Should be played by anyone who can appreciate some light hearted fun and well-balanced gameplay.
Once again you step into the go-go boots of Cate Archer, super spy for the British anti-terrorist organisation, UNITY. A year after the events of the first game, Cate is sent on an assignment to infiltrate a secret meeting taking place in Japan, with the task of photographing the new director of H.A.R.M, the rather colourful terrorist organisation back at large again after their previous defeat. From this point the game follows a strictly linear plot, not on par with the quality of the original, and eventually delving into the very familiar territory of super soldier projects; which is rather snore-worthy in text, but the obvious tongue-in-cheek manner keeps it fresh and fun the whole way through. Cate is undoubtedly one of the best playable female characters I've seen, she's sexy but in her own unique way, and is actually believable as a personality (even while the other characters in the game aren't). Never designed to be a sex symbol, Cate has a rather conservative but fashionable 60s attire; and is charming, but not excessively seductive. Obviously, by her job description, Cate is smart, quick, can take care of herself, and doesn't take crap from anyone, it's because of all this that I view Cate as one of the best examples of a strong, well-characterised female role, of which I wish we could see a little more of in the video game industry.
Gameplay in NOLF 2 mostly consists of sneaking around, gaining intel from various areas, and silently incapacitating or killing threats around you without arousing suspicion. There are quite a lot of James Bond type gadgets and tools at your disposal, but much sillier and more suiting to a female spy. These include a mascara stun gun, a lipstick spy camera, a nail-clipper lock pick, a welder hidden inside a can of hair spray, and 'perfume' that actually removes bodies. There are also a number of more 'direct' gadgets which can be used toward your enemies, such as various types of grenades, like laughing gas and sleeping gas, a robotic kitten that explodes when enemies approach the vicinity to pet it; and my personal favourite, a banana which can be dropped over your enemies patrol points, having the comical effect of causing them to slip and fall, knocking them out. I do wish there were a couple more combat-oriented gadgets available though, and the couple that you have are rarely used effectively to the point where it's easier than dispatching an enemy with a quick shot to the head from your trusty silenced pistol. It's certainly more satisfying to use your items on your foes, but rarely very necessary.
That isn't to say that NOLF 2 is strictly a stealth game though, as there are a number of sections which require pure force to proceed, and this is also treated with gusto by the designers. Along with your silenced pistol there are a number of other conventional weapons available to use, such as machine guns, a sniper rifle, a shotgun, a crossbow, and even a katana. The AI certainly isn't particularly bright, as the enemies don't take any cover and have the basic one-track mindedness of standing there and shooting everything they have at you, and every now and then running off to somewhere else to continue their attack. But you rarely get into big fights anyway, and in the moments where it's necessary the enemies usually spawn in spots which already seem like decent perches to shoot you from, which makes the mediocre AI much less noticeable at any rate.
During one of the first few levels, you're required to drive a snowmobile over some short distances, and this was one of the most infuriatingly flawed parts of the whole game for me. It's terribly clumsy to drive, accelerating to full speed almost instantly and slowing down just as quick; but turning is slow, and it doesn't grip to the ground well, making accelerating directly into a wall quite a common occurrence, and while being shot at by several people, it's not difficult to imagine how annoying it is trying to control this thing. There's no collision detection either, meaning that you basically slide across the ground everywhere, and if you crash into a wall you just continue driving into it without so much as a bump, until you turn it around to go in the right direction. Needless to say, it just feels badly implemented, and that particular snowy level is otherwise one of the most memorable in the game, meaning it's a big shame, and it also makes it stand out like a sore thumb.
The visuals are nicely vibrant, which suits the game's tone and style well. Though the characters look rather plastic, they are pleasantly detailed for a 2002 game, and there are some surprisingly high resolution textures. Characters are purposely stereotypical and over-the-top, like Angus the kilt-wearing, angry drunk Scotsman; the cigar-chomping, loud-mouthed, tiny American commander, and the extremely flamboyant new director of H.A.R.M who always gets scathing phone calls from his mother. The characters all being absolutely ridiculous makes for some very humorous conversations between them, and the dialogue is always witty and well-written. The game world is all designed with 60s fashions and eccentricities in mind, which not only makes the game's particular style of visual flair very memorable, but also adds to the general humour and facetiousness of the game in an effective way. You are also treated to some refreshingly open-ended level design which allows you to approach situations in a number of different ways, with very little backtracking. NOLF 2's slick visual style has aged very well, all things considered.
No One Lives Forever 2 brought Cate Archer back to life once again and satisfied the fan's need for more. While the story isn't on par with the quality of the first one, it works efficiently as an excuse to take you to a number of bright, varied locations to take use of the very original setting and game mechanics. In the sum of its parts, the game improves substantially on the design of its predecessor, stumbling in only a few minor areas, and holding up as a fantastic achievement which should be played by anyone who can appreciate some light hearted fun and well-balanced gameplay.