Impressions: Silent Scope 2

Konami's Silent Scope was a massive hit in Europe, particularly in England, where you can find it practically everywhere (including various pubs and even Heathrow Airport). Thus, it should come as no surprise that the sequel was developed specifically for the European market, and the game is now set in England.

The biggest addition to the sequel is a two-player mode. One character controls a government agent and the other controls a "coldhearted mercenary," and you'll be able to play in either dual or duel modes. Set around London landmarks like Tower Bridge, you either work together (dual) to rid the area of enemies, or you can compete against each other (duel) to see who gets the higher score. And speaking of high scores, Konami has extended its new Konami Internet Challenge to Fatal Judgement. At the end of a game, if you get a high score, you are also given a password, which you input on www.konami.co.uk to upload the score onto Konami's Internet rankings board. And high scores can also earn you prizes.

The gameplay stays true to the original's formula, although with the addition of the aforementioned two-player mode, it certainly spices things up. Another new and somewhat strange addition is the appearance of beautiful women, who, if you keep them locked in your sniper sight, will heal your character.

Silent Scope 2 will be hitting European arcades in the next few months.