Based on the sequel to the very popular Dreamcast iteration that appeared last year, MDK 2 Armageddon is more or less a port with a few visual and gameplay enhancements. Kurt Hectic and his high-tech coil suit return from the original MDK when he is called upon to defend Earth from yet another alien onslaught. Once again teamed with the mad genius of Dr. Hawkins and heavily armed fury of Max, the 6-legged robotic dog, these three defenders of justice must use their unique abilities to out-blast, out-think and out-sneak their bizarre yet comedic enemies from another dimension.

Graphics
Graphically MDK 2 Armageddon falls quite short when compared to the Dreamcast version of last year. All is not bad in the visuals as colours are very moody for the genre and each character design has been done with great care. The problem is that the overall graphics engine is not steadily smooth and there are a number of occasions where the game has glitches and hiccups. These mainly occur during intense battle sequences that require a number of enemies on screen with all kinds of explosions and visual effects going at the same time. While doing these effects are not easy, it is expected that the PS2 can handle all of them with ease. This begs to question is the PS2 living up to the hype and numbers Sony touted last year.

Sound
The sound effects are standard fare which is by no means a bad thing. The oddball enemies have particularly humorous sound effects depending on their design. A favorite will be the farting colony which has non stop gasses leaking from their behinds. What sets the game apart from others in the genre is the high level of voice acting that was employed. Each character is voiced by some of the best talent in the business. Particularly funny is the voice behind Dr. Hawkins. Finally a rare game where you will actually keep the volume on throughout your journey. Add to this a very upbeat soundtrack consisting of trance and progressive house mixes.

Gameplay
As with the original MDK, you will either love or hate the way the development team has presented the story and dark imagery. Mix this along with some incredible slapstick humor from our Canadian friends at Bioware and you have a successful attempt that rarely works all the way from beginning to end. In MDK 2: Armageddon not only do you play as Kurt Hectic the bio-armed gunman with a sniper rifle, but also as Max the six-armed robotic dog with an attitude and the eccentric Dr. Fluke Hawkins. Each character has their own unique play mechanic: Kurt's levels involve a great deal of stealth-based tasks; Max's levels are very action-based with a lot of firepower; and Dr. Hawkins' levels are almost adventure based with a lot of object-based and logic puzzles to solve. Each character's level usually leads into the next character's. As a result, the pace of the game moves along nicely. Each character will come across a number of different enemies and bosses. The bosses are well designed and vary in size and difficulty.
Controlling each character has it's own unique learning curve. Mastering Kurt's sniper-mode is vital to getting out of many tight squeezes. Max on the other hand requires you to manage weapons and ammunition, along with mastery of his jet pack. Even Dr. Hawkins takes some time to getting used to as you must master how he manipulates and manages various objects throughout his journey.

Value
MDK 2 Armageddon has an adjustable difficulty and many with be thankful for that. Most players will find the game quite challenging even on the easy setting. Once we cleared it on easy and medium we ventured onto the hard setting. It got quite ridiculous and out of hand. If there was ever a game that would make you want to have a cheat device, this would be one of them. There were a number of occasions where the controllers went flying across the room out of pure frustration. For many players once through the game will suffice. Regardless, the synergy of gameplay among the three protagonists contributes to this game standing out from the usual offerings.

Final Word
MDK 2: Armageddon is definitely worth a look if you have not encountered it on the Dreamcast. We would have liked to have seen an entirely new build of the game in terms of story and the graphics engine. Those who have played the DC version via the VGA option will be sorely disappointed. Regardless, with nuclear powered leaf blowers and a flatulating alien race, MDK 2: Armageddon is one funny ride.