Mercenaries 2: World in Flames

 Xbox 360
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 164 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 99 out of 164
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 164
  3. Negative: 32 out of 164
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  1. Tony
    Sep 1, 2008
    8
    If you liked the first game, you'll love this one. The graphics are nice, but they could be better. But who cares because this game is fun. The online co-op is a bit weird. You can't go off and do two separate things like Crackdown, but it's fun to either help a friend or get some help. The explosions and things that do explode are the highlights of the game. Things blow up If you liked the first game, you'll love this one. The graphics are nice, but they could be better. But who cares because this game is fun. The online co-op is a bit weird. You can't go off and do two separate things like Crackdown, but it's fun to either help a friend or get some help. The explosions and things that do explode are the highlights of the game. Things blow up in the sort of a way you see in movies. Big fiery explosions that actually catch fire to things around them. So like I said, if you liked the first game and you played the hell out of it, you'll love this game.… Expand
  2. BL
    Sep 2, 2008
    10
    If you like games where you get tons of weapons and can blow everything up, this is the best KABOOM for your buck.
  3. Lucas.W
    Sep 9, 2008
    8
    Awesome game. Sure the graphics aren't anything to write home about, and the physics may be buggy as hell, but to be honest, for a game that can be so much fun as to negate all of it's shortcomings through absolute mayhem and destruction, that's saying alot for me. (and believe me, I'm very OCD about game breaking bugs, or even minor bugs for that matter) Gameplay and Awesome game. Sure the graphics aren't anything to write home about, and the physics may be buggy as hell, but to be honest, for a game that can be so much fun as to negate all of it's shortcomings through absolute mayhem and destruction, that's saying alot for me. (and believe me, I'm very OCD about game breaking bugs, or even minor bugs for that matter) Gameplay and controls is almost identical to the original Mercenaries, but without the Deck of 52 thing. If they had just put it off for a little longer and ironed out all the bugs, this game would definately be a 10. I just love blowing the s*** out of everything with big guns and bombs!… Expand
  4. mikebare
    Dec 13, 2008
    8
    This game is definitely fun. You can play it the way you want, be it running and gunning like superman or staying back and calling in airstrikes to clear out hostiles like a special ops member. There isn't as much of a feeling of freedom as the Grand Theft Auto series, but i honestly take the Mercs game much more seriously.
  5. FroggyMojo
    Sep 2, 2008
    8
    More fun than the original mercenaries, with a larger map, more vehicles, more firepower, more missions, better graphics. However, the game is unpolished, with numerous bugs (out-of-place notifications, gettting stuck in boulders...) and bad coding (civilian AI, pop-ins). Coop (online only) works flawlessly and makes the game that much more enjoyable (drop-in-drop-out works like a charm). More fun than the original mercenaries, with a larger map, more vehicles, more firepower, more missions, better graphics. However, the game is unpolished, with numerous bugs (out-of-place notifications, gettting stuck in boulders...) and bad coding (civilian AI, pop-ins). Coop (online only) works flawlessly and makes the game that much more enjoyable (drop-in-drop-out works like a charm). Despite its flaws, the game is incredible fun: a good sanbox game of destruction and mayhem, mildly hampered by a few questionable program decisions and/or quality assurance.… Expand
  6. BibbyF.
    Sep 3, 2008
    8
    Does what it says on the tin. People were expecting a sequel to a 4 year old game and thats exactly what they have. Some of the scenery issues from the first have somehow made it into the second, (concrete bushes) but it doesn't really detract from anything. Its not how it looks, its how it plays and if you loved the first, you'll love this.
  7. Necrotaur
    Jun 13, 2012
    0
    Just writing this review to give a quick warning: Mercenaries 2 servers were taken down about a year ago, and the game will freeze your Xbox if you try to play while connected to Xbox Live. You MUST play offline. There is a workaround involving a demo for another EA game, but this ought to have been fixed by now. Way to go, EA, you've ruined an otherwise good game.
  8. JaceN.
    Sep 22, 2008
    4
    My advice to anyone is stick with the original as Mercenaries 2 seems to be suffering a "Just Cause" infection with a hint of EA-ism. The worst addition has to be the regenerative health as on its own merits...may make the game easier to cope with but in practical terms...made Pandemic think it was okay now to throw ten times the pain at you now players have regenerative health. Most My advice to anyone is stick with the original as Mercenaries 2 seems to be suffering a "Just Cause" infection with a hint of EA-ism. The worst addition has to be the regenerative health as on its own merits...may make the game easier to cope with but in practical terms...made Pandemic think it was okay now to throw ten times the pain at you now players have regenerative health. Most fights degrade into "get splattered with a rocket...hide while you heal...kill whoever dares come find you...rinse & repeat till bored and annoyed". The graphics are awful, skin displays a stupid radiactive red glow if the fake sunlight/HDR lighting hits it, loads of screen tearing, texture/object popup, friendly AI that forgets how to shoot until youre standing in front of them, enemy AI that can see through walls, millions of dollars to buy airstrikes but not a cent can be spent on clothing (you have to complete near impossible wager challenges with Fiona to UNLOCK them) and whisper quiet ill-timed dialogue that gets drowned out by any other noise. There may have been a market for this years ago but with so many alternatives around now youd have to both desperate and living in the middle of a software dry spell to buy this...factors which contributed to its initial sales.… Expand
  9. realgamer1
    Sep 2, 2008
    4
    Ok. As someone who played the first game years ago, i have to say i really don't see anything new add to the new one. oh yeah you can sprint now. the graphics are lame. not good enough for next gen. the bugs are ridiculous. you cant walk through a bush in a jungle???? bad guys aiming invisible weapons. what??? the physics are way off. you ram a huge vehicle into a motorcycle and Ok. As someone who played the first game years ago, i have to say i really don't see anything new add to the new one. oh yeah you can sprint now. the graphics are lame. not good enough for next gen. the bugs are ridiculous. you cant walk through a bush in a jungle???? bad guys aiming invisible weapons. what??? the physics are way off. you ram a huge vehicle into a motorcycle and nothing happens to the motorcycle or the guy riding it. everything looks the same. yeah i was impressed the first time i saw a building crumble to the ground, but that was on a playstation2 years ago. i didn't think it would look exactly the same in a sequel on a next gen console. once again, they fooled us all by putting out crap like this with a major marketing push. the best thing about this game is the fold out ads it had in gaming mags. TRUTH. those things looked fresh as hell. THIS GAME SUCKS!!!!… Expand
  10. JohnHrabovsky
    Sep 8, 2008
    1
    The graphics, gamplay, plot is horrible. If I had to compare ths to a first person shooter it ranks below arma and thats bad.
