ok i gues
Cons: Hard as hell; not for gamers looking for substance; no deathmatch multiplayer options; battles aren’t as huge
Sam is back, and this time, he’s really serious. Well, not really, but Serious Sam 2 is definitely the game for shooter fans serious about adding more carnage to their diet with none of the unsightly fat of things like story, goals, points, or depth. And, yes, to us, that’s a good thing. Seriously.
Sam Times Two
Serious Sam 2 takes the original game and pumps it up in almost every direction. Sam 2 is bigger, harder, and, for the most part, better than the first game. The story oddly starts with a bit too much cinematic setup. It seems that three strange aliens need to find “the one” to fight off the evil of Mental (the big bad guy in the Sam games), so they transport Sam in to help. The plot gets even more threadbare from there. To get rid of Mental, Sam must find the five fractured pieces of a special talisman. Of course, each piece is guarded on a different world, so off Sam goes to fight through ocean paradises, swamps, futuristic cities, prisons, and other diverse locales.
In an era where even Doom is striving for substance (or the appearance of it), and games like Halo and Half-Life 2 have elevated the shooter to interactive movie status, Serious Sam 2 seems like a quaint throwback to olden days. You run around the usually large levels, grabbing as many guns and as much ammo, armor, and health as possible, while mowing down droves of enemies that come at you from all directions. There are a few switch-based puzzles here and there, and a commendable amount of hidden areas to find, but Sam really is, as he always has been, a one-trick pony.
Swimming in Shallow Waters
That said, for gamers who prefer swimming in the shallow waters of the gaming ocean, Serious Sam 2 delivers enough pointless violence to quell any office-time frustrations. Quirky developer Croteam hasn’t exactly outdone themselves with upping the gameplay complexity--in fact, it might actually be less complicated than the original. Enemies come at you fast and furious, but they're as dumb as iron. Also, the game lacks the really huge battles of the original where you’d fight hundreds of bizarre enemies at once.
Despite the lower enemy numbers, the difficulty of some of these battles is borderline insane, and casual shooter fans might find some of these levels a bit too overwhelming. Another change in the design is the inclusion of vehicles and gun turrets. You’ll ride a fire-spewing dinosaur near the beginning of the game, and then move on to various hovercraft-type vehicles later on. Many of the levels have gun turrets you can commandeer to fight off waves of oncoming bad guys, and you’ll often be trying to protect the weird looking natives of the worlds you visit.
Serious Graphics, Not So Serious Multiplayer
There are over 20 levels, and at a price tag of about $30, there's more gameplay than the original Serious Sam budget release. The reason why the screen isn’t quite as filled with badness probably has something to do with the improved 3D engine. Serious Sam 2 is gorgeous, with special effects like fire, water, and explosions good enough to rival any other game out there. The enemies are remarkably detailed, and the textures through most of the game are stunning. The rest of the presentation is solid as well, with plenty of Sam quips, and suiting, if forgettable music.
The multiplayer aspect of Serious Sam 2 is unfortunately not-so-serious. Deathmatch in the original game was an incredibly fun, surreal experience, yet the sequel lacks even that mode. Instead, Sam 2 has cooperative-only multiplayer. Now, we all love co-op play, but the lack of any other online modes just seems wrong. Still, the game is a lot of fun to play through with friends, and hopefully a multiplayer patch with more game modes will be released soon.
Mindless Carnage=Love
Serious Sam 2 is a game that aspires to be big, loud, obnoxious, and fun, and it succeeds. Much like the original, there’s virtually no depth here, but the focus on pure, unadulterated explosions is the perfect alternative to the heavy-handed, dramatic shooters we’ve seen lately. Although it's rather disappointing that the battles aren’t as epic as the first game, and the lack of deathmatch multiplayer is shocking, Serious Sam 2 carries the mantle of Sam well, with gorgeous looks and excellent gameplay.