| Author | Review |
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mudE13
94,507
TA Score for this game: 814
Posted on 10 September 10 at 01:05 |
This review has 29 positive votes and 2 negative votes. Please log in to vote. |
Smokin' Gamer here again (and it's been waaay too long) with another (Somewhat) Quick Review. Now in all the games I review I look at six areas: STORY, GAMEPLAY, GRAPHICS, SOUND/MUSIC, REPLAY VALUE, and PRICE VALUE.
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames:
Dam...uh... I mean DANG (got to watch that dirty mouth of mine  ) it's been too long since I have done a review here. Well I'm coming back with a vengeance cause I have TONS of games I want to talk about. But let's start with the most recent game I finished; Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. The original Mercenaries game was well received by critics and gamers alike. It was one of the first games to really capitalize on the whole "blow everything up with crazy over-the-top ways". So does the sequel help carry on that same atmosphere. Let's find out.
STORY: The story is what it is. You play as a Mercenary (obviously) who was sent to do some dirty work for a man named Salone. Of course after you do the deed, he screws you over and snuffs you the money he owes you. So you have to work your way back up the mercenary/guerrilla ladder in Venezuela and get your revenge. Now I'm not going to rip the story apart. It is what it is and like I have said before, there are very little games in which I would consider the story their strong point. But the disappointment here is that it's so...by the book. It was literally like the developers filled out some "Mad-Lib: Sandbox Action Game Edition". It's very predictable, by the numbers, and well...boring. I know, I know it's just a fun sandbox game and it doesn't need a real good story. Yea that can be true, but personally I'm kind of sick of that excuse. I know not all games can have stories like Mass Effect, Bioshock, or even Call of Duty, but we as the consumer should have at least some minimal standards for a game's story. Hmmm...I guess I kind of did rip the story apart. Oh well. Long story (pun intended) short, it's "passable".
STORY: 5/10
GAMEPLAY: Boy if you thought that last paragraph was long, you ain't seen nothing yet. At the beginning of the game you get to choose between a white guy with a mohawk, a black guy voiced by Mad TV and Pulp Fiction (he was the reason the car needed cleaning) star Phil LaMarr, and some chick. I chose Phil LaMarr since he always has a cigar in his mouth (no matter how high he gets blown up into the air). It's the standard sandbox game where you go around do various missions for various groups of people. In this game you have to go between different factions to progress the story as well as doing some side missions for them. Each mission or objective you complete you get money, unlock more weapons, and/or find new contacts. I do admit this game can be very fun. You will never run out of air-strikes or vehicles so the world really is your own...well...sandbox...to blow up. For me, I never got bored hijacking helicopters and tanks so that I could demolish a whole city block. Sad to say though, that's it for the positives. First and foremost, and please understand I mean this with all my heart, this game is the most GLITCHY GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED. My god, this game was almost unplayable. The first few hours of game time I didn't notice much, but after that, it started to creep in like a virus. Finally towards the end of the game, it had gone completely insane with "mad cow disease". Here are some of the things I actually encountered: enemies showing up in Challenges (they're not supposed to), helicopters vanishing right in front of me (this happened a LOT towards the end of the game), A.I. blowing themselves up, not being able to enter ANY vehicle (it was not a mission restriction or anything like that), bombs dropping WAAAAAY off target, and an old favorite...falling through the map. The cherry on the crap sundae was clipping and texture issues so bad I couldn't tell what was happening during the FINAL FIGHT SEQUENCE!!! For once, I was happy it was a "quicktime event" since I couldn't tell what was going on with the exception of the button prompts. I know most sandbox games have similar issues, but all the other games I have played are nothing, and I mean NOTHING, like this!!! All right I know I have talked way too long about this, but in the end, it kind of ruined the experience. It got so bad I would get excited when I would start the game and it would prompt me with an update only to find out the "update" was just Microsoft putting real ads on the in-game billboards (I do admit it was fun blowing the living crap out of the "Resident Evil: Afterlife" ads.) Ok, I'll shut up. Short version: some fun ideas and missions that were almost completely RUINED by glitches and lack of overall polish.
GAMEPLAY: 4.5/10
GRAPHICS: Ok glitches aside, this game looks all right. The explosions are impressive and the destruction does have a nice look to it. The character models aren't horrible, but they're nothing to call home about. Some eye catching stuff here and there, but not much. You already know about the clipping and glitching issues so I will save my breath.
GRAPHICS: 6/10
SOUND/MUSIC: This game is also victim of the famous "I have about 5-6 catch phrases and you are going to hear them over and over again" syndrome. The voice work, like most of the game, is passable. The music does it's job complementing the action and the sound effects are descent, though I did have a hard time telling some of the guns apart. The only question is why do all the factions' troops (with the exception of the Pirates) have American accents?