  11. DaveC
    Sep 14, 2008
    3
    Agree 100% with "Real Gamer1" comments above. I loved the first one, but if anything I'd say this second version is worse in some areas. I was worried when I saw it released on PS2 - that's what this game feels like on the 360, an old PS2 game. OK, draw distance is further so there's less fog than the first one. But the physics are indeed rubbish, especially after being Agree 100% with "Real Gamer1" comments above. I loved the first one, but if anything I'd say this second version is worse in some areas. I was worried when I saw it released on PS2 - that's what this game feels like on the 360, an old PS2 game. OK, draw distance is further so there's less fog than the first one. But the physics are indeed rubbish, especially after being treated to the quality of GTA4. There's a lot of loading screens; when you finish a mission, you get automatically transported back away with a black loading screen, which impacts on the overall feel of being open worlded and having to fight your way back out of the place you just trashed. While the vehicles and emplaced weapons are very cool and gutzy, the hand weapon combat and AI is rubbish. Shooting a carbine feels like you're shooting one of those toy cap guns. It's just about impossible to die, even charging in with no tactics, so there's no real incentive to be careful. Very disappointing for a next gen console game coming out years after the first.… Expand
  12. JonM
    Sep 20, 2008
    1
    Let me start by saying I would love to have given this game a far higher score; indeed I believe it deserving of at least a seven. The concept is good, there are some brilliant weapons and vehicles. However, the unacceptable amount of glitches and bugs, combined with some truly dreadful voice acting and very shallow and undeveloped storyline, personally lowers the score for me. The final Let me start by saying I would love to have given this game a far higher score; indeed I believe it deserving of at least a seven. The concept is good, there are some brilliant weapons and vehicles. However, the unacceptable amount of glitches and bugs, combined with some truly dreadful voice acting and very shallow and undeveloped storyline, personally lowers the score for me. The final straw was when the game refused to allow me to access my saves, meaning I had to restart the whole game. This has happened a second time, and quite frankly EA and Pandemic have a hell of a lot to answer for. This game is CLEARLY NOT FINISHED, so WHY was it released. Never before have I encountered such an annoying game, and I truly feel sorry for (most) of the people involved in the game, as they now are left looking at it and thinking … Expand
  13. ALLG
    Sep 5, 2008
    4
    Total dissapointment. Crappy physics, horrible bugs, and the graphics could be a lot better. I can't figure out why this was pushed back so long. They sure were not not working on the game during those months of delay. I'd much rather be playing the first Mercenaries. The game is actually thrown together so poorly that you can actually see some of the seams where they put Total dissapointment. Crappy physics, horrible bugs, and the graphics could be a lot better. I can't figure out why this was pushed back so long. They sure were not not working on the game during those months of delay. I'd much rather be playing the first Mercenaries. The game is actually thrown together so poorly that you can actually see some of the seams where they put together the game. Terrible. I want my money back.… Expand
  14. sullye
    Aug 24, 2009
    3
    Yeah this game isn't to be taken seriously, I'll give it that. However I'll be specific when i say this; WTF this game has a NUKE but by the time you get it you're so effing over blowing the same ol same ol that you don't even care to use it. Not to mention that collecting these little red boxes is a head ache and a half, or at least it was. Now that the game Yeah this game isn't to be taken seriously, I'll give it that. However I'll be specific when i say this; WTF this game has a NUKE but by the time you get it you're so effing over blowing the same ol same ol that you don't even care to use it. Not to mention that collecting these little red boxes is a head ache and a half, or at least it was. Now that the game glitched out and I lost every part I collected. Not to worry though if I come within a few cm. of the I get them back, so I'll just fly around this aimless map in a helicopter that averages 15 MPH, man I'm bored just thinking about it. This is a half game, for the guy who says "just rent it" yeah that's fine except that it'll only generate enough revenue from that (not to mention false demand) to encourage duplication, not innovation.… Expand
  15. DME
    Jul 15, 2012
    0
    Literally unplayable
  16. msherry9
    Jul 10, 2011
    5
    This review is several years late and I purchased the game for a mere $8.00 recently with my friend, seeking a new game to grant me another two week haven of decent entertainment. Overall, despite it being an extremely low cost, I can BARELY say that it was worth it. At first, the novelty of open world roaming game and awesome explosions did its job, mesmerizing me in my first few hours ofThis review is several years late and I purchased the game for a mere $8.00 recently with my friend, seeking a new game to grant me another two week haven of decent entertainment. Overall, despite it being an extremely low cost, I can BARELY say that it was worth it. At first, the novelty of open world roaming game and awesome explosions did its job, mesmerizing me in my first few hours of gameplay. But as with all novelties, it eventually wore off, leaving nothing more than its barren, uninspired, bland carcass. To start, there's a glitch before you even get to the main menu, where if you have Xbox Live but are not connected to the EA servers at that time, you're game will freeze at the main menu. It's rather embarassing that to this day, there has not been a patch to fix this. The storyline of the campaign is something you would expect out of a subpar action film, where you're a mercenary who has been stood up and betrayed by one of your contractors, and you seek revenge. There is no story arc and the entire tale is extremely bland and boring. I literally could not care about the story less, and all of the main characters except Mattias are total idiots. What you eventually come to realize is that there are no real main storyline missions. To progress in the campaign, you must do all of the sidequests and jobs available from all of the various factions and eventually a random cutscene will advance you in the story. At first, all of these side jobs are exciting and quite fun to blast through, but as I was sitting there, escorting the same damned executive to the same damn building for the 6th time, I realized that every single side mission from every single faction winds up being the same repetitive, mind-numbing garbage over and over again. Blow this building up. Defend this structure. Escort this d-bag to point X. Capture this