No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way

One of the first things I noticed was the humour, which in fact is actualy funny. Most games that take the comedy approach fail miserably (No titles mentioned) but that was certainly not the case in this game. The firefights amazing and the level design absolutely superb.

The balance was remarkable between humour and serious gameplay elements.

In 2002 No One Lives Forever 2 A Spy In H.A.R.M.S way was released and once again it recieved (deservably) top dog scores. The gameplay that was so remarkable in the original remained fully intact but with a little extra. There are now multiple ways to suceed in the completion of objectives; which makes the game alot less liner (not like the original was or anything), this allows alot more longitivity and gameplay fun.

The interface has been totaly re-assembled from the original game, which allows for quick weapon and gadget switching. When you need a gadget you no longer have to switch betweem them all the time like in the original, instead face the object and hold the right mouse button down untill the gadget has been whipped out, wait till the progress bar expires then release the button and you switch back to your last weapon.

Other gameplay elements include the ability to search draws, fileing cabinets and cuboards for aditional information, armour and points. The ability system has been given a total overhall where as you now earn points after each objective and they can be spent on new abilities i.e. Stealth & Marksmenship. This is a great element as you can configure Cate to your likeing.

The comedy from the original is back once again but this time even better, I won't mention what the funny elements are as it will spoil it for you, but I can say listen to all convosations and read all documents you find.

The one really good thing with both No One Lives Forever games is that the level designes seriosley differ giving the player a different senario each time from skydiving out of aircraft, scuba diving in search of a sunken ship, space stations, skidoo chases and many many more.

Overall this game is fantastic and should be in any body's FPS collection and for less than 10 quid how can you go wrong.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING ! ! !

Weapon wise this game also has an edge over most others, your arsenal ranging from the common AK-47 and sidearm to the missle launcher in a handbag and robotic kitten proximity mine, with even the humble banana becoming a weapon in the right hands, it seems.

This games only real weak point is its ability to complete missions using either the tried and testing frag-a-thon of going in guns ablazing, or creating distractions and lurking in the shadows. While this in itself isnt a flaw in any way, the later option is often the more difficult to pull off than it was in the original or in other games such as Invisible war.

Genually amusing, original throughout and graphically sound, this is not a game you want to miss out on.

First off, the graphics have been well and truly cranked up, and I can honestly say that this is possibly the best-looking FPS on the market, even now! The designers have spent a lot of time of the character models and it has paid off; Cate, her opponents and her surroundings are all lovingly detailed and it's a real pleasure to dash around the levels and see what's going to come up next. The weapons are now handled more like a typical FPS, with Half-life style weapons groupings and access. My only complaint is that the amount of ammo you can carry is seriously reduced, although Cate is supposed to be a spy, not a Tank. Still, I would have appreciated some amount of choice in initial loadout, as was the case in NOLF1, especially with the opportunity to pick up bolt-on accessories such as scopes and silencers. The experience system is a real hit, you can tailor Cate's abilities the way you want to use them. And finally the interface is hugely improved, with keys now in much better places (it used to drive me potty).

Problems? Well, the game feels too short when you finish it. The original was a really long piece, an epic that could take hours to play through even on easy settings. The set-piece missions are just TOO scripted, in that your options for dealing with problems or opponents are too limited. Previously you had choice, as with the brilliant "Thief" games you had the option of duking it out, stealthily infiltrating with a silenced pistol, or just sneaking through a level as you saw fit. This time there's often just one way through, and it detracts from the play value somewhat, as well as sometimes making the game much more difficult than it really wants to be. And while the graphics are way, WAY improved, the game feels dark. The first was a burst of technicolour 60's brightness. This feels grim by comparison. There aren't half as many funny intelligence items like you used to be able to pick up, or half as many inane conversations between guards like you used to be able to listen in to (and sometimes learn useful hints). Some enemies can't be killed (I cannot emphasise just how much that annoys me). Some respawning borders on the ridiculous, and you can't methodically clear some of the levels of enemies. And, I just want to raise this again, you have no choice over your initial loadout.

So, despite some really good improvements, it feels like it has still slid back a bit. It's much grimmer and offers less choice than before, as well as sacrificing game length and a lot of comedy features that I loved so much. A third game, brightened up a bit, given a bit more comedy and given back some choice of gameplay would be more valuable to me than Deus Ex 2. Overall, it's a good game in itself and is worth Four Stars, but it's really a victim of its predecessor's success.

Here are some words to help you make your decision -

Sexy, funny, smooth, colourful, engrossing, entertaining, brilliant.

There. Oh and did I say that Cate Archer is without a doubt the sexiest computer game character ever?