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MDK 2 is a futuristic third person shooter that brings back some much-needed innovation to the modern gaming scene. I won't reveal too much about anything, because this game is really easy to spoil challenge wise. So if I don't go into much detail about, say a boss fight, that's why.
MDK 2 takes place almost immediately after the first MDK. Most of the story is set up with a cool, comic book-style introduction. Kurt, Max, and Doc are headed home to Earth, and those pesky aliens decide they haven’t had enough! OK, enough story detail. While in MDK you could only play as Kurt, MDK 2 allows you to control Max and Doc as well. Each character has his own abilities (how novel!) and own weapons (even more novel!). Kurt, the coil-suit clad janitor, fires a chain gun (to shoot things), has a sniper scope (to snipe things), and has a parachute (to float). OK, enough sarcasm. Kurt takes on levels 1, 4, and 7. Max, the robotic dog, can tote 4 guns at a time and make use of a jetpack. He's used for levels 2, 5, and 8. Doc Hawkins, the mad-scientist type, can pick up a bunch of items and use them to conquer his environments. He goes up against levels 3, 6, and 9. You can pick which character you want for level 10.
Aesthetically speaking, this game is reminiscent of Metroid, (especially Kurt's levels). The game provides some incredible alien atmospheres. For instance, level 7 has one of the coolest rooms I've ever seen in a game. It resembles a huge, alien microscope of sorts. Speaking of rooms, many rooms are HUGE. A circular room in level 8 seems to be almost a half-mile in circumference (it took me almost 2 minutes to run around the perimeter), and about 30 stories high.
The game is very sharp, graphically speaking. The environments in the game are all cut from the same page, but are varied enough to keep things interesting. Much of the game has a very dark look, and some people may not like that. I never knew that black and gray could be used in so many different ways. While the coloring may be somewhat drab, the outstanding textures and lighting effects make it exciting. There are some colorful areas though. For instance, you’ll have to fight through what seems to be the alien equivalent of Las Vegas. There are a few instances of frame drop/slowdown, but this only happens in hallways (because the next area loads while you’re in hallways) and is not debilitating.
Sound is very nice. The guns sound great, and the voice acting is absolutely perfect. Music is mostly techno, and varies depending on the section you're playing. The music fits each area well. I'm not a techno fan, but the harder/faster songs had actual riffs, and they have a great hook. I actually really like one of the songs (track 6 in soundtrack mode).
MDK 2 is mostly linear, which may disappoint the adventuring types. (There’s only one maze.) However, the game provides enough action that adventuring is not really missed. Only one level, level 9, allows you to tackle each area in whatever order you choose. However, you’ll spend too much time solving puzzles to be concerned about getting lost. And speaking of puzzles, the ones in MDK 2 are very new and innovative. Even the age old “step on the right tile” puzzles have been tweaked in several different ways to provide some fresh challenges.
The game has lots of subtle humor and pop culture references. For example, the main boss is named after an alien that appeared on the show Pee-Wee's playhouse. And if you listen, you can hear the car from the Jetsons in a space scene. Of course, the 8-year olds will get a kick out of the farting aliens. That got annoying very quickly. The humor in this game will appeal to young and old alike. There’s a little something for everyone.
The control leaves something to be desired. Those who don’t like using the Dreamcast controller’s buttons to move will not like the control at all. I practiced on the demo a few times before I got the full version, and it took about half an hour before I felt competent with the control. It's still kind of difficult to do things really quickly, though (like select Doc’s items quickly while in the middle of a fight).
MDK 2 has a reputation of being tough. While it may be harder than most modern games, those who grew up playing NES and SNES games should find the challenge refreshing. I myself thought the challenge level was perfect. While it is difficult at times, a dedicated player will not need a walkthrough to beat it. A lot of the challenge in MDK2 comes from figuring out how to advance to the next checkpoint. Platforming is also integral to success. There's some hardcore platforming in this game! Basic enemies are (usually) more of an annoyance than a hindrance. You really have to use your brain in this game. If you're fluent in old-school gaming (i.e., figuring out boss patterns and puzzle solving), you should be able to beat the game without too much trouble.
However, the game has what I like to call ''frustration potential,'' and a high level of it at that. Being that I was really into the game, I didn’t mind dying a lot. I thought of death as a learning experience. If you go into each level with the philosophy of ''OK, lets see how much I can learn about how this level works before I die,'' you should be fine. But I can see why the Mario 64 crowd would be throwing controllers.
Most of the boss fights aren't straight up battles. There's a pattern to learn and certain things you need to do to defeat most bosses. As mentioned earlier, level 10 allows you to choose the character you want to face the final boss with. I decided to take on the final boss in the order that the rest of the game goes: first with Kurt, then with Max, then with Doc. The challenge will vary depending on whom you decide to use. The ending is different for each character. Although the endings are short, the feeling of accomplishment you’ll get from finishing this game more than makes up for that.
Unfortunately, the replay value is somewhat low. Once you figure out what to do, the challenge is basically gone. (Even for the platforming parts, because some platforming parts have a learning curve.) But the game was worth every penny I paid. I'm sure I will replay it sooner or later.
If you’re a fan of action games and/or want a good challenge, then I would recommend buying this game. If you’re not a masochist, I’d suggest renting first, or playing the PS2 version, which has variable difficulty settings. But whatever kind of gamer you are, give it a try! You might be pleasantly surprised.