“Mercenaries 2: World in
Flames” is a guilty pleasure
that everyone should try at
least once even if a friend you
know has it. Launch a missile
at an oil rig in the middle of a
lake and just try to keep a
smile off your face.
The sequel to 2005’s
“Mercenaries” sets you up as
one of the three mercenaries
from the previous installment.
Your mission is a contract
established by
Venezuelan billionaire,
Ramon Solano, to rescue a .
friend from some rebellious
soldiers.
After completing the contract,
you’re betrayed by your
employer, who then stages a
coup d’état against the
Venezuelan leader. The rest
of the game involves a long
road of destruction and paid
contracts for various factions
operating in Venezuela.
Some of the best parts of the
game are the massive
amounts of destruction you
can cause while working for
the various factions.
Everything in the game can
be completely destroyed,
from buildings to cars; it all
can be blown up provided
you have the right arsenal for
the job.
Another great part is the
versatility with which you
can accomplish your missions.
You can walk up to an
enemy base and fight your
way in or you can sneak
around the back and commandeer
an enemy tank to
use against them. You can
even sit back and call in a
bombing run or an air patrol
to help you clear out a base.
It’s this aspect of the game
that keeps it fresh and interesting.
With these great parts,
however, there are also places
that could use some tweaking.
For example, the camera
can go completely out of
whack should you find yourself
trapped in a corner. This
makes it impossible for you
to see and fight your way out,
often resulting in your death.
Another poorly done section
of the game is the neardeath
screen. This occurs
when your health drops
below a certain point. The
screen changes to an awful
fluorescent red which makes
it impossible for you to see.
You have to stumble around
blindly, hoping you’ll find
some health nearby.
The third major complaint
about the game is the targeting
reticule. The A.I. manages
to hit you from half a
mile away with a mounted
machine gun, yet when you
try to shoot an enemy soldier
with a rifle from 3-feet away,
he somehow has a bulletdeflecting
shield around him.
There’s also one other glitch
that only Xbox 360 owners
might experience, and that
has to do with what has been
dubbed the phantom achievements.
For some reason,
completing one achievement
at a certain point and then
promptly saving the game
will result in 12 more achievements
being unlocked.
Several of these achievements
are co-op, which can only be
played online, but for some
reason can be received without
playing online at all.
Other than those complaints,
this sequel is as solid
as the original, with a lot of
improvement in the graphics
and the gameplay itself.
The game’s speed, controls
and ridiculous amount of
destruction guarantee a lot of
fun and will make you want
to replay it several times to
try to unlock everything. It’s
the fun factor and replay
value in “Mercenaries 2:
World in Flames” that enable
you to look past its occasional
camera flaws and enjoy the
game.