building. There's an absolute abundance of missions to do, but as mentioned earlier, are all essentially the same, merely adjusting the difficulty and amount of enemy resistance to appear different. Sure, as you progress you unlock new weapons, vehicles, and airstrikes, but when you look at it from afar, it really doesn't add up to much at all, and certainly wasn't a very good incentive to keep progressing. All of the airstrikes pretty much function the same, save for a few, and the vehicles have horrible handling as well as generic weapons. Every .50 caliber machine gun on every vehicle is the exact same, and the sound effects in general aren't very good. Cars have the most unrealistic damage that they can sustain before exploding. If you drive over a slight hill on a road and your back bumper grazes the summit, you will take 15% damage of your starting 100% health. It gets old, fast. The graphics are actually not bad, and the explosions on this game still never cease to amaze me, consisting of amazing smoke textures and fantastic effects. It's always entertaing to "paint" an area with a nuclear bunker buster and watch as an entire outpost of enemy soldiers are obliterated amidst a glorious mushroom cloud of death. The co-op is pretty decent, featuring solid drop-in and out mechanics, but it also erases the airstrikes of the non-host as well as all of his vehicles. If you complete a mission in your friend's lobby, it does not count for you at all. The characters in the campaign are likable enough, and voice acting is mediocre at best. The dialogue is hilarious at times, especially for the jet pilot you eventually recruit. Every game has its glitches, but this game features a ridiculous amount of them, ranging from regular game crashes all the way to disappearing characters models. They happen much more often than is tolerable, and quickly spoils much of the small amount of fun remaining in this already mediocre game. The guns are not satisfying to use, save for explosive weapons, and they shoot essentially the same. Overall, this game is probably one of the most uninspired and repetitive games out there. The side missions are grueling and sometimes ridiculously hard, and you never feel a sense of accomplisment no matter how far you progress in the game. Cheesy storyline (as if one mercenary can push an entire military presence out of a country), and a glitchy mess sums this game up. The only incentive that kept me going was achievements, and I even had to settle for those. Not recommended, unless you can get it for less than $10.00.… Expand
  17. Tanner
    Sep 1, 2008
    9
    I bought this game yesterday and trust me, if anyone has this game and is bummed out (like i was at first), THE GAME GETS BETTER you need to do the story missions to get all the cool weapons and vehicles. I haven't even played coop yet and it might turn my 9 to a 10.
  18. BobN.
    Oct 4, 2008
    10
    Excellent game. The only bad thing about it is that its animated. Other then that its the best game i've ever played.
  19. NickB.
    Sep 1, 2008
    7
    Could have been better with more action animations like the first one.
  20. Brinan
    Sep 3, 2008
    10
    Truely amasing game, wasn't expecting much going in -- but i was impressed. So many weapons and vehs! Lots of 'mission' variation to keep anyone busy from boredom, everything is destructable.. airstrikes.. supply drops. Just so many options to complete each mission, no mission is really the same, and you can't use a single weapon and blow through the entire game -- you Truely amasing game, wasn't expecting much going in -- but i was impressed. So many weapons and vehs! Lots of 'mission' variation to keep anyone busy from boredom, everything is destructable.. airstrikes.. supply drops. Just so many options to complete each mission, no mission is really the same, and you can't use a single weapon and blow through the entire game -- you HAVE to use everything at your disposal. The Co-op just takes this game to the next level.. Double the destruction, nothing like blowing up entire cities with a buddy.… Expand
  21. JerryC
    Sep 3, 2008
    6
    I am giving this game a low score even though i waited for this to come out since the first game which i played countless times. There are just too many flaws with this game to ignore. The enemy AI is something not everyone will be mad about but yes they are extremely dumb, taking over the same turret after i just shot 4 guys in that same turret is not good. Also, later in the game there I am giving this game a low score even though i waited for this to come out since the first game which i played countless times. There are just too many flaws with this game to ignore. The enemy AI is something not everyone will be mad about but yes they are extremely dumb, taking over the same turret after i just shot 4 guys in that same turret is not good. Also, later in the game there are vehicle that no matter how hard you try you can't steal. Yes, the give the fun mini-game of the button presses but in the middle of the grappling part, no matter how fast you press the button, you always lose and get kicked off the vehicle, and this happens on several different models. Another thing is that there is little challenge like the last game, in Mercs 1 you had to actually find the HVTs and in Mercs 2 they are found for you, not only this but they also have nothing to do with the story. The graphics look good in some places but there is a horrible amount of pop-in and they use a load of questionable really low-def textures. Explosions look pretty and it is always fun to light a fuel tank on fire just to watch another pretty explosion. Co-op feels tacked on as they don't add more units to fight and most vehicles have you or your buddy just sitting in the passenger seat with nothing to do. All of this plus the fact that you and your buddy can't be seperated by more than 450 meters before the game lags you off. The game has some fun moments but overall, after I wanted this game to work so much, I will be going back to playing GTA4. For everything they got right, they got something wrong, something that should have been easily fixed.… Expand
  22. Toltec01
    Sep 4, 2008
    8
    I can't believe Bad Company got higher rating than this game, seems suspicious to me! Mercs 2 was alot of fun and can't wait to get back to playing. My only gripe is that it takes wayyyy to long to purchase any of the cooler items, these items shoudl be available to the player from the start of the game. Don't hold back and don't be greedy devs it will bite you in the I can't believe Bad Company got higher rating than this game, seems suspicious to me! Mercs 2 was alot of fun and can't wait to get back to playing. My only gripe is that it takes wayyyy to long to purchase any of the cooler items, these items shoudl be available to the player from the start of the game. Don't hold back and don't be greedy devs it will bite you in the but. Give the player the tools asap; listen in a world where player attention span is 3 seconds going into 10, you better give them the goods!… Expand
