Mercenaries 2: World in Flames

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
Developer(s)	Pandemic Studios Pi Studios (PlayStation 2)
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release	August 31, 2008
Genre(s)	Action-adventure, Sandbox
Mode(s)	Single-player, Cooperative, Multiplayer

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is an upcoming video game developed by Pandemic Studios and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to 2005's Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction and is due for release in the United States on August 31 2008 and in Europe on September 5 2008. The game is set in Venezuela.

Gameplay

Features new to Mercenaries 2 include improved destructible environments, and an online co-operative mode, a fire effects engine that allows the player to ignite things such as oil, foliage, and trees and the ability to swim. Pandemic recently upgraded to Havok 5.5 physics engine as mentioned in this thread on the Mercenaries 2 site here.(This link includes Sean Hollister's confirmation and the link to the preview.)

New vehicles such as boats have been added Hijacking now consists of a small minigame, ranking in difficulty relative to the vehicle being hijacked. A grappling hook has been added to help with the hijacking of helicopters. Another feature is the ability to switch from driver to gunner on demand. One other new addition to this iteration of Mercenaries is the ability to build a Private Military Company and recruit mercenaries into it. There are three confirmed mercenaries that must be recruited: Eva Navarro who will act as a mechanic once recruited and Ewan who is a helicopter pilot who can pick up valuable objects you may encounter, and can also extract you if necessary. Also, Mischa (referenced on a preview here) a bomber pilot will be able to be hired, who is your source for airstrikes.

The game will feature terrain ranging from urban environments such as Caracas, to the Amazon rainforest. It will also include the cities and regions of Maracaibo, Cumaná, Mérida, Ciudad Guayana, Guanare, the Orinoco River, Lake Maracaibo, the Northern Andes, Isla de Margarita, and more.

Also new to the game will be the use of tactical nukes. In a demonstration at E3 2008, the Nuclear Bunker Buster airstrike and the M.O.A.B were shown.

Plot synopsis

The game features three confirmed playable characters, all from the original game: Jennifer Mui, Mattias Nilsson, and Chris Jacobs.

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is set in August 2010. The story follows the player's hunt for Ramon Solano, a druglord who contracted the player's mercenary for a job then subsequently refused to pay and tried to kill him/her. Following a militaristic coup, Solano becomes the dictator of Venezuela. He uses his position to seize control of the country's oil supply, resulting in an international incident and distress among OPEC. Alongside Solano's Rebel Forces, a large portion of the Venezuelan army fiercely support the dictator's cause. The other rebel forces, in opposition to Solano, have risen under the name of the PLAV--the People's Liberation Army of Venezuela. Soon, numerous other factions join the fight for control of Venezuela's oil. Among them: The massive Universal Petroleum Corporation and its private military; the Rastafarian Pirates (the equivalent of the Russian Mafia from the original Mercenaries game); China's PLA; and the AN (Allied Nations--a less controversial pun on the UN). These six forces will inevitably form the backbone of a war to determine the fate of the country's oil supply.

Betrayed, the player's mercenary will ally him/herself with any of the other factions to get even with Solano, and make some money along the way.

Controversy

The game has been criticized by the Venezuelan government, accusing the U.S. government of trying to drum up support from the American public for a real-life invasion with the purpose of overthrowing Hugo Chávez. Pandemic Studios had previously developed training aids for the US Army. In response to the criticism, the official Mercenaries 2 website includes the following disclaimer, "Pandemic Studios is in the business of entertainment. It has never been contacted by any U.S. government agency concerning the development of Mercenaries 2. All persons, storylines and events are purely fictional and bear no relation to real events. As with any number of games, movies and books, the decision to choose interesting events and locations is purely designed to tell a compelling story, as well as provide a fun and rich experience for the gamer."

External links

• Mercenaries 2: World in Flames Official website
• Mercenaries 2: World in Flames PS2 Trailer