MDK2 Review - Murder. Death. Kill (?): The Second Carnage

Release(s): March 31, 2000 (Worldwide)
Platform(s): Dreamcast, Windows, PlayStation 2 
Genre(s): Third-person shooter
Developer(s): BioWare
Publisher(s): Interplay Entertainment 
Player(s): 1



Overview

MDK is easily one of the most innovative games but not only that it was a huge commercial success and received critical acclaim (for it's technical accomplishments and unique gameplay) so a sequel just had to be made. However as Interplay confronted Nick Bruty, the man behind the very existence of MDK, was not available for the next game so the license was handed over to the then little-known developer BioWare. Does MDK2 live up to the high standards set by the first game?

Gameplay

If you're familiar with how the first game plays then there's no worries while getting into this game as Kurt controls just the same as he did on MDK (there even references to the first game)... in fact, I'd say he controls a bit tighter here than his already great controls in the first game. Infinite chain gun, sniper mode, ribbon chute, etc. are all here for the coarse but there is a few fundamental changes and additions. Grenades now come 5 a piece and take time to detonate unless it makes direct contact with someone which adds a little strategy while using it, the super chain gun can now be equipped manually and have 500 ammo each, and health is more plentiful this time around. Certain items such as I Feel Top!!!, Tornado, and Hamster Hammer sadly hadn't made the cut but MDK2 makes up for it by adding a bunch of new items such as the Cloak which makes you invisible for a while, Black Hole that literally wipes out anything within range (include YOU), Sniper Shield which prevents you from taking damage while in sniper mode (but it obstructs your view), and Laser Chain gun which is even more powerful than the Super Chain gun but require more accurate aiming and only has 100 ammo. There's also these blue glowing orbs that are placed during the puzzle-solving sections that require you to use sniper mode to dissolve them... these orbs are what keep you from progressing and tend to be hidden where enemies are at bay. At first they're pretty easy to dissolve (just aim and shoot with sniper mode) but in later levels they start to show various patterns like floating up and down the area or bouncing back and forth across the area... so positioning and timing is a critical factor here.

Another thing is that you can now play as Max (Dr. Fluke Hawkins' gutter-mouthed six-legged k-9 unit and pet) and Dr. Hawkins (the eccentric man of science who hired Kurt as a janitor), both offer their own style of gameplay. Kurt is like the middle man between the two... his levels are a mix of stealth, puzzle-solving, and manpower while Max's levels are all about manpower, and Doctor's levels are about inventory and puzzle-solving with very little manpower involved. 

In Max's levels, you can find many types of guns to add to your disposal that you can equip or unequip like Magnums, Uzis, Gatling Guns, or Laser guns though Max always comes strapped with a special Magnum with infinite ammo like Kurt's chain gun but it's pretty weak on it's own so it's not a good idea to rely on it. Max can also equip up to 4 guns at once and he's the strongest of the 3 having 200 health points (which is twice the amount Kurt has) so naturally you encounter the most amount of enemies with Max making his levels the most action-packed. Max doesn't come with a parachute like Kurt but you do find a Jetpack halfway through each of his levels that functions a similar way only you don't have to go under an air vent for it to make you fly into the air... the Jetpack has limited fuel however so always remember to go near a gas pump, which you'll find at certain spots throughout the rest of his levels, when the fuel gauge is low. You do find an Atomic Jetpack in later levels which doesn't go as fast but it refills automatically when not in use.

In Doctor's levels, you can find many common objects of which is either sectioned off to your left hand or right hand to be equitable. Having one item on each hand can do various things... such as being combined to make a new item to use or even be used as a weapon. Like I said earlier Doctor's levels are puzzle-solving heavy featuring parts where you play as Doctor's pet fish Chuckleberry Fin swimming your way through a maze in the crate of the Jim Dandy ship to find the button switch while at the same time avoiding spike bombs and bigger fish will eat you once it gets close to you or hit buttons corresponding to a specific pattern (if or not under a time limit). Doctor isn't nearly as physically capable as Kurt or Max (for obvious reasons) as you only have 60 health points, low jumping height, and can't climb onto ledges so platforming and manpower isn't much his territory but you can hold your own against enemies with the Atomic Toaster which can be used with an strangely unlimited loaf of bread (among other things) to make atomic toast that, while not as easily flexible as Kurt's chain gun, can do great damage and can bounce off the area then stick to it before exploding, or his Leaf Blower.

