- guardian.co.uk, Thursday August 28 2008 00.01 BST
- The Guardian, Thursday August 28 2008
Perhaps the greatest tribute paid by the games world to the skill, attention to detail and single-minded focus in Grand Theft Auto is exemplified by the small number of games that blatantly try to rip it off. So one has to applaud Pandemic's ambition in creating Mercenaries 2, a free-roaming, sandbox-style action-adventure game, which is pretty much a militarised take on the GTA blueprint. It proves to be a worthwhile effort: you play a mercenary caught in a coup in Venezuela, which splits into factions such as the new government, a sinister oil company and a guerrilla army. Seeking revenge on the new dictator (one of whose goons shot you in the backside), you run missions for the different factions, supported by a mechanic, general co-ordinator, and helicopter and jet pilots. Wisely, Mercenaries 2 doesn't try to emulate GTA IV's mega-detailed storyline. But it looks great, is nicely fettled, occasionally makes you grin and takes place against an impressively detailed backdrop. Nobody would say it breaks new ground, but it's absorbing enough to keep you occupied for weeks.
