Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (PC, Xbox 360, PS3) Review

Wanted: Exterminator

Mercenaries 2 is not without its faults regardless of how you play it - not by a long shot. First, let's discuss some of the annoyances found in the game's core mechanics. While the campaign does provide an array of weapons to use, none of them deal as much damage as we would expect from a good shooter. This is partly due to the hit-to-kill ratio. While the PC version seemingly improves upon this a small amount, enemies in the console versions take way too many hits before they go down. Alone this isn't a huge issue at all, but coupled with a poor aiming mechanic found in all three versions and this can get frustrating. It feels as though only two out of ten bullets actually hit your target most of the time. This affects RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) fire as well, in that rockets must hit within a small distance of your enemies in order to take them out. Any further away and your enemy will remain standing and continue to fire at you. Ironically, melee attacks provide instant kills.

Vehicles are also off in regards to players' ability to control them. While time spent with the game will help in this respect, vehicles feel entirely too flighty and turn on a dime at the slightest movement of your mouse or gamepad. Instead of asphalt or gravel, driving cars feels more like boats skimming across water with little traction. Needless to say, controls for commandeered boats and jet skis feel just right. For those who detest button-mashing mini games, vehicles are further plagued by the hijacking mechanics - jacking a tanks isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Enemy AI leaves a lot to be desired in Mercenaries 2 as well. The enemies you'll face in the game are not very intelligent at all. Not only can they not hit the broad side of a barn with their bullets, they'll often fire upon each other or at nothing at all. In addition, players will find it amusing to watch enemy vehicles drive into walls and other structures as they make little attempt to run you down.

Another aspect of AI behavior that proved to be annoying is their overly repetitive dialog. In fact, the word overly may be an understatement. This applies to friendlies as well as foes. For example, while visiting your employer's compound, you'll know in under two minutes that every single one of them despise their job and are only in it for a paycheck. Also, if you wait an additional minute or two, you'll hear the shout, "The enemy is here!" This is when the bulk of the patrolling mercs begin firing in all different directions. The hilarity of this is that no enemy is present and each of their bullet streams are aimed at a 15 foot wall that surrounds the compound. Wait a few more minutes, and they'll do it again... and then again.

Mentioning every issue I found in the game would take another couple of pages. The lack of audio during the game's cinematic sequences in the PC version alone would be worth a paragraph or two. So, let me sum up this portion of the review by asking for your trust when I say that Mercenaries 2 is riddled with bugs and glitches that shout that this is an unfinished product through and though.