Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: SpyHunter 2

Written by Tony Kennetz on April 07, 2003

First Impressions: Woah, gentlemen, do my eyes deceive me? I believe that is a really slick looking spy car chasing down an ultra evil terrorist cult leader.

It's time to save the world again, and this time its not in a fantasy RPG setting with love-struck teenagers. Okay, maybe you figured that was not the case because of the title. If so, good for you. This game carries that other clich?d story: Take your 007-like self, get in a Bond-like car, and fight your stereotyped enemy. It is Spy Hunter 2, and Midway has just recently confirmed its development and pending release. The game is still in the very early stages of development, but we're here to give you a first look at this blockbuster sequel and its new elements.

To say the least, SH2's story is classic James Bond. After hearing about it you may wonder which writer from Tomorrow Never Dies they hired to pen this script. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Save the world from the evil grips of an evil mastermind and his terrorist group. Add a female agent (to quote the first press release: ?A new mysterious, sexy female agent has also been added??) to the action and you have a movie worthy of Pierce Brosnan's next action flick.

Replay value is needed for any fifty-dollar game. No one wants to go out, buy the game and beat it or get sick of it in a matter of days. The development team does not want that to be the case either, as they are working on 16 missions in four locations. It's not possible to say if these missions will be enough to prevent the boredom factor, but the numbers look good.

No secret agent would be at home in his tricked out G-8155 Interceptor without all the proper weaponry, and gosh darnit Midway is going to provide all sorts of toys! New items have been added to both offensive and defensive maneuvers, which look very promising. When Alec (the main protagonist) needs to dispatch a tailing car, he can just drop an oil slick, smokescreen or even a landmine. Midway tells us that with these and other additions they expect more strategy to be needed than in the original. Let it be known that we are all okay with that idea.

Strategy will certainly be key in the new end-of-level boss battles. You'll need all of your mind power to complement your speed and weapons if you want to come out alive. The boss-AI will also base how it fights you on how you fight it, which will force gamers to constantly keep on their toes and be ready to come up with new ideas to drill the enemy with.

No matter how cunning one agent may be, there will likely come a time when they could use a little help or advice to pass that seemingly undefeatable foe. Leonie 2.0 is that lifeline for Alec and the Interceptor. It can provide all sorts of useful information relating to anything from where to turn next to where to shoot that missile you're itchy trigger finger is so desperately wanting to fire off.