Mercenaries 2: World in Flames Preview

In addition to upping the ante with more demolition, the developers also incorporated a variety of improvements since the original Mercenaries. This time around, it's all about "more" - more vehicles, more weapons, huge maps to explore, and greater draw distances. And it all looks quite good. We are also pleased that Mercs 2 didn't loose its visual oomph on account of it heading to the PS2 (next to the PC and other next-gen console platforms). After seeing the game at the show, we can safely say there's enough decent special effects and realistic physics at work to guarantee an enjoyable gaming experience.

Hm, what shall we blow up first?

Just you and me, pal. Mano-a-mano. Or, chick to chopper, if you will.

If that's not enough, you'll be glad to know they also fitted a co-operative multiplayer mode, which should mean even more destruction and fun in the bargain, as players team-up with their merc friends for some serious action. The development team was considering traditional multiplayer modes, albeit the only certain bet is the online co-op so far.

The basic concept of this game is rather straightforward and Pandemic is hoping most people will enjoy it just because of that. You head out on a mission, start destroying stuff, complete your objective and then get a fat wad of cash for your trouble. Later on, you get to spend your hard-earned greenbacks on more weapons and military support. It basically shows potential of becoming a classic fast-paced shooter with little depth, but with great emphasis on pure good old-fashioned action... which is nice.