  23. DonM.
    Sep 4, 2008
    10
    This game is perfect for anyone who loves to shoot and destroy. The story of the game is a little mixed up but it keeps you busy. It is a better more in depth version of GTA4
  24. JeffL
    Sep 1, 2008
    7
    Frankly, the game looks unfinished or potentially faulty at the core. The single most annoying aspect of the game is the horrendously terrible pop-ins. Driving a motorcycle at full speed down the road is nearly impossible. You are driving along and then *poof* all of a sudden you are mid-crash with another vehicle sending you flying in the air. Several other annoyances follow in line Frankly, the game looks unfinished or potentially faulty at the core. The single most annoying aspect of the game is the horrendously terrible pop-ins. Driving a motorcycle at full speed down the road is nearly impossible. You are driving along and then *poof* all of a sudden you are mid-crash with another vehicle sending you flying in the air. Several other annoyances follow in line including terrible dialog, sub-par graphics, ridiculously stupid AI, and glitches galore. However, as most reviews have had to admit... it still has moments where it is insanely fun. Spending nearly 20 minutes completely leveling a fortified bunker in co-op mode was one of the funnest moments I have ever had on Xbox Live. And I applauded the foresight in turning this co-op because it saves an otherwise poor game. In the end, the game is a bit of a shame because its overall quality is laughable though there was clearly some great people involved, just not enough to complete the whole package.… Expand
  25. DarrenM.
    Sep 12, 2008
    8
    Gamespot, are you serious ?, not much to do , this game is one of the best blow the hell everything up to kingdom come shooters ive played in ages, so what if there are a few clithches the action is fast paced enough to make you go ," who cares", you guys who scored the game less than 75, go play chess !
  26. FPSMaster
    Sep 1, 2008
    5
    This is easily the worst looking and worst playing game of this generation and it looks like Eurogamer is the only reviewer to put this game in it's place like it should have. First thing you'll notice is how bad the graphics are. It's obvious this was made for PS2 then just ported right over like 360 launch titles in 2005. No textures on anything, just flat painted on This is easily the worst looking and worst playing game of this generation and it looks like Eurogamer is the only reviewer to put this game in it's place like it should have. First thing you'll notice is how bad the graphics are. It's obvious this was made for PS2 then just ported right over like 360 launch titles in 2005. No textures on anything, just flat painted on surfaces, the water looks like oil and something from a first gen PS2 title, the pop-in is as bad as GTA3's from 2001 and the animations are of the lowest PS2 quality. Unacceptable. The enemy A.I. is awful and either stands there or runs away. Friendly A.I. will not usually help you, but instead do the exact opposite of what you want them to. Shooting feels completely useless since you don't feel you're hitting anything until the enemy is dead. Driving feels like it came straight out of American Chopper on PS2 and you get stuck on everything. The destructibility is canned and looks worse then Mercs 1's destruction. The sound is annoying and grates on your nerves very quickly. The only saving grace is dropping bombs and seeing the decent explosions of which the fires go out after 5 seconds. Killing civilians costs you money, but they get up 15 seconds later and walk away. It just looks and plays awful and there are really not enough negative descriptive words to describe a game looking and playing this bad in 2008. There are too many glitches for this to be beyond a planning stage, much less finalized. There's no excuse for anyone to play this game like there was no excuse for it to take 3 1/2 years to make a game that looks and plays worse than the original. Where is the online multiplayer Pandemic promised for the sequel when it was announced in 2005? I don't know if EA having published this ruined it, but it's pretty sad that a game made by the developer of Full Spectrum Warrior, Star Wars Battlefront and the first Mercs could put out a game that makes Just Cause from 2006 seem to look and play better. Skip this turd, for the love of all things gaming. Please.… Expand
  27. StevenC.
    Sep 1, 2008
    9
    Its a fantastic sandbox game. I like the online co op. The Airstrikes are spectacular. Lots of fun
  28. DavidN.
    Sep 2, 2008
    10
    This game really worth it. It's realistic, beautiful, and awesome gameplay. If you need a game to wait for FABLE 2, GOW 2, spore or FARCRY 2, buy this one . You will never regret its awesomeness.
  29. BobT.
    Sep 2, 2008
    10
    This game is simply amazing and i believe that it will be one that i will be playing for a long time! love COOP!!
  30. KhristianR.
    Sep 29, 2008
    7
    I really liked Mercenaries on the Xbox. It was about fun, doing what you want at your pace and also, making explosions, BIGGER EXPOLOSIONS, EVEN BIGGER, That ad was catchy. I really was hoping this would be more of the same and an advancement, but sadly part of it seems a step back. There's a decent amount of missions and vehicles to use, different approaches, there is a hell of a I really liked Mercenaries on the Xbox. It was about fun, doing what you want at your pace and also, making explosions, BIGGER EXPOLOSIONS, EVEN BIGGER, That ad was catchy. I really was hoping this would be more of the same and an advancement, but sadly part of it seems a step back. There's a decent amount of missions and vehicles to use, different approaches, there is a hell of a lot of fun that can be had...but it seems that its drained with the sometimes slow-responsive controls. Also the animation in particular parts is very stiff. The graphics, in certain parts looks really good, whilst in others looks like its been rushed and its a mix-mash of good and rough. If a bit more time had been spent. I honestly think this would have been as polished and slick as the first title. Its a good game, but there's better out there. I'd advise for a rental. Its decent and most implemented well, but its nothing special...which is a shame. SCORE : 75%.… Expand
  31. KiraR.
    Sep 5, 2008
    9
    Has a lot of bugs and quirks, but some patching should fix the bugs and for the sheer entertainment you derive from jacking a tank, blowing the hell out of a city with a rocket strike, or the over-the-top PMC vehicles you can get should be more then enough to get past the quirks.
