Rating: Mike Likes 4/5 Thumbs up: A visual treat, explosions have realistic physic and co-op action makes a great game even better – like Grand Theft Auto with bigger guns. Thumbs down: Too many glitches (enemies facing the wrong way while attacking). WHEN the first mercenaries game came out in 2005 it was tribute to chaos and destruction, building from popular games like Grand Theft Auto which allow players to roam freely around cities picking and choosing what they want to do. The second installment by Pandemic and Electronic Arts was described as “Tarantino meets Bruckheimer” and it certainly meets that criteria by taking the same formula of the original game and adding a higher-octane dose of better graphics and stronger gameplay. This title is set in a fictional Venezuela right after the government has been hijacked by a corrupt and violent administration. The threat of nuclear war from the fictional North Korea in the previous title, has been replaced with an oil crisis in a fictional Venezuela as you assume the role of the same three mercenaries who put aside their own personal politics in the name of money, money and more money. M2 takes on a more emotional aspect, as opposed to the previous title which solely motivated players to continue playing in the name of money and bigger guns. The beginning of the title sets your character as an instrumental piece in jump starting the national crisis by rescuing a corrupt military leader who was imprisoned by his own soldiers after attempting a military coup. After you rescue him as part of a contract but you are double crossed and shot in the behind as you try to flee with your life. From then on the entire game hinges on a vendetta to reclaim the money you were never paid as well as evening the score. The Venezuelan army will always be your enemy, much like the North Koreans in the previous title and you will have to take contracts from the Allied Nations, the Chinese, the Rastafarian pirates, Universal Petroleum, and the PLAV (Peoples Liberation Army of Venezuela). What is interesting about this title is the fact that in order to progress through the game you have to accept contract from several factions, each with their own aims and ambitions. Consequently if you work for one, you'll probably have to attack the other, affecting how they interact with you and just how much they dislike you. The title does borrow heavily from titles like Grand Theft Auto IV (GTAIV) and Crackdown in terms of its gameplay and feel. One of the first things gamers may notice is a definite GTAIV influence as any vehicle can be hijacked. Although this was done in the previous title the comedic nature of the comments which the characters make is reminiscent of GTA cab drivers screaming as you commandeer their vehicle in Liberty City. The animation is top notch with lighting and environment effects which would make the folks at Pixar blush (at least a little). Something which the title brings to the stage is the fact that almost any structure can be destroyed, which in turn affect how you can carry out your missions. With fuel tankers and propane tanks built into locations you can choose to steal the fuel for your vehicles or your can decide to create a little atmospheric lighting using your weaponry and a tanker of fuel. With the inclusion of a coop mode you can have a friend jump in to help create more chaos across the fictional Venezuelan capital. One refreshing aspect of the game is that vehicle explosions actually cause a considerable amount of damage. Large trucks send out a wave, which knocks enemies down if not taking them out all at once. The game has also been designed to work on a more three dimensional field such as being able to use large billboards can be climbed and used as vantage points. Additionally now players will not be forced to drive from point to point because of the implementation of a helicopter which can instantly transport your character from point to point. __