MDK2 still retains the rough difficulty curve of the first game. Enemies still come large in numbers and take quite a bit of manpower to bring down... though MDK2 introduces a completely new, wider roster of enemies such as the Buttrocks who are the most common enemies and are like bigger version of the Grunts (who fans call "Poopsies") but not as big as pushovers (they can attack at close range and launch grenades similar to Kurt's), Coneheads who are seemingly harmless at first but have psychic attacks that go through walls, Birdbrains who are owl-looking robots that fly around and will hunt you down like a hawk (oohh!!), and the dreaded Bifs with their powerful homing lightning staff attacks and high amount of health, plus puzzle-solving is just as tricky as ever and bosses still require varying alternative strategies. In fact, I feel MDK2 may be quite a bit more difficult than the first game... there's a stronger emphasis on platforming and puzzle-solving this time around, and those sections some of the challenging you'd ever face in any game period. In many parts it's seemingly impossible to get past without going through trial-and-error... Doctor's levels are especially hard for this very reason given his levels mostly revolve around puzzle-solving and there's also his limitations.

Content 

Like MDK, you have the option to either create a new game data or load an existing save date but for some reason the console versions of MDK2 don't allow you to save at any point of game like in the PC version, the game will save your data for you once you reach a checkpoint but you can at least revisit a checkpoint to redo a certain part of the save data. MDK2 has a total of 10 levels and each level switches between Kurt, Max, and Doctor in that order except for the last level where you choose one of the 3 you want play to as and as always their approaches are completely different even though you're ultimately doing the same thing with all of them... you will get an alternate ending once you beat the level with each of them. Not only are there more levels in MDK2 but the levels themselves are even bigger and more diverse.... you won't be graded by your performance like in the first game though. After playing through each level you can load your save data to watch the cutscenes from all the levels.

Graphics

Just like MDK the graphics for MDK2 are quite dated with the muddy textures and low-polygon count on character models (especially for the PS2 port MDK2: Armageddon) but the detailed and cool-looking designs make up for it. Another thing worth mentioning is there aren't as many corners cut with the graphics as the first game (most likely due to better resourceful) as there's no parts of the environments that are simply left black and there seems to be some actual lighting effects employed along much better looking (and less computer-looking) explosions and particle effects. The animation is also a lot better notably with Kurt... his movement is actually natural and smooth-looking not at all jerking like in the first game... so with age aside, MDK2 is a very pretty-looking game.

Sound

The sound effects in MDK2 are just as cathartic and hilarious as the first game. Voice acting is more plentiful now that characters have actual dialogue and they add just as much to the experience as the alien grunt noises. MDK2 also goes for a totally different musical approach from the first game... in fact, it's done by completely composers who areJesper Kyd, Albert Olson, and Raymond Watts. While there are some orchestral tracks in the game (mostly during Doctor's levels) but for the most part the music in MDK2 is techno and honestly it's more suiting to the game's cyberpunk influence but not only that it does more to get you pumped up during the heat of battle due riffs find in the faster songs.

Aesthetics

MDK2 features the same cyberpunk/post-apocalyptic atmosphere with a dash of unique, off-the-wall humor. Like I said earlier MDK2 has actual dialogue this time around so expect a lot of dialogue-based humor and this game features some of the funniest dialogue in any game (who's my puppy-wubby dingy doggy). MDK2 also fleshes-out the story in comparison to the non-existent story from the first game so we actually get to know the titular characters (nobody knows what it stands so stfu!) and the aliens they face while playing the game... the story is told through cutscenes that appear in the beginning, in the middle of, and towards the end of each level but don't expect it to be super compelling as the story never really takes itself very seriously. It's all told in a pretty tongue-in-check matter with witty banter and subversive humor.