SOUND/MUSIC: 6.5/10
[Reviewer's Note: The rest of this review was written almost 24 hours after the initial part...if that makes sense]
REPLAY VALUE: Now that I have cooled down a bit, let's talk about replay value. Now I have to admit I was not entirely fair. You have to understand I literally started writing this review as the game's credits were rolling. Most of the BIG issues I encountered didn't really start happening until the last few hours of the game. But that's what was so frustrating. I know a lot of us can relate to putting so much time into a game only to have it fall apart on us in it's final act. A game like this does have high replay value potential...if it doesn't "bug out". I was at about 85-90% completion after finishing the game and I would have gone for the full 100% if it wasn't for obvious reasons. There is a nice amount of side missions you can complete and/or you can just spend your time blowing up soldiers, buildings, vehicles, etc. I can actually say now that I could see some people going back and getting a full 100% completion as long as they are patient. There is also co-op, so you can have a friend with you during all the insanity. But one major strike I can't over look, and definitely the main focus on this site, is the achievements. When looking at it's list here on this site, I couldn't help but notice all the "bug" symbols next to the achievements. The achievement for finding all the HVT's didn't unlock the first time for me (which sucks cause that's a 50g and over 100TAg) and you have to spend a lot of time on that one. I know I just can't stop talking about the "bugs", but it just REALLY hurt my overall experience.
REPLAY VALUE: 6/10
PRICE VALUE: You can buy this game new for about $20 or get a used copy anywhere from $7-$15. IS IT WORTH IT? I might shock you, but if you can find it for under $10 (like I did) and can stand the "bugs" then go for it. But you've been warned.
PRICE VALUE: 5.5/10
OVERALL SCORE: 5.5/10
I know I will get a handful of negative votes and what have you, but this was my experience with this game. It's just so sad because this game could have been pretty fun (which it can be if it wasn't for the...oh nevermind). I know it has to do with money, but it still baffles me that there's been no real updates to fix the problems. Then again, Pandemic has closed it doors and E.A. isn't the type of publisher to make sure all their games are polished up to standards (unless it's Madden, Mass Effect, or Bad Company). Geez this review went way too long. Well that's it for this one. Please leave comments letting me know whether you loved my review or hated it. Be sure to check out more (Somewhat) Quick Reviews here at TrueAchievements.com and see new episodes of "The Smokin' Gamer" on YouTube.com (youtube.com/smokngamer). PEACE!!!
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Limafoxtrot
143,034
TA Score for this game: 1,265
Posted on 08 June 10 at 00:30 |
This review has 13 positive votes and 1 negative vote. Please log in to vote. |
This game is an odd one. As a co-op game it is a blast to play. Open environments, lots to do, many vehicles and a passable story given the franchise. I haven't had this much co-op fun in a long time. The sense of humor in the game is pretty good (although they need 4 times the number of lines).
HOWEVER - this has got to be one of the buggiest, most unpolished releases I've seen on a console in a long, long time. From AI getting stuck in rocks, to constant lock ups, to spotty hit detection there is plenty of frustration points.
There are also a host of tiny issues that just make the game feel unfinished. From resource pick ups that tell you both you got an item and that there was no item available (how does that get past testing?), to wearing an unlocked outfit in some cut scenes but not all of them, to vehicle damage that makes no sense its almost like the developers didn't care if it was done or not.
Oh on the car damage - its so bad you fall off a cliff and talk no damage, yet the arched bridge to your base routinely takes 10-20 point (out of 100) out of your car at moderate speed.
As with many average games missions get a bit repetitive, but the chaos you are causing often covers it up and when running with a mate - its all still fun. Solo it wear on you a bit though.
I don't want to go on and on with issues but they are a plenty - and while most don't break the game - over time they mar the fun tremendously. If you are looking for a great destructive romp with a friend - this game is great for a rental. Its a lot of fun, even if short lived. At the end of which I find myself thinking what a game this could of been had it had some testing and polish.
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Bizarro13
192,114
TA Score for this game: 1,749
Posted on 30 September 10 at 01:53 |
This review has 9 positive votes and 0 negative votes. Please log in to vote. |
Better Late Than Never: Mercenaries 2
After a couple of years, sadly, Pandemic Studios is gone, and I'd finally decided to finish out Mercenaries 2 and go for what can be an elusive 1000 Gamerscore. Unfortunately, due to some blatant issues regarding enemy AI and programming glitches this game loses marks. But, its a solid 3 stars for being a fun, explosive romp through Venezuela. And did I mention you can double the fun with co-op multiplayer?
You're a mercenary (you can choose from three different characters) gunning for Solano, a man who double crossed you, and shot you in the ass. In your quest for revenge, you are thrown into the middle of a war in Venezuela between five different factions, of which you can choose to do missions for any and all. Some factions get pissed off if you do missions for their rivals, but money talks and you can bribe them if you've got the cash. The story is passable, if not a bit cliche.
Really, the gameplay is standard 3rd person shooter fare. You run, you shoot, you hijack vehicles and blow shit up, which has to be the most satisfying aspect of this game. It can be fun just running or driving/flying around and blowing up encampments or entire cities. The multiplayer doesn't change the game itself any, you can just do everything co-op if you like. The missions start out relatively simple enough. You do everything from capturing high value targets and outposts to leveling buildings in the middle of cities. The game definitely gets more difficult as you progress past the midpoint. There are some missions that can be just brutal for the final two factions, China and Allied Nations.
