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How Metascores Are Calculated
68
1942: Joint Strike
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games. |
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is an explosive open-world action game set in a massive, highly reactive, war-torn world. A power-hungry tyrant messes with Venezuela's oil supply, sparking an invasion that turns the country into a warzone. But for you, international crisis is all upside: You are a mercenary, and you profit from chaos. Mercenaries 2 features a slew of potential clients, all willing to pay you to do their dirty work. Dirty deeds, done for exorbitant fees. These are world powers with deep pockets, deep grudges, and enough arms and ammo to start World War III. This is your kind of environment. Mercenaries 2 features the latest and most dangerous in civilian and military tech, everything from shiny new sports cars, to the future-tech satellite-guided bunker-busting mini-nuke. Tanks, APCs, boats, luxury automobiles – you name it, you can have it delivered to you in real time. And if you run out of cash you can always 'acquire' the gear you need in the field. If you see it, you can buy it, steal it, or blow the living crap out of it. Play your own way, or play with the help of a friend in the new cooperative multiplayer mode. You are not a soldier. You don't have to play by anyone's rules. You have your own code: you will fulfill the terms of the contract, no matter what. Not everyone in the world of Mercenaries is as honorable. Everyone will try and screw you, given the chance. They think they can get away with it, because they don't know rule #1: EVERYBODY PAYS. [Pandemic Studios]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 93
GamingTrend
Mercenaries 2 is absolutely fun in spite of its quirks and should be at the top of everyone’s must buy list.
 85
NZGamer
The ability to approach missions as you want to or just cruise around town in a tank, blowing stuff up is something you can't get anywhere else and simply must be experienced.
85
Gameplayer
Small gripes aside, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is a title for anyone who’s ever stomped on a sand castle, mashed together Tonka trucks, or blown something up. It’s big, it’s bad, and the thrill of demolishing everything in sight never gets old.
85
GameZone
Mercenaries 2 gives you a big environment to explore (and destroy), tons of vehicles and weaponry, and varied missions, making it a great step up from its predecessor.
83
1UP
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.
83
Game Revolution
Occasional hiccups or no, having this much open-world freedom to come at the enemy any old way you see fit is just too much damned fun.
80
Kombo
Mercs 2 is a largely successful effort that will literally give you more "bang" for your buck than most games out there.
80
IGN AU
A heap of fun.
80
GameSpy
Mercenaries 2 is a lot of fun if you don't get bogged down by its rough-hewn minutiae and relish the simple pleasures of blowing things up.
80
Team Xbox
The design and concept behind Mercs 2 is fantastic. Some of the artistic ideas and especially the music are totally top notch. It’s just a shame the entire experience doesn’t quite live up to expectations.
80
GameDaily
A satisfying amount of destruction, whether you blow up an oilrig with a well-armed helicopter or bring down a building with C4 and gas tanks. It's engaging and exciting, especially if you play co-op.
80
Official Xbox Magazine UK
The sequel adds considerable depth to the original's plus points, without turning it into a serious economic simulation of trying to work out how to get the right amount of Snickers bars to feed your hungry mercenaries.
79
IGN
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.
77
Gamer 2.0
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.
76
Worth Playing
Despite a plethora of technical problems that make Mercenaries 2: World in Flames feel like an unfinished title, it remains a lot of to play. You can bring down a city with the press of a button, and the explosions are simply breathtaking. I had a lot of fun while I was playing, but the mediocre length and frequent bugs make the title a little hard to recommend for $60.
75
Official Xbox Magazine
It’s a giant, busy sandbox full of all kinds of fiery and destructive toys, but you have to get a firm handle on the game’s uneven tempo and immersion-breaking little quirks to fully enjoy the amount of freedom it offers.
74
Talk Xbox
The arcade style shooting mixed in with the Hollywood blockbuster epicness delivers one of the more satisfying action games in recent years. If you’re a skeptic you should at least give Mercenaries 2 a shot.
73
Game Informer
I suppose it’s fitting that Mercs 2, like most topics bearing the weight of political posturing, is ultimately flaccid. But that doesn’t stop me from expecting more.
72
AtomicGamer
If you really wanted to get more out of rampaging around in GTAIV or want to go through an open-world action game with a buddy together over Live, then this one is worth your money. Otherwise, you might want to keep your cash and see what the rest of the holiday season offers us.
72
Cheat Code Central
Having to muddle through numerous menus to use the game's impressive airstrikes, travel all over the map to find work and shops, your inability to find a gun that fires straight, and a serious lack of challenge hamper what would otherwise be a fun and destruction-filled romp.
70
X360 Magazine UK
Mercenaries 2 doesn’t quite live up to all the good work done by the original and makes a bunch of new mistakes, but still proves entertaining enough to warrant a look.
70
GamePro
When there's dirty work to be done and you're looking for a hired gun, looks and originality don't matter much-all that matters is whether they can get the job done. You can approach Mercenaries 2 in the same way, letting it do its thing instead of obsessing about its shortcomings. Sure, it isn't exactly pretty and it doesn't reinvent the wheel but it does pack a nice satisfying punch.
69
3DJuegos
Only the unconditional fans of the most frantic and brainless action will find joy in World in Flames. Mercenaries 2 fails in its work to jump into the Next-Gen, and it´s because of repetitive and clumsy gameplay. Abundant Bugs, little difficulty and short term boredom are the main negative points of a game that only shines in the destructive way.
60
VideoGamer
Once you get past the terrible opening missions and start blowing things up with massive explosions there's a game here that is worth a look, but it's criminally unpolished and as such will leave many gamers rather unsatisfied.
50
GameSpot
Mercenaries 2 is filled with bugs and glitches that are unacceptable in a retail release. Even if it were possible to overlook the broken elements, you're still left with abysmal AI, repetitive mission structure, unsatisfying weapons, and a huge world without much to do.
50
EuroGamer
The usually reliable Pandemic has produced a game that not only fails to compete with any current-generation openworld, but somehow takes a backward step from the original. With uninspiring combat contributing to a succession of desperately poor missions, the only remaining question is whether the developer will get a third chance to rectify matters.
David N. gave it a10: Steve M gave it an8: Bob T. gave it a10: real gamer1 gave it a4: Froggy Mojo gave it an8: B L gave it a10: Steven C. gave it a9: |
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