Overall 

With all that said, MDK2 manages to be even better than it's predecessor despite being handled by a completely different development team. Brutal difficulty aside it took what made the first game great then expanded upon it while at the same time fixing most of the (mostly minor) shortcomings... it's just a shame this game never caught on the same way it's older brother did.

Overall, this game gets a 9.5 out of 10.

MDK Review - This is top!

Release(s):

April 30, 1997 (Worldwde)

Platform(s): Windows, Mac OS, PlayStation 
Genre(s): Third-person shooter
Developer(s): Shiny Entertainment
Publisher(s):

PIE (North America)
Interplay Entertainment (Europe)

Player(s): 1

Overview

Ah, yes... MDK, the abbreviated title of Max Doctor Kurt... or Murder Death Kill... or.. whatever, no one knows but one thing is known is the developers behind the game- the now defunct Shiny Entertainment has a history of making unique and difficult games that are beloved by pretty much everyone who's played them (aside from a few lackluster movie tie-ins), like Earthworm Jim. The revolutionary third-person shooter one of those such games. But does it hold up today? Let's find out...

Gameplay

MDK is a third-person shooter like no other. The movement controls is similar to that of Doom.... the arrow keys/directional buttons allow you to move up/down and turn left/right while pressing the shoulder buttons/left and right arrow keys in junction with X allows you to strafe. One thing that really sets MDK apart from the average third-person shooter is Kurt Hectic, the character that you play as, uses an unlimited ammo chain gun that is attached to his coil suit as his main weapon and this gun can be used even when you're moving Kurt around. You can also find other weapons scattered throughout levels such as the grenade (which come 3 a piece) which deals great damage (a lot more than the chain gun) and breaks glass walls instantly, a super chain gun which evidently is a more powerful version of the built-in chain gun but it equipped automatically and only lasts for 200 rounds (why this is a weakness I'll explain later), and the Dummy Decoy to keep the dim enemies away from attacking you by attacking you for a considerable amount time... along with less common weapons such as The World's Smallest Nuclear Bomb which destroys anything within it's radius but it only appears to be using them to bust through otherwise indestructible doors (kinda a waste if you ask me), a Tornado which bit-by-bit attacks all enemies across the field, and The Very Large Hamester Hammer which springs left and right shaking the ground while destroying anything that the hammer bashes on. The game also combines third-person shooting action with platforming and with that Kurt also has the movement of a shooter along with the mobility of a platformer like Crash Bandicoot, the controls are tight and fluid on top of this. Kurt also comes equipped with a reusable ribbon parachute (usable from holding the jump button while in the air) that either slow down your landing which is convenient when landing from dangerous heights or reach to greater heights while under an air vent. 

And finally, the most stand out feature of all in MDK is Kurt's Sniper Mode. In this mode, your fixed into position with a dead-center aim and you can zoom in or out from your aim. It also comes with an unlimited ammo shooter although not as easily flexible as the chain gun it does more damage and if you aim at a non-boss enemy's vitals it's an instant kill... you can also find different types of sniper bullets such as Homing Bullets and Sniper Grenades (you can even have Max assist you) but those have a limit so it's best to use them only against stronger enemies. Your movement during Sniper Mode is limited so use it with caution... with that said this Sniper Mode adds a nice stealth element to the game.

Now with these vast amount of weaponry and flexibility you would figure the game would be easy... it is not. In fact, the game can be quite brutal in it's difficulty. Enemies come at large numbers and they take quite a bit of brute force to bring down even with the Super Chaingun. The most common you face in the whole game are generically called Grunts, who spend just as much time messing around and cowering as they would attack you but there are others enemies who are stronger, more aggressive, and use more tactics against you. The bosses are evidently the hardest as they require completely different approaches to be defeated and this is where the game really takes advantage of the whole Sniper Mode feature. Fortunately, you can often find food for health scattered throughout each level though they kinda scarce... there's even a I Feel Top supplements which brings your health all the way up to 150 pts (in contrast to your base of 100pts) and can last throughout the whole level but you can't maintain it. Puzzle-solving in this game also prove to be rather tricky... while in other games, the puzzles given to you are fairly straightforward but MDK forces you to think outside the box and solve things completely on your own. 

