On its surface, Winback 2 is nothing more than a cheap knockoff of what's come before.
Winback 2 introduces three characters to the player, although they're pretty much the same. Craig Contrell, Mia Cabrera, and Nick Bruno serve as your protagonists. Even though there seem to be slight differences in speed, no one character really has too much of an advantage over the others. It's a little strange, as the intro makes them seem to be vastly different in play styles, but at the same time it's a relief gameplay isn't forced into stealth and heavy assault roles.
Hiding behind objects and targeting enemies from behind them is about as deep as the combat gets in Winback 2. Most objects cannot be destroyed and most enemies do not freely move. Along with that, all enemies can be accurately targeted from behind objects, with one-hit headshot kills and two-hit kills anywhere else on the body. Although this seems the easiest way out, it's important to shoot for arms and legs for non-lethal takedowns as you can't get ammunition from the dead. Although this sounds a bit easy, placement of enemies slowly becomes more strategic throughout the game. Given that, and some situations in which you need to run up to take down enemies with hand-to-hand combat , Winback 2 starts to become more and more a game of finding the best advantage and taking it.
Every mission starts with a predetermined pair of characters in seperate tactical positions. Each operative has a specified route through levels that sometimes intersect or otherwise influence the other's path. In some parts, it's essential to finish a task within a specified time to assist your partner. On your second runthrough of the mission from the other route, you'll be able to move through levels a bit easier and earn more health through what you did on the first run through.
In addition, there's a multiplayer mode. Playing out much like FPS multiplay modes, you have the option of playing digital hide and seek with a few of your friends. The game is balanced enough so that deathmatch types work quite well, but it's still a bit strange to try out Metal Gear Solid style "stealth" against other players.
On its surface, Winback 2 is nothing more than a cheap knockoff of what's come before. To most, it will only exist as a footnote in the annals of gaming history. Delving inwards, you find a combination of gameplay styles that somehow works in a "you got chocolate in my peanut butter!" style. Sure, it's not the best or most original thing, but Winback 2 offers solid shooting action in spades, with some really interesting ideas of how to handle the already crowded third person shooting genre.