Serious Sam II

Serious Sam II is a handful. It may be more action than you bargained for. If you're not interested in the online mode then rent it first but be warned you may not finish it in one weekend.

One of those rare games that, although in reality, is no more than a bog-standard shooter, somehow manages to still seem fresh and innovative. More to the point, it's brilliant fun to play. [Official UK XBox Magazine]

Few other FPS titles can match the intensity of this nitrous-charged shooting gallery, but plenty of them offer the kind of less that feels like much, much more. [Nov 2005, p.104]

Add in the co-op mode, and it comes down to the fact that if you've ever liked any first-person shooter, you should pick up Serious Sam II.

A great game for what it is! Sam doesn't try to be all fancy and keeps us basic with a theory of "tape the finger to the controller and kill em' all".

After a while, slaughtering endless waves of enemies gets a bit tiresome. Still, it's a fun way to let off a little steam, and it doesn't take itself too seriously. [Nov 2005, p.148]

The controls are tight, the action is fierce, and the game is funny. And for only 40 bucks, that's definitely A Good Thing.

A good choice for gamers who want a pick up and play session of shooting without needing extended involvement, and a fine choice for fans of the series.

Just as monotonous as the last game.

Simplistic and silly stuff but the OTT action and daft characters make this a slice of sheer shooting bliss. [Xbox World]

It's to Croteam's credit that Serious Sam II manages to stay interesting for as long as it does, thanks to the weird enemy design and tight levels keeping the pace from slacking. [Dec 2005, p.112]

Serious Sam II has a lot of levels and a few good laughs, but its simple shooting action is less likely to get your adrenaline pumping as it is to make you go numb.

You couldn't ask for a more unapologetically insane FPS. Turn off your brain, turn on auto-fire, and get serious.

Maybe I'd be a bit more forgiving of this game if it also managed to maintain the original's $20 price point, but I can't see any reason to pay full price for this poorly rehashed shooter.

While it isn't exactly a deep or story-driven tour de force, it is pure mindless fun and incredibly addictive.

The endless fragfest that is Serious Sam II occasionally runs the risk of becoming monotonous. What saves the title is the endless variety of enemies that come your way and the intense challenge that they offer.

A competent and enjoyable blaster and a great way to while away some time with friends. It's far from sophisticated, but does strive – and largely succeeds – to keep things fun.

If you're up for some old school arcade blasting flavour that you've got to savour with your neighbour Serious Sam's your man. Go buy and have some serious fun.

A linear yet fun experience and whilst it will not win awards for being complex in any way, and this includes the simple story; it does get the job done in an old school way.

While the graphics may not stand up to today's best on Xbox, and the level design may suffer from quite a few flaws, the sheer thrill of seeing the end-of-level kill total push its way into the hundreds after a hectic half-an-hour's blast can't be beat.

Serves up a piping hot platter of punishment, free of the FPS cliche's that mire other titles. [Dec 2005, p.115]

At times the gameplay can be a bit repetitive, and the humour isn't as successful as you'd hope, but if you're after more of the same then you'll feel right at home with Serious Sam II.

When it comes to balls-to-the-wall kitchen sink FPSs, Sam is the man. [Dec 2005, p.66]

This is mindless, cartoony fun, like a cool breeze blowing through your video game collection.

Mindless gameplay could be making its final appearance on the beleaguered Xbox, so players who relish the opportunity at sending a bunch of empty-headed hooligans to an early grave would be wise to shell out for the ticket price.

The first Serious Sam was tongue-in-cheek but this sequel crosses the line into obnoxiousness.

The bottom line is that this game is a lot of fun, does what it sets out to do with ease and I'm sure you'll find yourselves going back to this again and again if you get hold of it, especially if you can talk your mates into buying it too.

Admittedly, the assorted firepower offers little excitement, but the experience is convincingly upbeat thanks to the game's droll sense of humour.

Nothing but a serious disappointment... It just about manages to cover all the criteria but nothing feels as though Croteam have stretched the barrel – in many cases they feel surprisingly weaker then its predecessor.

This one is fun and a blast to get out your frustrations, but the fun seems to stop sooner than I would have liked.

Serious Sam 2 may be a pun prickling pap of a sequel, but it delivers exactly what it promises –mindless action and plenty of it. It's got guns, several shiny things to ogle over, and a cavalcade of monster scum to slaughter. But its slapstick humor alone cannot save this game from its incessant repetitiveness and less than innovative gameplay; albeit it is executed rather well.

The bottom line is that if you can overlook the mind numbing repetition and you're looking for a FPS with non-stop brainless action and a quirky sense of humor, than SSII is for you.