The first level itself takes nearly an hour to play through, and to make matters worse, you can't save during levels.and there are areas throughout each of the nine (fairly large) levels that instantly kill you. As a result, what began as a shallow 3D beat-'em-up is bogged down with these pseudo adventure contrivances.

But somewhere along the line, Core chickened out.

The gameplay in FF2 has taken a turn for the 3D platform-esque feel. I mean, what's up with the main character being able to smash open a security safe with a karate kick? And what's the deal with the enemy Al that's nearly nonexistent? Guards will literally stand in a cluster and wait for you to painstakingly scroll through your bag of goodies, whip out a grenade and frag their dumb asses. I know it's only a 'blow stuff up' kinda game, but FF2 is so ridiculous it's constantly threatening to obliterate my suspension of disbelief. FF2 fails on so many levels it's embarrassing-for both Eidos/Core, and the franchise they're trying to establish. If the first FF was a mediocre venture into Die Hard Arcade territory, then FF2 is an attempt to cash in on Syphon Filter's gameplay and success. Let's not beat around the bush here, Fighting Force 2, like its older sibling Fighting Force, sucks. While the ability to choose your character will be missed, the added strategy and depth of gameplay seem to make the tradeoff worthwhile. Colored lights and real-time lighting effects abound, giving the game an edgier, more cinematic look. Running away sometimes may be more beneficial than a direct assault.ДЇollowing the lead of another Core-developed franchise, namely the Tomb Raider series, Fighting Force 2 also has lots of moody interior environments. To get the better of these smarter enemies, Hawk must use far more stealth than he did in his last outing. Kind of like Turok: Dinosaur Hunter or Time Crisis, they also have multiple impact points which register blows to different parts of their bodies. While one guy may be unafraid to take you on all by himself, others may flee, look for help, or sound an alarm. The game contains more than 50 unique enemies said to have both individual and group behavior patterns. Hawk's data handset can be used to contact the control base to obtain additional information and mission objectives. To do so, Hawk must discover clues, information, hidden keys and the like. This time around, Hawk Mason, the lone survivor from the original Fighting Force, must infiltrate a corporation suspected of conducting illegal human cloning experiments, destroy any completed cyborg/clones, and erase the memory of the company's super computer.

In addition to an assortment of knives, clubs and bats, the player now has an arsenal of new weapons at his or her disposal, including a zoomable sniper rifle. At this early stage, the game appears to be more of a Syphon Filter-style action/adventure. Wisely, developer Core has gone back to the drawing board for Fighting Force 2. You know, walk right, kill somebody, continue walking right. Take away this gimmick and what remained was a fairly hum-drum Final Fight knock-off done in three dimensions. The game's primary innovation was the ability to use virtually any on-screen object, including everything from soda cans to engine blocks, as a weapon. Despite lukewarm reviews, the original Fighting Force sold more than 400,000 copies.

Fighting force game