Serious Sam 2

A seriously successful game based on perpetual shooting.

Serious Sam 2 is not a duck and cover game, it is not a cover hugging shoot-email-up, or a tactical shooter. The aim of Serious Sam 2 is to shoot as much and as fast as possible until everything that moves--don’t!

Ideal For Casual Gamers

This is an arcade game with some weird designs. Some of the design choices are okay, and others are terrible, but this is not a game for serious gamers (despite the title). This game is for casual gamers that want to shoot off some rounds before getting back to work or school. It is for people that do not want to get caught up in the storyline of a game, or get caught up in the logic of the game--and boy is there a lack of logic. For example, there is a time where you fight a giant obese Japanese man who has pointed teeth.

The Graphics Need Improving

The graphics are not that good, which is a shame for an XBox and Windows game. They are reminiscent of the N64 graphics but with a bit more polish. The textures are okay and you cannot complain about the particle effects. The nice open world and graphics are okay, but they have a distinct unfinished feel to them, as if they were rendered in N64 standards and somebody applied an instant Photoshop enhance filter.

What Storyline?

There is no storyline that you need concern yourself with. Sam is looking for five parts of a medallion, but the search involves running through a bunch of maps with nasty things you are supposed to shoot. This is not Silent Hill 2 where a small slip of paper or something carved on a door will help you figure out the mystery.

A Little Bit Different

It is bright and colourful, which is a stark contrast to the current “Dark Knight” trend of being murky, depressive and intense. It is not a kid’s game so to speak, but is probably the sort of shooter a parent would feel comfortable them playing. There is little to no gore at all besides the occasional red mist that quickly disappears when an enemy has been shot. The game is rather surreal by modern standards, but would be at home in an arcade.

Pros

• Lots of unique enemy types
• Non-stop action
• Ideal for casual gamers and people that are stressed
• A variety of guns and killing weapons
• Bright and colourful

Cons

• Can get repetitive
• Graphics need a tweak
• Not the sort of game that hardcore gamers will enjoy