  32. JonathanW.
    Sep 5, 2008
    7
    Lots of fun. Not anywhere near as buggy as people are saying. Not being able to walk through bushes is annoying but not a game breaker by any stretch. The save system is absolutely stupid though. I've played the "blow up 3 airplane pieces and rescue airmen" mission too many times now - each time just dying assault the wreckage on the ship. I more forgiving save system would make this Lots of fun. Not anywhere near as buggy as people are saying. Not being able to walk through bushes is annoying but not a game breaker by any stretch. The save system is absolutely stupid though. I've played the "blow up 3 airplane pieces and rescue airmen" mission too many times now - each time just dying assault the wreckage on the ship. I more forgiving save system would make this mission much less annoying.… Expand
  33. JoeyK.
    Sep 8, 2008
    8
    The game is embarrassingly last-gen in many technical aspects, but it does manage to look and feel good. There are lots and lots of glitches, too. For the most part, the glitches *add* character to the game, strangely enough. Like the overwhelming cheesiness of a good/bad B-movie, they add a sense of nonsensical hilarity to the mix that makes you say "Screw it, I'm having fun!" even The game is embarrassingly last-gen in many technical aspects, but it does manage to look and feel good. There are lots and lots of glitches, too. For the most part, the glitches *add* character to the game, strangely enough. Like the overwhelming cheesiness of a good/bad B-movie, they add a sense of nonsensical hilarity to the mix that makes you say "Screw it, I'm having fun!" even though that trashcan is indeed hovering a hundred feet in the air for no apparent reason. Of the obvious glitches, very few of them actually impede gameplay, so it's hard to disparage them too much. The game isn't spectacular, but it's definitely fun and often wildly entertaining, if you're willing to remove the stick from your bum and just accept "inexcusable" glitches as part of the experience.… Expand
  34. MattB
    Sep 8, 2008
    7
    I was unsure about the quality of this game, so I rented it instead of buying it. Renting it was definitely worth it, but I wouldn't buy it. My first impressions were that the graphics are on par for today's standard, and that why did they have to fill the game with one liners and solely bothersome action hijacking animations. At first I was using the AK and picking up other AKs I was unsure about the quality of this game, so I rented it instead of buying it. Renting it was definitely worth it, but I wouldn't buy it. My first impressions were that the graphics are on par for today's standard, and that why did they have to fill the game with one liners and solely bothersome action hijacking animations. At first I was using the AK and picking up other AKs for ammo, but every time I did so, I had to listen to my character say one of 2 or 3 one liners time and time again. The hijacking seemed silly to me because you had to button mash a certain button at the right time in order to take the vehicle, but I could never get it down on the first try. The end result was memorizing what buttons to press, and when for each vehicle which isn't fun or a good challenge; Its just annoying. I did however like how the money for contract rewards were scaled with the money needed to buy support from stores which you can now buy from any faction, although each faction has a number of unique support options. I would find my funds steadily declining at a rate close enough to my income to keep me keen for the many capture, kill, or destroy mini objectives from each faction to bolster my income. While that was all fine and nice, the problem came down to these 3 things; 2 of which were in Mercenaries 1 as well. 1: The AI soldiers are still idiots. Now in Merc 2, the programmers made them sound smarter and fight a bit smarter, they are still idiots. They know how to look for you, re-man any emplaced weapons or vehicles (including tanks and helicopters), and use their melee attack, but they still stand out in the open just waiting for you to shoot. 2: Your only real weakness is explosive (weapons). Tanks, RPG's, and grenades are the only things that will devastate you 9/10 times. The other 1 time is the occasional SAM or HMG. Other soldiers barely scratch you. 3: The game turns into a repetitive grind of Capture outpost after outpost. But I'm not saying I didn't have fun with it, I'm just saying it gets old. Hence the 7 out of 10. Rent it now, or buy it when its available for cheap in the distant future. Oh, and although I never tried the coop, I just know that has to be fun. You+A friend+destruction= Win. Overall verdict, nice enhancements, but still has many unresolved problems from the original. Rent it, and if you do love it, go ahead.… Expand
  35. TrevorB.
    Oct 12, 2008
    9
    I though this game was a great destructive romp through a war-torn country. There was so much destruction and my only complaint is the mediocre story.
  36. jakestiner
    Nov 22, 2008
    10
    This IS the best game I have ever played and Icant wait to get it for the Xbox 360 and buy nuclear bombs. Lighting the trees on fire and everything is my dream game!!!!!!!!! This totaly, totaly wipes Grand Theft Auto IV RIGHT off the market and Mercenaries 2 in stock
  37. JamesM.
    Nov 7, 2008
    8
    How much fun can you have in a game? ok, so this can be seen as a poor rip off of GTA and the graphics are not the best and some of the controls and handling of vehicals can be shakey at times. It also has a LOT of bugs in the game which makes you wonder how they managed to release it without fixing them. HOWEVER, you have so much fun blowing things up and flattening everything you can How much fun can you have in a game? ok, so this can be seen as a poor rip off of GTA and the graphics are not the best and some of the controls and handling of vehicals can be shakey at times. It also has a LOT of bugs in the game which makes you wonder how they managed to release it without fixing them. HOWEVER, you have so much fun blowing things up and flattening everything you can see that you just wont car. If you embrace this game as GTA's evil child and just run with it you will enjoy it. If you are the kind of person who picks holes in every small flaw and gets irrate when things dont happen as then should, perhaps you should stay away from this game. If you just want to have a laugh then this is well worth getting.… Expand
  38. TomP
    Sep 1, 2008
    6
    Okay, the running is just ridiculously bad looking, the collisions are hokey, as are the cheesy rag doll effects when you fly off a bike, (Or when hitting a person) the trees get destroyed like legos when ran into by a motorcycle, the water/swimming effects are downright terrible for any system after the N64, and to top it all off the gameplay really doesn't offer that much fun. Okay, the running is just ridiculously bad looking, the collisions are hokey, as are the cheesy rag doll effects when you fly off a bike, (Or when hitting a person) the trees get destroyed like legos when ran into by a motorcycle, the water/swimming effects are downright terrible for any system after the N64, and to top it all off the gameplay really doesn't offer that much fun. Seriously, if I had a game that came out looking like this after years of development, I would've scrapped the whole thing, or set it back another year. Anyone who plays games will realize this as a substandard excuse for GTA4 (An infinitely better game) - only mercenary style. Very unflattering comparison. Get that, don't waste your time with this. (It's only redeeming feature is building destruction).… Expand
  39. JuicyB.
    Sep 1, 2008
    1
    This game blows. Its ugly and its like being a gaming neither world when playing it. The AI is terrible and I could spend my 60 bucks to blow stuff up in WAY more entertaining games.
