play. Very worth the cheap price.

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