Once you get past the steep difficulty curve you'll find MDK is a game that in encourages player inituition and creativity as well as knowing when/how to attack or when/how to move.

Content 

You either have the option to start a new save data or load up an already saved data... not only had you can save at any point of the game by pressing F2 or holding the select button while the game is paused. There is a total of 6 levels of which you will be graded by your performance after each level and while the levels themselves are vast in size and are fairly diverse, the game only clocks in at 6 hours tops. There is no extra unlockables, no backtracking, and you don't even get much of a conclusion after beating the game. Sure, you would get an amusing Music video by French singer BZK (Billy Ze Kick) doing a cover for the French 1973 anti-war pop song Non Non Rien N'a Changé (No No Nothing Has Changed) but certain rereleases of the game doesn't have it like the Playstation version.... otherwise you just get Kurt climbing on top of the MDK logo like in the Title Menu and the credits roll. 

Graphics 

Although this is a tricky section to review since this game is almost 2 decades old I still think this is a fine-looking game regardless. The level are all very nicely detailed and all very diverse... same goes for the character models. The rich design of the game is also accompanied by a consistently smooth framerate of no lower than 30 fps across all computer system as the game's graphics uses software rendering rather than relying on a special graphics processing unit. The game's graphical accomplishments and visual appeal helps masks it datedness whatnot with the low polygon count (especially the Playstation version) and Kurt's animation is rather choppy (there are actually a few times I messed up a jump due to Kurt's awkward jump animation). One thing I do have to complain about in the game is that in order to maintain it's frame rate performance, many parts of the environments are simply left untextured leaving a bunch of black in certain areas without reason. 

Sound 

There isn't much voice acting within MDK but when there is, it's usually the enemies making weird and sometimes funny noises. The game also has some really nice sound effects as there's always a sound when you pick up an item that represents said item including some really amusing ones such as the Gunta food making walrus sounds or those weird cow things making moo noises... the gun fires and explosions are also really lethargic. The whole strong point here is with the soundtrack as it's done by a composer who's a fairly big name in the industry, Tommy Tallarcio. All the tracks for MDK are combination of rock, orchestras, and synthesizers which is fitting as the game's story is pretty much about war and it's very sequence-based, keeping silent while running through corridors but comes blazing when something's about to go down. All the tracks work so well it's really hard to point to a specific example of how well it works but regardless, it's good stuff. 

Aesthetics 

I'll say this once and many who's played the game would agree, MDK is one of the most aesthetically-pleasing games I've ever played. The whole game carries a post-apocalyptic and cyberpunk atmosphere right from the menus to the gameplay while the same time very comical. On top of the silly sound effects, there's several other oddities such as the I Feel Top supplement suddenly sprouting legs trying to run away from you making screeching monkey sounds. The enemies are also odd-looking and grotesque while the same time showing such odd-ball behavior (like the Grunts acting like jackasses and Gunta jigging around) that you can't help but laugh at times. My only complain however is the story almost isn't there... all the story that you're given is aliens invade *insert city, state/province, country here* and it's up to Kurt Hectic to bring down the aliens' minecrawlers. You never even really get to know any of the main characters.... almost all of the story details are within the game's instruction manual as told from Doctor Fluke Hawkins' Journal. 

Overall 

Despite being nearly 20 years old this game still holds up very strong as being one of the greatest and most significant third-part shooters of all time. Once you get past the short length and the dated visuals (or even immerse them into the experience), MDK is a fun yet challenging and unique game that is worth the time/money for any hardcore gamer. 

I give this game a 8.5 out of 10.