  40. BillyB
    Sep 10, 2008
    4
    Bug ridden, infuriating mess of a game, this is one rare title that's had me shouting profanities at the screen it's irritating both in structure and execution, badly flawed and i sincerely hope you chose to avoid it or rent it, i literally feel ripped off it's that bad. Oh and you cannot play co op with people in other countries.
  41. LBoyd
    Sep 1, 2008
    7
    M2:WiF has all the polish of "Earth Defense Force" (not entirely a good thing). I am playing as I write this and I must say,it's a bit of a let down. Yeah! You can blow crap up and all that, but it comes off a bit "last-gen" in the area of graphics quality and game-play. In fact, the first Mercenaries did a much better job of creating a sense of atmosphere in its maps! I know you may M2:WiF has all the polish of "Earth Defense Force" (not entirely a good thing). I am playing as I write this and I must say,it's a bit of a let down. Yeah! You can blow crap up and all that, but it comes off a bit "last-gen" in the area of graphics quality and game-play. In fact, the first Mercenaries did a much better job of creating a sense of atmosphere in its maps! I know you may be reading this and thinking I "must be crazy", but compared to other "blow-em up" titles and you'll see what I mean. "Quake Wars:Enemy Territories" has more polish! How is it that the characters can bump into a destroyed section of building and it flips into the air, there is no offline co-op, and very glitchy: characters holding pistols as if they are shotguns, boulders that fly about with the slightest touch, etc. How long have the developers been working on this one? Not very polished, not very polished at all.… Expand
  42. DVSA.
    Sep 12, 2008
    9
    I actually loved this game. Yeah, sure it has some minor bugs, but as soon as you blow something up, you forget about it. Blowing up a small town with a crapload of big bombs, while getting paid for doing it, so that you get to do it again. And what is more fun than this? Doing it with a friend over xbox live! Double people= double explosions and death. Ok, i have to say, the graphics I actually loved this game. Yeah, sure it has some minor bugs, but as soon as you blow something up, you forget about it. Blowing up a small town with a crapload of big bombs, while getting paid for doing it, so that you get to do it again. And what is more fun than this? Doing it with a friend over xbox live! Double people= double explosions and death. Ok, i have to say, the graphics arent top notch, but the controls are pretty much as good as it is possible. I actually enjoyed this more than GTA4… Expand
  43. MattA.
    Sep 15, 2008
    8
    Could have been a little better on bullet precision. I was a big fan of "Play Ground of Destruction", so I love this one.
  44. SteveM
    Sep 2, 2008
    8
    I'm absolutely temped to give this game a 9, but I'll stick with something more around 8.7. This game is an accomplished open world third person shooter. I admit, I'm only a few hours in, but the game is really awesome. Anyway, I'm not here to review, I'm here to put to rest some incorrect claims about this game. First, it's really not as buggy as people I'm absolutely temped to give this game a 9, but I'll stick with something more around 8.7. This game is an accomplished open world third person shooter. I admit, I'm only a few hours in, but the game is really awesome. Anyway, I'm not here to review, I'm here to put to rest some incorrect claims about this game. First, it's really not as buggy as people would have you believe. Second, for an open world game, the graphics look quite nice. Finally, people in general seem to be hating on this game, but I took a chance with it, and as I big fan of GTA4, I can honestly say this game, while not quite at the level of polish that GTA4 had, is still up there and makes up for what it's lacking with huge explosions. Seriously. Ka-boom.… Expand
  45. MichaelS.
    Sep 20, 2008
    3
    I waited years for this game. The first was classic... and well, this just happens to be the biggest games-related disappointment since HAZE. It's actually quite a lot worse than that game since Haze is average and this is far below (graphically, AI wise, and gameplay). A travesty.
  46. NicholasK.
    Sep 27, 2008
    8
    Ater a hard day of serious corporate affairs, professionalism and employment responsibilities it is very relaxing and rejuvenating to just come home, kick off my shoes and start blowing up and destroying everything in sight! Cluster bombs are my particuliar favotite!
  47. wans
    Sep 3, 2008
    1
    Terrible game, the graphics suck, the gameplay is bland.
  48. MatthewS.
    Sep 3, 2008
    9
    a great game but there are several glitches that are annoying if you beat the game you get mos of the achivements the coop sucks because of lag at times differing information and progress is not transferable to single player unless ur the host the diffucality can be insanly hard to insanely easy at times
  49. chrisy
    Sep 3, 2008
    8
    This game is great fun, i loved the first one and could not wait for number two. yes its true the games not going to win any visual awards, but like i said it looks great and is alot of fun.
  50. ApocalypseBrown
    Sep 4, 2008
    4
    Everybody is entitled to a opinion, unfortunately many people opinion are far from the truth. While not testing the online features, this game is worse than the original. Don't get me wrong, blow things up with air fuel tankers is extremely fun, but unlike Battlefield it becomes very boring very quickly. The character interaction with other clans is also rubbish, as well as the Everybody is entitled to a opinion, unfortunately many people opinion are far from the truth. While not testing the online features, this game is worse than the original. Don't get me wrong, blow things up with air fuel tankers is extremely fun, but unlike Battlefield it becomes very boring very quickly. The character interaction with other clans is also rubbish, as well as the mission objectives. Overall, Battlefield is a much better game, so is GTA4, so is virtually any open world game compared to this.… Expand
  51. MikeD.
    Oct 16, 2008
    9
    The game looks great and sounds great. The main mission and side missions are well done and will take a decent bit of time. It's a blast on single player and exponentially more entertaining with a human comrade running through Venezuela with you. There are some bugs that can be bothersome but none that I would personally say are even close to being dealbreakers. Bottom line is---you The game looks great and sounds great. The main mission and side missions are well done and will take a decent bit of time. It's a blast on single player and exponentially more entertaining with a human comrade running through Venezuela with you. There are some bugs that can be bothersome but none that I would personally say are even close to being dealbreakers. Bottom line is---you can blow $#!t up as you see fit and most importantly; It's just flat-out plain old fashioned fun.… Expand
  52. AnonymousMC
    Dec 15, 2008
    2
    Where to begin? This game is riddled with bugs, many of which will lead to you failing missions. Not that failing missions will be anything new to you having played this game for a while as the people at Pandemic seem to be completely unaware of that thing called "balance". This game sets out from the start to screw you as hard as possible.

