Techtite's PC Game Reviews!

"Most often, the first sequel in a series is more or less of a "mission disk" with the exact same game engine and slightly different game maps. That isn't the case here..."

---from the review

-----------------

Sidebar :

-------------

The "2" sequel curse... Off the top of my head, here are some initial sequels that were total downers, which enhance the surprise of this sequel's success. Such mission disks in game "sequel" packaging include: Doom 2, X-Com 2: Terror from the Deep, Alone in the Dark 2 (eesh!), Darkseed 2 (no; I tried to forget that!), and the sequel so bad it left fans stuck outside a spaceship for all time: Manhunter: San Francisco. Ah, the memories...! 

Lara vs. Cate: let's get ready to rummmble! With the first new Tomb Raider in over ??? years now just weeks away from release, comparisons between Lara Croft's latest game, and Cate Archer's, will be inevitable. Who will win? No telling until Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness is released, though let's just say Lara has a tough act to follow this time. On the other hand, looking at previews of the game make it look like another winner. If this means two cool sequels in time for the holidays, I'm all for it. 

-----------------

Feel free to contribute. As always, review submissions are accepted!

------------------

No One Lives Forever was one of the surprise hits of 2000. With very little advertising muscle to speak of, it rose via word of mouth to be Game Of The Year and/or Action Game of the Year in countless magazines and web sites. A sequel was inevitable, as is inevitably high expectations. What was not so inevitable --and quite a pleasant surprise-- is how much No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way meets and exceeds those expectations. Did I mention that this formerly single-player-only game now has a multiplayer option...? This could once again win several Game of the Year honors, very easily.

For those who were never caught up in the Cate Archer intrigue, here's a short taste of what you missed, and why you should go out and buy the Game of the Year edition right now. In the colorful spy-filled world of the 1960's, Cate is a former cat burglar recruited by U.N.I.T.Y., a secret British spy organization, to help thwart H.A.R.M., terrorists bent on world conquest. Her first case involves a potion that makes unsuspecting victims into human time bombs. After many amusing levels (including a space station!), Cate saves the day, though as the after-credits epilogue showed, one HARM boss got away. So begins the sequel.

Of course, the best sequels include 1) a return of your favorite characters, 2) a continuation of the ongoing story, and 3) a fair share of originality. Favorite characters do indeed return, including Cate, Bruno (now acting chief of UNITY while the boss is on vacation), and Dr. Schenker (now a full-time scientist for UNITY). Even "Santa" returns --your old mentor of spy gadgetry-- who informs you of extra mission details within missions, via a robotic, green-eyed myna bird. Yes, even old villains and mercenaries return, though I won't spoil the surprise there.

As for a continuation of the story --as well as originality-- Cate finally learns who the true Director of HARM is, and thwarts his latest plan. She also gets to visit the home of a double-agent from the original game, to learn the how and why behind that part of the prior story. As for originality, this game has no repetitive game maps from the prior game (even UNITY headquarters has had an overhaul), with missions that include trips to India, Antarctica, and an underwater secret lab. My favorite level would have to be Antarctica; when you explore dilapidated ruins only to come across the reason for their destruction face-to-face, this level is one of the most thrill-inducing "maps" of any action game I've played this year. This is all to get to the bottom of the latest H.A.R.M. plot, which may not be original though is certainly "ominous" in tone, enhancing the need to complete the mission (and the game)...

This isn't to say that the humor isn't still there. Enemies include "the mime king," who you even get to unmask, for an amusing added joke. Billboards in secret H.A.R.M. labs include messages like, "Fiscal Year Objectives...Overtake at least three more small countries...Plan a Better Company Christmas party...KILL CATE ARCHER!!!" Meanwhile, the enemy now deals with mistakes from its inept staff, by making them into "man crates"; a cubed version of their former selves. The darkly humorous way these man-crates attempt to put themselves to good use while still working for H.A.R.M. is a riot. Best of all is Cate's newest spy-gadgetry, including a can of hair spray that hides a blowtorch, a "mascara" stun gun, and a faux Angry Kitty that explodes with a "meow" when enemies get in range!

Now for the game iself. Using the completely revamped Lithtech game engine, graphics are a wonder to behold, with impressive water effects, textures, realistic characters/ environments, and yes, a decidedly easy-on-the-eyes main character. One nice addition to game interface is the ability to add skill points to Cate, enhancing the skills you use the most. While the prior game offered merely a few jokes for finding all those secret documents lying about, finding these clues leads to exploration points, used for purchasing enhancements to Cate's repertoire. Adjust her aiming, her stealth, or whatever skill you use the most; it's up to you. This enhances the strategy element of the game, since you can only enhance so much, depending on what skills you use the most. If you like stealth, you can become a master; if you prefer guns blazing, your aim can be made dead-on. It's all up to you. I particularly liked how turning off lights in a room can let you hide there if being chased by guards; it's little realistic details like this that divide the cool games from so-so games.

Of course, the best enhancement would have to be multiplayer...YAY! Up to four "agents" can play either via the internet or LAN, in levels built to resemble UNITY missions behind-the-scenes of key moments from the single-player game. I would've liked to be an agent that is less "generic" then the agent models you can select, though adding multiplayer options like this is clearly a step in the right direction. I would hate --no, loathe-- anyone who made such an ingenious single-player concept into a mere multiplayer standoff (think Quake Arena, and Unreal Tournament), though that doesn't seem to be the case here. It's an admirable addition, handled admirably.

Gripes? Only petty ones, though I'll mention them anyway. For one, what sort of copyright problems are responsible, for having the original No One Lives Forever game theme unheard except for "radios" (in the game) and the final credits...? Second: while it's nice to get back to the action quicker, the cutscenes in between missions are often too short. As long as the original game's cutscenes were, they enhanced the story (and the game) as a result, and this game's shorter cutscenes lead, admittedly, to a thinner story. Third: Cate deserves a love interest a la James Bond or even Austin Powers movies, yet is left in yet another finale, quibbling with a fellow UNITY agent. Last of all; the character models in multiplayer are too generic; the ability to play as characters in-game (Cate Archer, Bruno, and perhaps even Volkov and the Mime King in a "spymatch" of sorts) would've been even better. However, as I said these are petty gripes, and don't reduce this game's rating one bit.

The truth is, this is perhaps the best end-of-year game purchase an action-adventurer could make. Indiana Jones' next action game, as well as Lara Croft's, have both been slated for early 2003, not the holiday season. Indeed, the two bigshots earlier in 2002  --Jedi Knight Outcast and Freedom Force, in particular-- were a tough act to follow this year, yet NOLF2 delivers, with enough originality to make NOLF3 inevitable. I think we all can look forward to it. I look equally forward to additional games using the new Lithtech "Jupiter" game engine. Few game designers wouldn't want their own games to look just like this one.

---Techtite