MDK 2
Score: 80% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Interplay Developer: Bioware Media: GC/1 Players: 1 Genre: Action/ Adventure
Graphics & Sound: Once again, I am happy with the graphical performance of the Dreamcast. MDK 2 gameplay graphics are great. I'm a little disappointed with the cut scenes, but we play the game for the game, not for the movies. I not only liked the smoothness and detail of all the projections, but I also liked the color scheme and the fast frame rate. Other than the cut scenes, everything looked up-to-hype. Well, almost everything. Sometimes I noticed clipping problems (people disappearing into walls and stuff); also, I didn't like the -highlights- around some of the objects, primarily in the beginning of the game. Other than those two complaints, I have nothing but praise for the game's graphics. Even the comic strip opening is nice. The well-developed graphics supplement the well-designed gameplay to make this a good game.
Gameplay: Murder, Death, Kill - 2. Okay, here's the story. There's this scientist (Dr. Fluke Hawkins) that nobody really respects; no one except for his janitor (played by Kurt Hectic). Well, the good doctor and janitor duo leave earth to work in peace. While away from earth, Hawkins develops a 6-legged dog named Max (who also develops something, a nasty smoking habit). Also in development is a crime fighter suit, equipped with a parachute, a sniper mask, and armor. Guess what happens. That's right - evil aliens attack earth, and it's up to Kurt, Max, and Doc to save the world. [Enter the gamer, center stage]. The game plays like any other third-person action game. However, this is like having three games in one. Each character has things unique to himself. While playing as Kurt Hectic, you can glide using the parachute, kill using the chain gun, explode using items found in the game, and snipe using the mask (shouldn't he get a bad case of whiplash?). While being Dr. Fluke Hawkins, you can combine items to make things of destruction. Bet you didn't know a toaster could be dangerous. Max is a 6-legged, smoking dog with a jet pack - imagine the possibilities. The game is basically simple - run, jump, fly, shoot, murder, death, kill - 2. It's not an RPG and it's not a first person shooter - it's something in between. I was not a big fan of the controls, but the game ran great. It was fast, smooth, and most importantly, fun. At first I thought it very cheesy, but as I played more, I really got in to it. It just kinda grows on you. Kill all the aliens and save earth - that's every janitor's dream. I really think the game handled with the ease and grace of a computer game - well almost.
Difficulty: Once you get used to the controls, it's not that bad. The game itself is not that difficult. I would have to say that on a scale of easy to difficult, MDK 2 is closer to the easy side. Like I said, once you get the controls down, it's clear sailing.
Game Mechanics: Well, I didn't exactly fall in love with the controls. However, after a while, I did get used to them. Although they are awkward, they do make sense. The game ran fast and fluid, and the controls were very responsive. I even liked the camera angles. As a matter of fact, the only things I didn't like were the controls (at first), the difficulty (or lack thereof), and the cut scenes. Other than that, it's a perfect (and perfectly fun) game.
-Storm, GameVortex Communications AKA Jeremy Kelso
Maken X NBA 2K