Mercenaries 2: World in Flames

The first Mercenaries, published by LucasArts, was something of a sleeper hit. The free-roaming gameplay was a nice twist on the Grand Theft Auto formula, and the game’s setting helped it from seeming like a cheap knock-off. Now, Pandemic’s series is being published by EA, and the game is looking to set the bar very high for next generation sandbox games.

Taking place in Venezuela, the game will retain the structure of the original. Players will once again be able to sell their services selectively and choose whatever missions they want to complete. Little is known about the plot at this stage in the game, but what is known is that the game will offer a completely destructible environment. That means that everything from the trees to the largest buildings can be destroyed. Fire a rocket into a building and watch it crumble before your very eyes.

Another interesting feature is the ability to destroy buildings and structures by loading up vehicles with explosives, driving them towards the structure in question, and then jumping out at the last moment while the vehicle sails into the building and explodes.

To commandeer these vehicles, you will need to complete a series of cinematic minigames. Rather than just ripping a driver from their vehicle, you’ll have to complete some quick-time events that are specific to the type of vehicle you are stealing. For example, if you are stealing a tank, you will need to walk down the barrel of the tank, rip a grenade from the driver and lob it into the cab. Anyone who’s played Halo 2 will tell you that this can be satisfying, but whether or not it gets old after the 50th tank you steal remains to be seen.

The sense of scope in the game appears to be very impressive and the game looks like it can deliver both a cinematic, directed experience and offer the freedom of choice that so many gamers expect in their games these days. Given that there hasn’t really been anything like Mercenaries since the original, this one looks like it could fill a large hole in the war game genre. Stay tuned to NZGamer for a full review in the near future.