MDK2 Computer game for PCs and the Sega Dreamcast; about $50 in retail stores or online at www.interplay.com/mdk2.
Forget the old clich & #233; about sequels never living up to the original. Interplay Entertainment Corp.’s MDK2 not only delivers on the strengths that made its predecessor such a hit last year, but in many ways blows them right out of the water,not to mention spaceships, alien factories and just about every other eye-popping environment in this game. MDK2 picks up where its progenitor left off. Kurt Hectic, Dr. Fluke Hawkins and a six-legged dog named Max have just saved the world from marauding aliens when a second, more dangerous wave launches another invasion. Naturally, the newest mission involves plenty of shooting. But unlike the game’s earlier incarnation, there’s a little stealth and strategy involved, too. Players take on the role of all three bumbling heroes, each with different traits and strategies. Kurt, equipped with a parachute and sniper rifle, uses a combination of timing and aim. The good doctor, meanwhile, excels at combining items to form unusual weapons for a more cerebral approach to the missions. And Max, who can hold an Uzi in each of his four front-most paws, is the undisputed expert in blasting his way out of tight situations. Despite game play that has become standard fare over the last few years, Interplay keeps MDK2 fresh with imaginative settings, breathtaking visuals and a generous dose of humor. But it takes more than a quick trigger finger to reach the end,half of the game’s challenge is figuring out what is supposed to happen to get to the next stage of the game. In fact, at points the game might be a little too hard. Most players will find hints and cheat codes on the Internet essential to getting past certain levels. And finding an office computer that can handle the game’s hardware requirements could prove an equal challenge. MDK2 requires some heavy-duty computing power: Pentium 200 MHz; 32 megabytes of RAM; a graphics accelerator; 4X CD-ROM; 300 megabytes of hard drive space. While not exactly the best productivity boost around the office, MDK2 will make a worthy addition to any game player’s break-time library.
