Mercenaries 2 preview by IGN

[duckman2000]

You're hired by a Venezuelan businessman named Solano to free General Carmona, who was recently arrested during a military coup. The mission is fairly easy, just something to get you into the game and familiar with the controls. After landing on the beach, Jen gets a few weapons and is thrown into a series of small frays with some trigger-happy enemies. They prove easy to dispatch, especially with the grenade launcher. Explosions are Pandemic's gift to gamers. Enemies fly as if shot out of a cannon, the jungle catches on fire, buildings crumble. The first mission is ten minutes of things going boom.

After killing a few baddies, you are faced with a seemingly impenetrable gate. Good thing you can call in a satellite-guided bomb. Target the gate blocking your way and a mini-game appears. You're shown a radar screen broken into six quadrants. As the radar sweeps through the grey quadrants, hit the corresponding button to lock in the location. Then step back and look to the skies as a chunky bomb drops and obliterates the obstruction. Jen's face is awash in the yellow glow of the explosion. It's a thing of beauty.

Shortly after this, you receive an air-dropped jeep. You have the option to go on foot and fight more troops or you can take the jeep and swerve around some roadblocks. Eventually you reach another gate which must be destroyed. You won't need the jeep anymore, because a tank is being dropped down. This is where things get good.

(Image removed from quote.)

The tank is a beast and rolls right through a hillside shanty town. Though the tank is appropriately slow, enemy attacks have no hope of penetrating its armor. This isn't really a challenge, just a chance to embrace the destructive power of a tank. It's a great way to kick off a game, giving you a taste of what the next dozen hours have in store for you.

Things end with a small skirmish where you rescue General Carmona. Once he's safe, it's on to a cut-scene in which Jen is betrayed by Solano and shot in the ass. The betrayal is bad enough, but the bullet to the ass is what breaks the camel's back. Jen vows vengeance on Carmona and Solano. And so begins the full game.

The extra development time has served Mercs 2 well. The framerate, which was a serious concern a year ago, is fairly smooth at this point and the visuals have been given an extra kick. The only issue that has me worried is the AI. It's not on par with the rest of the package. Fortunately, Mercenaries 2 still has a couple of months of development time. Right now, Mercs 2 is looking like a strong successor to one of the better games from the last generation.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/880/880993p1.html

[Van Cruncheon]

Explosions are Pandemic's gift to gamers. Enemies fly as if shot out of a cannon, the jungle catches on fire, buildings crumble. The first mission is ten minutes of things going boom.

FINALLY next-gen has arrived

[Van Cruncheon]

that said, ai isn't something you fix in two months

and let's face it, in a sandbox game about rampant slaughter and destruction, is "ai" all that important?

[duckman2000]

Being allowed to man a helicopter gunship and blow the shit out of the jungle is cause enough for excitement. None of this "man the turret while we fly this thing" bullshit.

that said, ai isn't something you fix in two months

and let's face it, in a sandbox game about rampant slaughter and destruction, is "ai" all that important?

As long as they know how to die in an entertaining manner, eh?

[Mupepe]

that said, ai isn't something you fix in two months

and let's face it, in a sandbox game about rampant slaughter and destruction, is "ai" all that important?

nope.  i don't give a fuck.  i just want to blow them up.

and what is Cohen on about?  the first rocked.

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

I usually don't bitch about the way characters look in games but fuck that biker with the mohawk in the ass.  I'll take generic looking black guy in the OP over that anyday of the week.

Anyway, throw this on the pile with SR2 and Just Cause 2.

Sandbox!

[CHOW CHOW]

this will be an amazing game... at least 10 or 11 times better than gta4

[duckman2000]

I usually don't bitch about the way characters look in games but fuck that biker with the mohawk in the ass.  I'll take generic looking black guy in the OP over that anyday of the week.

Anyway, throw this on the pile with SR2 and Just Cause 2.

Sandbox!

He's supposed to be a Swede, even. 

[Van Cruncheon]

i liked the first simply because it let me get to the business of WRECKING SERIOUS SHIT INNA TANK. if this is the same game with actual persistent damage and deluxe explosions, color my dick mandingo hard

[VALIS]

Anyway, throw this on the pile with SR2 and Just Cause 2.

Sandbox!

To sandbox! The best thing about gaming these days. I loved Mercs 1. Calling in air strikes is the stuff of gaming boners.

[pilonv1]

persistent damage would be magnificent
 

[Beezy]

I borrowed the first game for the Xbox from a friend. Played the first 2 or 3 levels. I thought it was boring.

[T234]

I borrowed the first game for the Xbox from a friend. Played the first 2 or 3 levels. I thought it was boring.

it was boring.

Cohen and Beezy hate freedom confirmed.

BEEZY CAN'T TOUCH THIS AT DRILLER

[Van Cruncheon]

levels?

[Beezy]

I borrowed the first game for the Xbox from a friend. Played the first 2 or 3 levels. I thought it was boring.

it was boring.

Cohen and Beezy hate freedom confirmed.

BEEZY CAN'T TOUCH THIS AT DRILLER

Finish one of the 1000m stages then you can talk to me.

[Tabasco]

Ugh.  This game had fallen off my radar a bit, and that video walkthrough didn't help things.  I liked Mercs 1, but there's just something that isn't clicking with 2.

[duckman2000]

I really like you on a personal level AA but your taste in games is just so shit

Helicopter gunship. Jungle. MOAB. Big ass fucking explosions and sexy destruction. Time for you to reboot and think over your preferences, because they are fuck all distorted and wrong.