    The entire premise of having one person defend    Where to begin? This game is riddled with bugs, many of which will lead to you failing missions. Not that failing missions will be anything new to you having played this game for a while as the people at Pandemic seem to be completely unaware of that thing called "balance". This game sets out from the start to screw you as hard as possible.

    The entire premise of having one person defend themselves against entire armies sounds ridiculous and begs the question of what they've done to even the balance. The answer is nothing. On entering a town you will be bombarded with missiles from every direction. Another indication that Pandemic have no idea what they're doing is that missiles trump everything and *everyone* has missiles. On foot? The enemies perfect aim will make sure that within a couple of hits you will be dead. Back to the start with another 10 minute drive to look forward to. Grab a tank? Again, a couple of RPG hits and the tank is gone and you are back on foot. Helicopter? Again, you will be blown out of the sky within a few seconds.

    I judge games by the amount of enjoyment I get out of them. There is very little fun to be had in this game and a whole lot of frustration as you battle with all the glitches and the fact that the odds are stacked completely against you. The punishment for failure is high as you are forced to start the mission all over again which always involves driving/flying/etc all the way back. The missions themselves are boring and range from "blow this thing up" to "blow this thing up in x amount of time". Even taking enemy vehicles is tedious as you're forced to complete a stupid mini-game where you have to hit certain buttons in sequence.

    In short this game is extremely derivative and yet despite it's lack of originality fails at everything it does. When it's not boring you to death it has you screaming with frustrating.    … Expand
  53. Bor
    Aug 21, 2008
    8
    The Best Game!!!
  54. DavidW.
    Aug 31, 2008
    6
    This game is very much like the first with arguably better graphics(more detail, but not as clean looking) but because it does not have off-line co-op I give it a 6. I returned this game the same day I bought it because what good is a game if you can't invite your freinds over and play it with them. I guess there is no money in that.
  55. BrendonV.
    Sep 12, 2008
    9
    This game is really hit or miss (as you can see in the comments). If you're looking for a well rounded game that has a compelling story and mind blowing graphics you're in the wrong place. This game is for people who love destruction in all the variety of ways it can be administered. I've only had the game for a short while now but I'm totally enamored. Playing online This game is really hit or miss (as you can see in the comments). If you're looking for a well rounded game that has a compelling story and mind blowing graphics you're in the wrong place. This game is for people who love destruction in all the variety of ways it can be administered. I've only had the game for a short while now but I'm totally enamored. Playing online with a friend is just amusing as hell. The game isn't polished, but it delievers its "World in Flames" tag line very very thoroughly. Its arcadish and throws realism out the door, but I didn't buy it for either of those. Its strength is in the joys of explosions, crazy vehicles, and explosions.… Expand
  56. BenC
    Sep 16, 2008
    8
    The game does have a few graphical hitches, and it doesn't have the greatest AI in the world, but if you want a mindless action game that leaves you with a massive stupid grin on your face, its so easy to ignore the issues, which lets not forget GTA4 had its equal share. In the end, while it might not be the best horse at the show, it gets down to what games should be: fun.
  57. OpW.
    Sep 18, 2008
    8
    I was bought this game as a birthday present, so I have no conflicts of interest in offering my review. I have to say, despite my initial reservations having read many gaming reviews, this is the most fun game I've played since COD4. Indeed, Mercs 2 and COD4 are probably the only FUN games I've played in quite a while... Mercs 2 is not as pretty as it should be, and the AI, I was bought this game as a birthday present, so I have no conflicts of interest in offering my review. I have to say, despite my initial reservations having read many gaming reviews, this is the most fun game I've played since COD4. Indeed, Mercs 2 and COD4 are probably the only FUN games I've played in quite a while... Mercs 2 is not as pretty as it should be, and the AI, targeting, and pop up are almost unforgivable. But they ARE forgivable because the game is fun! I wish the same could be said of the many games I've payed for over recent years.… Expand
  58. [Anonymous]
    Sep 21, 2008
    8
    Fun sandbox game. More enjoyable than GTA. Online Co op a great added feature. Unlockables add a great replay value. Not a perfect game but a solid one.
  59. Slate
    Jul 15, 2011
    5
    The funny thing is it looks some people review this game without even playing it! Although a great concept for a game it lacks far too much. Guns are far too inaccurate, vehicles handle like garbage, graphics tend to flicker a lot, a ton of bugs from what I have came across. Poorly scripted in a lot of aspects, like I say a great concept for a game it would be fun if it matched up withThe funny thing is it looks some people review this game without even playing it! Although a great concept for a game it lacks far too much. Guns are far too inaccurate, vehicles handle like garbage, graphics tend to flicker a lot, a ton of bugs from what I have came across. Poorly scripted in a lot of aspects, like I say a great concept for a game it would be fun if it matched up with the integrity of games such as GTA etc. But lacks so much and seemed rushed into development. They are no longer a developer on top of that so that says something. I'm just glad I got this game out of a bargain bin for $8.00 but even then I don't think it was worth my $8.00.… Expand
  60. oldmanyounger
    Apr 14, 2011
    8
    Short review: I just watched a Let's Play for this game and boy, did it remind me how much fun it was. It's not a great game, but it's just plain non-stop fun of blowing stuff up. In the end, I prefer Just Cause 2, which has the advantage of being younger than Mercs2. Both are great for blowing stuff up.
