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M. REMMERS

If it wasn't for disappointment I wouldn't have any appointments...
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Member Since: 3/2006Last Seen: 11/28/2009

VIDEO: Mercenaries 2 gameplay footage makes my pants tight

News Type: Event — Seeded on Sat Jul 5, 2008 4:04 AM EDT
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Have we seen any of this kind of footage? I can't remember any. This is raw, somebody's-on-the-other-end-of-a-controller video of Mercenaries 2 in action, with lead designer Scott Warner taking the wheel to show how the game's objectives can be completed differently using the three available mercenaries. And by "objectives completed" they mean "make everything around you explode".

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{"commentId":2121549,"authorDomain":"softfacts"}
M. Remmers

Up until this moment my excitement for Mercenaries 2 has only been hypothetical. I enjoyed the hell out of the first one but it remained to be seen if the folks at Pandemic could catch lightning in a bottle twice especially after EA wrapped their thorny tentacles around the developer. I'm happy to report that in light of this new video my frothy anticipation for the game is not only tangible but also a little sticky and a tough stain to get out out of the drapes. August 31st can't get here soon enough.

{"commentId":2121549,"threadId":"306491","contentId":"1640386","authorDomain":"softfacts"}
    Reply#1 - Sat Jul 5, 2008 4:20 AM EDT
    {"commentId":2121912,"authorDomain":"supernaught360"}
    Supernaught

    Mercs was easily in my top 3 XBOX games, and I really need for the sequel to deliver and expand on the original in some exciting new ways, mostly due to innovations in a few open world games since the original (Crackdown, Battlefield BC, Hulk:UD, etc...).

    Having said that, the game looks like a total blast - but for me, immersion drops a few notches when marred by visual/graphical inconsistencies. Screen tearing, severe "artifacting", and framerate issues abound in this gameplay dem.

    That's discouraging, considering how well the XBOX handled Mercs explosive open world tech, and how long they've had to polish this exciting sequel. I mean, the game has been "finished" since last year - to see these issues pop up in a game that's had extensive delays is disheartening.

    I'll keep my fingers crossed, but after playing the buttery smooth Battlefield:BC with its mercs-like explosive mayhem I expect a game of this pedigree (not to mention the same publisher) to fire on all cylinders.

    {"commentId":2121912,"threadId":"306491","contentId":"1640386","authorDomain":"supernaught360"}
      #1.1 - Sat Jul 5, 2008 8:33 AM EDT
      {"commentId":2122863,"authorDomain":"softfacts"}
      M. Remmers

      Until we see a final build it's just paranoia. Yhat's one of those worries you can harbor for any game. The limited hands-on's I've seen with it have never brought up any glaring technological issues. I wouldn't worry too much about it if I was you. You've got a magic 360 anyway. It's gotta be if it can play Ninja Gaiden II without slowdown. Most fratboys can't chug like that game does.

      {"commentId":2122863,"threadId":"306491","contentId":"1640386","authorDomain":"softfacts"}
        #1.2 - Sat Jul 5, 2008 12:21 PM EDT
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        {"commentId":2126713,"authorDomain":"supernaught360"}
        Supernaught

        I'm an advocate for polished electronics and software. Besides, I can deal with some minor issues, like hiccups, and even a bit of screen tearing (Chromehounds, Bad Company), but the things in that video were rather severe by anyone's standards - It's just a matter of how much one can tolerate, and if it affects gameplay. The new Hulk game had some similar gameplay crippling slowdown, very like what I saw in that Mercs gameplay.

        I honestly didn't have any issues with Gaiden II on the hard difficulty. However, on the second playthrough, on the next diff, (which throws rocket launching spider-clan ninjas from the getgo) I had some severe slowdown around the waterfall on the first stage. Needless to say - it's extremely dissapointing from the Team Ninja crew.

        BTW - overall, I thought Black was the better game overall - content galore, and more mission variety. If they could remake Black with the NG 2 gameplay... I'd have to be catheterized.

        Gears Of War is my measuring stick for next-gen visuals and polish so far. Still blows 'em all away, from a graphics fidelity standpoint. Mercs 2 however, is for me the stuff of gaming dreams, so enamored was I with the original.

        BTW - Why haven't you played Battlefield: BC?? That game is the real deal, man! They actually made a console game out of it, rather than PC sterility of Modern Combat. COD:4 style unlockable weapons and points sysytem, Mercs style destruction and things that go boom, and vehicular mayhem...

        {"commentId":2126713,"threadId":"306491","contentId":"1640386","authorDomain":"supernaught360"}
          Reply#2 - Sun Jul 6, 2008 8:14 AM EDT
          {"commentId":2127693,"authorDomain":"softfacts"}
          M. Remmers

          I honestly don't see much in the way of technical hiccups in this new Mercs footage. It looks exponentially better than the videos I've seen previously in that regard. I've got to take a "wait and see" approach.

          I almost bought Bad Company the other day. It wasn't really on my radar so I was surprised to see all the good press it's getting. I bought a Wii instead, but I really liked Modern Combat on the Xbox so BC is definitely a potential buy.

          {"commentId":2127693,"threadId":"306491","contentId":"1640386","authorDomain":"softfacts"}
            #2.1 - Sun Jul 6, 2008 11:59 AM EDT
            Reply
            {"commentId":2130792,"authorDomain":"supernaught360"}
            Supernaught

            You'd love it! But - there's no parachute, oddly. So, if your 'copter is getting shot up, your pilot had better be able to land fast. Otherwise. the 12 on 12 multi is smooth and action packed. More so than any other online FPS I've seen on consoles.

            {"commentId":2130792,"threadId":"306491","contentId":"1640386","authorDomain":"supernaught360"}
              Reply#3 - Sun Jul 6, 2008 11:22 PM EDT
              {"commentId":2130860,"authorDomain":"isaacs"}
              Scott Isaacs

              I enjoyed Mercenaries... it was like GTA with a military bent.

              {"commentId":2130860,"threadId":"306491","contentId":"1640386","authorDomain":"isaacs"}
              • 1 vote
              Reply#4 - Sun Jul 6, 2008 11:36 PM EDT
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