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NOSTRA is back once again and is conjuring to take over the world.. This is where you come in. You’re the pilot of the mass weapon known as the G-1855 Interceptor. The Interceptor is back with new enhancements, and with brand new exotic locations to discover
About twenty years ago, a revolutionary game that changed the term 'gaming’ was introduced through arcade vendors. This game was Spyhunter. Spyhunter took what technology was available and blew the socks off it. Twenty years later, Midway produced a remake of one of the best games of all times, and surprisingly it was good. After only one year in development, Midway released a sequel.. Many people would think that a sequel to game would be better, but Spyhunter 2 fell short a few steps. Midway failed horribly in bringing any new entertainment to be sought out.
Gameplay:
The gameplay is still the same through and through. You’ll still be driving/ boating/ flying through levels completing random missions. These missions are mainly composed of saving a life, or protecting a vessel or two. The campaign starts out with the new design of the G-1855 Interceptor. Experience from the first Spyhunter is nice, but it isn’t necessary, as you’ll pick up on the story line as you play.
I experienced mixed feelings when coming in to play Spy Hunter 2. I expected it to be jam packed with action and excitement, but there wasn’t any to be found, only boredom after an hour. After the first five missions, you’re left with an empty feeling that you’ve seen and done this before. After the first few missions everything becomes a loop in play; jungle, city, gravel roads.
Not all is bad though. There is some enjoyment to be found. While there isn’t much, there is a few upgrades, including the weapons selection. You’ll now be able to select which weapons to use before each mission. Weapons range from missiles to plasma guns, this is a great touch up. Instead of aiming manually, you guide your cross hairs by lining up your car at the enemy ( with pistols, machine guns, and missiles). Sometimes you acquire guiding missiles, that obviously guide themselves. Sadly, this is the only form of customizing to be found. Brand new terrain is also included. The off-road is used for muddy roads. Snow sledding, for snow ( obviously). Plus a few more. When you dock at the moving- base that heals you, they sometimes provide that you must command the turret at the top. Which is hard since the turret moves like a snail.
There is also a conflict with AI balancing. At one moment they can’t get a bullet on you, and in an instant, they’ll have you for road kill. This got frustrating after a few levels, on the unreliability. Unreliability is the only challenge to be found. The levels themselves contain no challenge as they are mainly a one way trip. The objectives have two parts to them; Main and Second. Main objective is something you have to complete, while second is something extra that will help you in the long run. The brand new Leona2.0 , your car's speaking system, is back to help you through the missions. She informs you on what will be needed to done.
Graphics:
I didn’t have to play through the first level to see the in-game graphics are horrible. The graphics have been downgraded from the previous Spyhunter. Which is bad, considering this is a sequel. Everything from the water, trees, and foliage aren’t the quality you would come to expect of a PS2 game. I would personally suggest not to "buy" what the official website says - “More than 15 heart-pounding missions set in exotic locals, ranging from the jungles of South Asia to the highlands of Swiss Alps”. This is partially true, but they don’t include how identical each track looks.
The action sequences & movies are the only attractive graphical presentation of the game. Spyhunter 2 is plagued with dull effects and unacceptable surrounding detail. As said, the missions aren’t only repetitive, they’re worse then Spyhunter.
Sound:
The sound altogether is alright. Not the best, but not horrible. For each Mission you pass, there’s a separate music composition at hand. They range from pop, to rock. Spyhunter 2 sets the mood perfectly to build the tension up when you’re in trouble. Vanessa Carlton plays in Spyhunter 2. Vanessa performs the first action sequence that goes by “ Dark Carnival”, but other then that, the music is just OK.
Multiplayer:
As in the first, there is a multiplayer mode. In Spyhunter there was only a racing mode. Now they’ve added Spy Hunt, Spy Race, and Spy Challenge. These add fun, but only a few extra minutes.
Conclusion:
I expected much more from Spy Hunter 2 than it delivered. Everything was alright, but for a series like Spy Hunter, there should have been higher standards set. The first few levels are the only that provided me with any excitement. After that, it became repetitive and boring. The multiplayer modes are nice, but are overlooked by campaign. Spyhunter 2 is a very mediocre game. Graphics are second rate and the levels are uninspired. Rent it if you must convince yourself it's not worth buying.
