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. 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.
  2. M1sfiT
    Sep 3, 2023
    3
    Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamessss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! m2
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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.
  9. 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
  10. DME
    Jul 15, 2012
    0
    Literally unplayable
  11. 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.
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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.
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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.
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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.
  23. 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.
  24. 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
  25. 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!
  26. 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
  27. [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.
  28. 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.
  29. 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
  30. 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
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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.
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  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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