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Platform Filters:   All Platforms  Xbox   GameCube   PlayStation 2   PC   Game Boy Advance   Site Sections:   Updates  News   Games   Publishers   Developers   Reviews   Previews   Release Dates   Editorials   Glossary   Contact Us		Review:       13th July 2001: MDK2: Armageddon  Aliens are invading earth, and it's up to the inhabitants of the Jim Dandy to sort them out. Yes, MDK2 has landed in Europe. Posted by Marc Hull - PlayStation 2 - UK and Europe It's been a little while in coming, but finally MDK2 has arrived to give Playstation 2 fans a good dose of shooting and action. However, once you start playing into the game you'll realise that it offers more than a simple shoot 'em up; instead combining three unique gaming styles into one neat package. The story is simple: aliens are taking over (once again) and it's up to the crew of the spaceship Jim Dandy to stop the impending doom. You start off playing as Kurt, the janitor, who has super-strength and the ability to glide across rooms thanks to a special suit designed by a professor called Dr. Hawkins. Kurt's levels are exploration-based, requiring you to use your weapons carefully to progress to the next room. Just as you think you're getting the hang of things, you're suddenly thrust into the body of Max the robotic dog, another creation of Dr. Hawkins, as you take part in his side of the story. Max's levels are all-out shooting fests, with him having the ability to fire four guns at once. In fact, you fire so often during his sections that you'll need to be on the constant lookout for new weapons to make sure you don't run out of ammo. Once you've got past the first level as Max you're once again taken to a separate section of the game where you play as Dr. Hawkins himself, this time wandering about the Jim Dandy looking for items that can be combined to use as weapons. Although the gameplay may seem somewhat disrupted by the switching of styles, it's all strung together by the game's storyline which is told through some nice realtime cut-scenes. As one character completes a level, he talks to one of the others (usually through some hilarious dialogue) and you then continue as the other character trying to complete the common goal of exterminating the aliens. The quick gameplay switches between levels also add a great deal of variety to the game; indeed, you can never call this 'boring'. However, if there's one problem with this style of gameplay it is due to the lack of a character select function. As the game stands, you have to play through all the levels in a set order, with the characters switching every level, so you start out with Kurt, then switch to Max, then to Dr. Hawkins and then back to Kurt again. However, if you absolutely despise one of the gaming styles, you could well find yourself dreading those levels when they come along and not being able to play the levels you do enjoy. Which leads nicely to another point about the game - it's pretty difficult. It seems that the developers have taken each style of gameplay and tried to find the most formidable puzzles to fit them. In Kurt's levels this usually means having to find a weapon and then aim it accurately enough to hit a target while evading the hoards of aliens that are following you, in Max's it usually involves using the jet-pack to reach a high up platform before the fuel runs out and you plummet to the bottom floor again, and in Dr. Hawkins' it involves working out what objects you need and how to combine them to create useful items. Even so, there's enough enjoyment to ensure that you'll keep coming back. Graphically, MDK2 looks pretty nice, with some very detailed levels and hi-res texture work. However, compare this to the Dreamcast game and you'll find that it's practically the same, exept at a slightly higher and more consistant frame rate. Unfortunately, at the same time it misses out on a 60hz mode so you're left with some medium-sized borders at the top and bottom of the screen. In terms of sound, the dialog between characters is definitely worthy of mention. The voice acting is very well done and very funny, with each character sounding just as you'd imagine him to. For music, there's a mix of atmospheric and rock-based tracks which accompany the action and puzzle sections respectively and work pretty well. Overall, MDK2 is a good, polished game, which is definitely worthy of your attention if you haven't checked it out already. However, if you already own the Dreamcast or PC version there's little need to fork out for this as well. Marc Hull             Latest Images:		Review Scores:    Graphics:   Sound:   Gameplay:   Length:   Overall: Click here for our Review Score Guidelines.  Review Summary:  A very good game, combining three different play styles in one. With a (fairly) good sense of humour and loads of mindless violence it's set to go far, but there's little difference between this version and the others out on the market.  Related Games:  MDK2: Armageddon for PlayStation 2  10  Screenshots  1  Review Click here for All Game Information.
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