Kurt Hectic in his snazzy suit with ribbon chute is back to save the universe. This time he is teamed with the genius Dr. Hawkins and the 6-legged gun-toting robotic dog, Max. Together they must out-sneak, out-blast and out-think their enemies as they attempt to reclaim the Earth from a vile alien menace.
All three characters - Kurt, Doctor Hawkins and Max are playable, each has his own levels, powers and items and a completely different gameplay focus. Kurt is about stealth and sniping, the Doctor has a few direct attacks but also has the ability to create items and effects out of simple household objects, while Max is a cigar smoking, quad gun toting demolition squad of a dog.
Age requirements: ESRB Rating: TEEN with Animated Blood, Animated Violence.
Minimum system requirements: Windows XP or Windows Vista, 1 GHz Processor (1.4 GHz recommended), 256MB RAM (512 recommended), 3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 7 (compatible with DirectX 9 recommended), Mouse, Keyboard.
This sequel does what every sequel is supposed to do: raise the stakes and give more to do. This time around, the players are given three different characters with three different play styles to mess around with. I found the most pleasure playing with Max, the multi-limbed dog, as his sections were full of explosions and lots of mayhem. Kurt's sections were much like the first... full review game's -- a little sniping, a little parachuting, and we're good. Dr. Hawkins has the most interesting, if least-developed part of the game. His item-combining missions are mostly obnoxious fetch-quest and backtrack-heavy. On top of that, his missions are also heavy on combat, and he's not the most adept at handling the attacking critters. Come on...a radioactive projectile-spitting toaster?
In any case, the game is well-balanced and often very fun. The graphics look pretty crisp and nice over eight years later. The story and feel of the game is also expanded upon; it's much more absurd and has even more personality thanks to the technology at the time. There are some very intense platforming segments for all characters, though. Therefore, someone with an unbelievably precise hand - or a really nice gaming controller - will be able to successfully make his or her way though the latter parts of this game. Get to Max's jetpack levels to see what I mean.
This game is pretty intense and offers a lengthy play experience. It holds up today rather well, and has real ingenuity and personality behind it. Be warned again: game is hard and requires a steady hand and mind. It is also, however, fun, and keeps the spirit of the slightly superior, more consistent original. A solid sequel for fans of the genre and the original alike, but not for everyone.
MDK was a whole barrel of laughs. The comic enemies, the pure adrenaline rush of the combat sequences, and yet the great balance with the puzzles, that although sometimes stumping you, never quite perplexed to the point of frustration, and the truly awesome, and well animated (for the time) character of Kurt Hectic.... full review
MDK 2 still has many of these elements, and does add some extra bits, Max's levels are pretty cool, any game that allows the player to wield four chainguns simulataneously is doing something right, and the Doctor's levels, though often frustrating do help to break up the game a little bit.
That said, when I say the Doctor's levels are frustrating, I really mean it. The control system for his inventory is un-intuitive, which is not too handy in the middle of a boss fight (A point and click system would have worked much better in my opinion) and although he is not suited to be an action character, there is still an insistence on putting platforming sequences which sometimes require near pixel-perfect accuracy to beat. Every time one of his levels came up, I found it a chore, and found myself wishing for one of Kurt or Max's levels.
The other thing that annoyed me slightly was the voice acting. There is a very fine line between good and bad comic-book style melodrama, and though the team definitely tried to pull the stops out, something about the gags just fall flat, time after time.
However, all that said, I must re-emphasise that there is some great high-adrenaline fun to be had in this game, particularly in the combat, and Max's jetpack sequences. Also, the addition of mouse aiming is a welcome adjustment, and seeing as it's only $5.99, (or in my currency, £3) it may be worth a look in.
One of the best action/shooters around!
(by
volrath)
I played MDK 2 some years before. It'a a small diamond! What's MDK 2? It's an action game, it's a shooter, it's a 3d platform, its an adventure game! 3 different characters, 3 different styles of play. The game has everything a pc gamer needs: action, fun, speed, great bosses. It's very challenging (more that I could handle but eventually I finished it) and will keep you in front... full review of yout pc monitor for a long time. Give it a try, you will love it!
chad)
thetwaz)
volrath)