  61. kenosando
    Nov 14, 2011
    5
    EA ruined this game. I think they got too involved in Pandemic's workings and made this game borderline cheesy. The single saving grace to this game (and why it received instead of 0) was the open-world aspect. Vehicles galore. Weapons galore. The map is very large, would take you several hours to discover every nook and crannie it has to offer. The addition of boats is awesome. I haveEA ruined this game. I think they got too involved in Pandemic's workings and made this game borderline cheesy. The single saving grace to this game (and why it received instead of 0) was the open-world aspect. Vehicles galore. Weapons galore. The map is very large, would take you several hours to discover every nook and crannie it has to offer. The addition of boats is awesome. I have never had so much fun speeding down a river in a jet ski or speedboat, and the terrain is very well designed, a step above the prequel. This is a much more fun open-world experience than that of the prequel, and that is where the positive stops. The story is terrible. The dialogue is terrible. 99% of the missions are terrible, no where near the difficulty that the original had. The entire game can easily be beaten in a hour, which is pathetic. There is no real reason to side with any particular faction, because the story ends the same nearly every time. The story is terrible (sounding like a broken record). It is such a shame the open-world momentum was halted by a storyline so sappy and flooded with sidekicks, it is amazing that this game was written by adults. Think of cheesy Saturday morning cartoons that are forced into a T-rated game, and you get this. I have spent about 100 hours playing the open-world experience of the game, and about 3 beating the game twice. My advice is to get into the game, get past the awful opening scenes, play just enough of the game to get your chopper pilot and bomber, and then activate all the cheats. The Fuel air launcher and anti-material rifle are the best weapons in the game. The line of luxury cars you can receive is pretty awesome. Before you get too depressed by the story and dialogue, go have fun first, and then forget there is a story to this game.… Expand
  62. OttawaExile
    Nov 28, 2012
    9
    It is more of an 8.5 but I'm rounding up. This is one of the most underrated games on the 360 (or PS3) loads guns, vehicles, airdrops to play with and you can blow up almost everything if you put your mind too it. helicopters are fun to fly. The sandbox environments are huge. The story is ho-hum and there can be some pop in but the core game is incredibly fun. I'm sure this game is like 15It is more of an 8.5 but I'm rounding up. This is one of the most underrated games on the 360 (or PS3) loads guns, vehicles, airdrops to play with and you can blow up almost everything if you put your mind too it. helicopters are fun to fly. The sandbox environments are huge. The story is ho-hum and there can be some pop in but the core game is incredibly fun. I'm sure this game is like 15 bucks most places now, if you can find it do yourself a big favour and pick it up! It is a great co-op game but just as fun solo.… Expand
  63. Compi24
    Jun 25, 2013
    7
    The world is not very noteworthy, and some of the gameplay is kind of insignificant, but the destructibility and action of 'Mercenaries 2: World In Flames" is really all you need for an entertaining action experience.
  64. Rox22
    Sep 12, 2013
    7
    It is more or less exactly the same as the first game, just with better graphics, a few new additions and a different location.

    There are a ton of glitches and bugs in the game, but luckily I managed to bypass most of the serious ones, so my game went mostly problem free. Overall: While it is more of the same. That isn't a bad thing. The first game rocked and so did this one. Just a    It is more or less exactly the same as the first game, just with better graphics, a few new additions and a different location.

    There are a ton of glitches and bugs in the game, but luckily I managed to bypass most of the serious ones, so my game went mostly problem free.

    Overall:
    While it is more of the same. That isn't a bad thing. The first game rocked and so did this one. Just a real shame they weren't a bit more daring. Also, the game could have used a bit more test before release.    … Expand
  65. GundamMars
    Apr 2, 2014
    4
    Take a great action game add Monster energy drink and you've got Mercenaries 2. This game took a route that most games usually go down if the original becomes popular enough. MAKE IT EXTREME!!!! The once cool, low-key characters have become over-blown and over the top cut outs of their former selves. Covered in tattoos and sporting more attitude than necessary this game destroys everythingTake a great action game add Monster energy drink and you've got Mercenaries 2. This game took a route that most games usually go down if the original becomes popular enough. MAKE IT EXTREME!!!! The once cool, low-key characters have become over-blown and over the top cut outs of their former selves. Covered in tattoos and sporting more attitude than necessary this game destroys everything that made the original so great. From choppy graphics, pop in that would be bad on the Dreamcast and collision detection that'll make you say "HUH?!" The only redeeming feature is the 2 player co-op, but even that has just as many flaws as playing alone.… Expand
  66. taconinja
    Jul 31, 2014
    8
    This is fun, but flawed, mostly due to EA shutting down the multiplayer servers. It also is a little buggy, and its graphics aren't top notch, but are good. This is good to play as long as you can ignore its small little screw ups.
  67. Alex_Pilgrim008
    Sep 11, 2023
    7
    "World In Flames" is not as good as the original "Mercenaries", but it does provide lots of mindless fun. Unfortunately, this is a very bug-filled game that can be quite repetitive. The big new feature is the two player co-op mode that I never did play. Fans of the first game may like it or be disappointed. This is one of those "try before you buy" games. I would give it a 7.4 out of 10.
  68. goodgriff33
    Jan 26, 2023
    8
    Answer: 75 characters is between 10 words and 19 words with spaces included in the character count. If spaces are not included in the character count, then 75 characters is between 12 words and 25 words.
  69. FrankCreeper
    Jul 4, 2023
    8
    A good open world game about mercenaries,heavy destruction and funny gag about the mercenaries in this game...I think Pandemic create a unique game with his massive destruction on game and all the battle with other faction in game...well done!
    P.S i Played both versions on console
  70. M1sfiT
    Sep 3, 2023
    3
    Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamessss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! m2

Awards & Rankings

84
#84 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2008
24
#24 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2008
28
#28 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 69 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 69
  3. Negative: 2 out of 69
  1. Gamer 2.0
    77
    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.
    Read full review
  2. IGN
    79
    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.
    Read full review
  3. 1UP
    83
    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.
    Read full review
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