Mercenaries 2: World in Flames

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is as perfect as sequels come. It takes everything that was good with the original title and polishes it to a mirror sheen perfection. Nevermind a few enemy AI annoyances, World in Flames is undoubtedly one of greatest modern sandbox-shooters. [Sept 2008]

A souped-up return that delivers pyrotechnic perfection but lacks the depth of other games. [Nov 2008, p.73]

Small gripes aside, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is a title for anyone who’s ever stomped on a sand castle, mashed together Tonka trucks, or blown something up. It’s big, it’s bad, and the thrill of demolishing everything in sight never gets old.

Mercenaries 2 gives you a big environment to explore (and destroy), tons of vehicles and weaponry, and varied missions, making it a great step up from its predecessor.

The ability to approach missions as you want to or just cruise around town in a tank, blowing stuff up is something you can't get anywhere else and simply must be experienced.

A must play game. It’s not a story-driven masterpiece experience like "Grand Theft Auto IV," but it is genuinely fun.

It won't light the world on fire, but this next-gen playground of destruction offers you tons to do (well, tons to explode), it's always enjoyable, and I dove right back in after the credits rolled.

Occasional hiccups or no, having this much open-world freedom to come at the enemy any old way you see fit is just too much damned fun.

The sequel adds considerable depth to the original's plus points, without turning it into a serious economic simulation of trying to work out how to get the right amount of Snickers bars to feed your hungry mercenaries.

Mercs 2 is a largely successful effort that will literally give you more "bang" for your buck than most games out there.

A heap of fun.

Mercenaries 2 is a lot of fun if you don't get bogged down by its rough-hewn minutiae and relish the simple pleasures of blowing things up.

The design and concept behind Mercs 2 is fantastic. Some of the artistic ideas and especially the music are totally top notch. It’s just a shame the entire experience doesn’t quite live up to expectations.

A satisfying amount of destruction, whether you blow up an oilrig with a well-armed helicopter or bring down a building with C4 and gas tanks. It's engaging and exciting, especially if you play co-op.

Certainly not as good as GTA IV, the similarly playing Mercenaries 2 still is enough of a blast romping through the jungles and cities of Venezuela with hot and heavy gunplay.

All considered though, Mercenaries 2 isn’t a complicated game to assess. It’s a stupid action game in a long and storied tradition of stupid action games.

While a disaster on the PC, this game shines on the next-gen consoles. It's a back-to-basics title that allows you to destroy pretty much everything around you, and you'll have no end of fun doing so.

Let down but not ruined by quirky AI, dodgy physics and some bland design, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames still manages to deliver childish fun for grown-ups - and if you don't regard it with too critical an eye then you'll see that there really is a hidden gem beneath the buggy mud.

The game in general though is just a whole lot of fun.

For every time I cursed the stupid AI, I cheered at the demolition of another building. For every bug that got me stuck in some bushes, there was an attack chopper waiting to be jacked. If Mercenaries 2 had more polish, it would have been a great game. As is, it’s still worth playing – and enjoyable – but falls far short of its promise.

World in Flames delivers on what it tries to be--a high octane playground of destruction.

Really enjoyable to play, especially when playing online with a friend, and should be purchased by any destruction loving fan.

The game is worth a rental and a purchase if you want to keep your destruction going. So if you’re looking for a fun game, check out Mercs 2.

Blowing stuff up with a buddy absolutely rocks, but the AI is anything but intelligent and the graphics are a bit disappointing.

It’s an ugly game, both visually and technically. But for all that I hate the stuff under the bonnet (or hood), it manages to drive and lets you blow things up, lots. There’s a market of people who will love that, and doing it co-op in drop-in drop-out multiplayer might just clinch the deal.

Despite a plethora of technical problems that make Mercenaries 2: World in Flames feel like an unfinished title, it remains a lot of to play. You can bring down a city with the press of a button, and the explosions are simply breathtaking. I had a lot of fun while I was playing, but the mediocre length and frequent bugs make the title a little hard to recommend for $60.

It’s a giant, busy sandbox full of all kinds of fiery and destructive toys, but you have to get a firm handle on the game’s uneven tempo and immersion-breaking little quirks to fully enjoy the amount of freedom it offers.

If you like your open-world games, guns and massive explosions then Mercs 2 will set your world on fire, and should still please open-world fans despite its many faults. It just may be worth waiting for the bargain bin sales or opt for a rental instead.

Mercenaries 2, much like their in-game avatars, succeeds by getting the job done with no frills and nothing more. To many gamers that just may be enough.

If I had to sum Mercenaries up in one word, I would say “fun.” If I had to sum it up in five, I would say “fun but glitchy as hell!”

Mercenaries 2 is a bit of a dissapointment, If you like blowing stuff up with a friend its great but as a single player game it seems a bit shallow.

You will find that the action-packed explosion-fest that is Mercenaries 2 is kinda like a good action film: light on story, heavy on action and sure to keep a big, dopey grin on your face the entire time you play.