E3 2008: Mercenaries 2: World in Flames Updated Hands-On - Nuclear Strike
We split atoms and our enemies with a tactical nuke in Pandemic's explosive action game.
We've blown up Venezuela in a number of ways since we started playing Mercenaries 2: World in Flames a few months ago. Whether we were using helicopter antitank missiles or running over jeeps with a monster truck, Venezuelan militants foolish enough to stand in our way have felt our wrath. Especially Shaun's wrath, which you can read about here in his in-depth pre-E3 preview. In a brief demo at E3 2008, we unleashed a new form of hell on the oil-rich nation: nuclear.
The nuclear bunker buster is one of about 20 air strikes available in Mercenaries 2, and certainly the most devastating. You call in air strikes in a variety of ways, by using a simple radio message or by dropping a marker at your target area and running like mad to avoid incoming artillery. The nuclear bunker buster is called in with a laser designator tool. In our demo mission, we were charged with destroying three outposts that would then lure an enemy general out of hiding. After taking out the first two buildings with rocket strikes, we decided to spare only the cockroaches in our final attack and laced the building for nuclear strike.
A bomber pilot confirmed target acquisition and released his payload over the target. For a moment there was a quiet calm over the area, and then suddenly a blinding white light lit up the screen, followed by a devastating energy wave. Luckily we were at a relatively safe distance, if there is such a thing, and lost only 98 percent of our health. Finally, a giant mushroom cloud expanded in the sky above us. It's one thing to see a mushroom cloud in the distance, but it's quite a oh-snap moment to be sitting right beneath one as it slowly consumes the sky.
In our final few minutes with Mercs 2, we tried out a few of the 130-plus vehicles that we hadn't yet piloted. First up was the panzer bike, a forbidding motorcycle with armor plating, tank treads, and mounted machine guns. Although not particularly effective against tanks, the panzer bike can get you in close where you can ditch it and begin to jack the tank, initiating a quick minigame where you button-mash in order to toss a grenade into the belly of the tank, clearing it out for you to drive. With plenty of cash after nuking our objectives, we then purchased the scorcher, a dune buggy outfitted for desert combat and armed with four mounted missiles. Those eliminated the need for jacking because they easily blew up any tank in our path.
Rest assured, Pandemic is making it clear that the choice of how to ignite the world in flames will be up to you. Anticipate blowing up Venezuela any way you want later this year.
98 comments
Wow, Guys. The explosion was awesome so stfu. It's a video game so it's not going be realistic either way. This game looks like it's going to rock out with it's nuke out. ha that was lame...
ok stop ****ing complaining about th phisics im with mackattacka ITS A VIDEO GAME ITS MADE TO HAVE FUN AND ENTERTAIN JUST STOP COMPLAINING SO WHO CARE IF YOU WENT TO THE ARMY OR ARE A CHEMICAL SCIENTIST ITS JUST A GAME!!! =) im daverulz15 and i approve this mesage
ok stop ****ing complaining about th phisics im with mackattacka ITS A VIDEO GAME ITS MADE TO HAVE FUN AND ENTERTAIN JUST STOP COMPLAINING SO WHO CARE IF YOU WENT TO THE ARMY OR ARE A CHEMICAL SCIENTIST ITS JUST A GAME!!! =) im daverulz15 and i approve this mesage
A message to GameFreak501: THIS IS AN ARCADE STYLE ACTION GAME. If you want a realistic war game, stick with tom clancy or medal of honor! This game is amazing! I cant wait till the end of the month!!!
This Games gonna be so cool... The Graphics are really good... A big improvement from the original mercs
Bare in mind that- where the playability of the game is concerned, a scaled nuke would immolate Venezuela completely.... *Start new game* "I got shot in the butt and want revenge! *presses button* Done" *Roll credits*
Hahaha- defo, a classic fridge beats Snakes Cardboard box (or even barrel for that matter) hands down.
The trailer makes the game look awesome lots of blowin $hit up but the nuke i have to say is extremely unbelievable the explosion would have been a lot larger than that and Venezuala would have just been conquered.
Well, I'm sorry, but that was completely lame.... Who the hell drops a nuke 50 yards away, AND SURVIVES? Now the term "nuke" has come to mean nothing but normal bomb with an abnormally large explosion. If they had made it a bit more realistic, like you have to stand a LONG distance away, then it would have been cool; but this, this is just lame. And to those saying they want to be up close to see the explosion, well you still could, just expect to be vaporized.
Man, that is one mean looking explosion. And why are some of you people crying like babies about the physics? Who gives a rats ass. Do you really want to be positioned so far away where you can barely see the damage done? I WANT TO BE IN THAT EXPLOSION. Game looks pretty good, gonna have to check it out.
holy f-king crap!!! how can you survive that?? daam, that video is pretty awesome... cant wait for mercs 2
effects of a nuke: flash positive blast wave negative blast wave electro-magnetic phenomena radiation ive got a feeling that there is one more but i cant remember. this is what you are taught in phase 1 training with the army
why the **** are people getting angry about the physics? its a ****ing game! it not made to be 100% realistic its made to entertain you!!!
yeah, i agree with OgreB. wtf! developers are overestimating there need in games, and to not destroy the entire scenery when you fire one the power of nukes are being very underestimated. well, in the end it will only be a weapon with the name of a nuke.
The pysics in this game don't make sense well the nukes don't. The Hiroshima blast would kill everyone in that area and the surrounding. And comared to modern nukes... That area would be killed over at least 5 to 6 times. Ghey
Thats lame...everyone is putting nukes into thier games.. Fallout 3 with the fatboy...Crysis with the TAC..and now this... Even if you were wearing the most advanced power armor ever concieved...you would still die at that range. The concussive force would liquify your body.... There is no animal as a mini nuke....the physics don't work. Retarded.... They should have gone for JDAMs or a fuel air bomb....but no !!! Everyone is nuke happy.... Sigh...
This is plain insanity..that nuke radioactive heat waves could kill all population within 10km..and that guy is 100m from the center?!
I love the idea of "yes game" Can I destory a jeep with a nuke - yes you can. This can be a silent hit
Finally a game that let you blow $hit out just for the heck of it. This game just made its way to my Wish List.
now after that nuke i know why the fallout games were made....... MERCS TOOK OVER THE WORLD :)
as soon as i saw that nuke go off i giggled with joy with an anticipating smirk on my face
Hehe, looks awsome. But, I hope it will be much more fun in the final version, as I didn't like that much the first one, to be sincere....
ah there's nothing quite like the smell of radioactive fallout in the afternoon. seriously looks like a lot of fun. I just wish i had money for it.
Mercs 1 = You get to blow **** up! Mercs 2 = You get to blow **** up in a bigger better way! Mercs 2 + a buddy = Once we're done, Venezuela won't even be on the map anymore.
this game rocks though i dont know much about its gameplay cause i dindt get to play the first one but personally id describe this game with one word AWESOME GAME!!!!
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Game Info
- Release Date: Aug 31, 2008 (US)
- ESRB: TTitles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older.
- Release Date: Sep 4, 2008 (US)
- ESRB: TTitles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older.
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
- Publisher(s): EA Games
- Developer(s): Pandemic Studios
- Genre: Action
- Release:
- ESRB: T
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