Mercenaries 2: World in Flames Preview

E3 2006 First Look Preview

The intent was that it would be a next-gen title, but when Mercenaries released on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 consoles, it won legions of fans.

Pandemic is back at it and this time Mercenaries 2: World in Flames will release the skew being planned is the PlayStation 3. What that translates to is a game that is graphically detailed and rich and will certainly give Mercenary fans a lot to be excited about.

The first game was a twist on the Korean nuclear weapons situation, but in Mercenaries 2, the trio from the first game (with the addition of a fourth mercenary) will take on greed and the oil crisis.

For the first time the game brings cooperative multiplayer gaming to the fore. Players can join a game simply by plugging in a controller. What does that all mean? Eva, the new member of the team, may be called upon to provide aerial support while The Swede takes out enemies on the ground. Eva uses a new weapon, a grappling hook, to latch on to a nearby helicopter, climb up the rope and throw the pilot out of the window. After taking care of the opposition, as The Swede is blowing up the assigned target, Eva can decide to either rescue him or leave him there to collect the bounty on her own.

The theme of the game remains that anything the player sees can be destroyed, blown up or stolen.

The game also has lots of unscripted moments. The Swede can use his weapon to shoot holes in a tanker, and then use his Zippo to ignite the spilled gas for a very satisfying explosion.

Other features, according to the press release, include:

·                     Ground breaking, general purpose fire technology lets you set fire to buildings, vehicles and people.  Shoot holes in the sides of fuel trucks, watch the oil spill under the feet of unsuspecting enemies and light it on fire with a match!

·                     Don’t worry about drowning ever again: use watercraft or swim to traverse the oceans, rivers and lakes of Mercenaries 2.

·                     Increase and customize your support options by recruiting other mercenaries you meet in the game!

·                     The world of Mercenaries 2 is larger than all of the maps of the first game combined and is jam-packed full of colorful characters and environments.  And this time, every action you make has ramifications throughout the entire country.

·                     Dozens of weapons, vehicles and support options are available for to use to blow the crap out of everything!  Use the new grappling hook to latch on to flying vehicles and commandeer them in the sky!

·                     Clients will offer you money, information and other resources in exchange for your services – provided you haven’t done anything to tick them off!

Random conflicts that you can happen upon and a much higher polygon count are also in the mix here.

While Pandemic says they “have a lot of work left to do,” there is little doubt that the game is looking great now.

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