So, the game sounds decent enough right? Well, sadly, Pandemic Studios doesn't win any programming of the year awards. Luckily, I didn't have too much of an issue with the known glitches in the game. I always made sure I had extras of vehicles I would call in for delivery because sometimes they just disappear when they land.
Some of the HVT's are buggy and in positions to kill themselves, which presents a very tough problem if you want to capture and not kill them (which you need to do in order to get 1000 GS). I had one in particular that would stand on a rock that is just high enough that when he would walk off the front of it, he'd fall to his death...
Other issues with the game include achievements that just won't unlock for no rhyme or reason. Multiplayer achievements that require having to destroy 200 objects as a gunner in co-op or call in 20 airstrikes seem to open up at random. Other achievements just flat out don't unlike upon beating the game. Most frustrating if you are trying to get your 1000.
All in all, a fun game with a few frustrating moments. Twice the fun with a friend. It has a little bit of everything. Nothing like calling in that nuclear air strike for the first time. I'm actually quite proud of completing the 1000 gamerscore on Mercenaries 2. Its tough to do, not impossible.
3 out of 5
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RedSVO
83,323
TA Score for this game: 689
Posted on 06 June 09 at 03:53, Edited on 06 June 09 at 03:58 |
This review has 8 positive votes and 5 negative votes. Please log in to vote. |
I wish I could say more positive things about this game, yet I find myself on the negative side after playing for 40-some hours... You should definitely rent this game, and if you can find it for $20 or less, maybe you should buy it.
I found the game extremely exasperating and annoying! And yet, I did find it fun at times, being able to blow most everything in the game up was very satisfying. Launching a devastating attack using any number of stored weapons was awesome (my favorites were the satellite missile and nuclear missile attacks). Unfortunately, you have to stand still to do this, not while on the move, leaving you open for others to shoot at you. In the heat of the battle, not so much fun! And if you have the misfortune to die, and you will, you are sent back to your headquarters without any of your carried weapons - What? I worked hard to hijack those weapons and I don't get to keep 'em - again What? One thing you can to do mitigate this is to save the game frequently - and you should if you plan to have fun - as you can reload the save and keep your weapons albeit back at HQ and you have to get back to where you were... This led me to a lot a wasted time finding other things to get distracted doing and not being focused on the missions at hand - because it was such a pain in the butt to get back to where I was and start all over again!
Plus the LONG waiting times to load the game (see below)...
On the buggy side, I found myself on a number of occasions, stuck inside something you cannot see (like the middle of the fuel tank you just blew up). The only way to extract yourself, is to quit the game. This really sucks if you just leveled the entire place and want to continue your rampage without having to start back at HQ. I also found myself "swimming" on dry land after blowing up a rival HQ. Yes, I was "falling" downward, with the map of the remains of the HQ above me (I was on dry land here), falling, falling, falling and then heard a splash. I could then swim to nowhere. And swim until I gave up and quit the game. You'll find yourself doing this kind of stuff at the most inopportune moments.
And don't even get me started on how long the load screens are - you know if you died and were immediately taken back to HQ and could start up in seconds, I would be OK with it. But no, this takes FOREVER. And everything between scenes takes FOREVERRRRR. For those that have played the game, you know what I mean. If it was as fast to start the game or return to HQ after dying or a mission ending as it was after you "Talk"ed or "Shop"ed with someone, OK, that'd be great but the waits in this game are agonizing. Truly a missed opportunity by Pandemic. Next version, pre-load this crap and don't make me wait!!!
After all that ranting, you are probably thinking, why the heck did you waste 40 hours in this game?? Like I said, I found this game to be pretty fun to play. I have not finished it and don't plan to either due to the exasperatingly long wait times between game elements.
Did not play the multiplayer elements - I tried but no one else was playing at the time, so I can't comment on this part of the game.
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rusty guy500
91,460
TA Score for this game: 1,749
Posted on 18 April 10 at 01:16, Edited on 18 April 10 at 08:13 |
This review has 5 positive votes and 10 negative votes. Please log in to vote. |
Mercenaries 2 is a fun game over all while some of the missions and challenges do become quite hard especially when trying to capture all of the HVT's. The physics in the game can also become quite annoying at times as falling 2cm of a time lump can cause you to lose 10 per cent of your health and falling out of a chopper sometimes causes none.
The game can also over exaggerate some of the rocks or lumps on the road. For example your car can be sent flying but tiny lumps or stone. The game also has a problem with disappearing vehicles and inability for the second play to more in multiplier.
The game does freeze over periods of time causing frustration as being able to connect to EA servers is a pain and waste of internet for those who haven't played army of two,(online play requires you to have played army of two online before or download the demo and start up multiplayer).
Bad things aside having all the factions, HVT's, building to destroy and challenges makes the game last for quite a long time providing you can stand the flaws to play it that long or feel like going for all the achievements.
The story/side mission are great but the physics and the way the game runs isn't so good and quite annoying.
Overall I would give it a about 7.5/10
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