Once again the unstoppble Cate Archer finds herself in H.A.R.M.'s way-
And off you go into an intriguing sequel to Noone Lives Forever the operative, which came out in 2000. NOLF 2,from 2002, now has much better, more realistic graphics, but a slightly less engaging story line.
As in the first game,cold war British spy agency, U.N.I.T.Y has discovered a Soviet secret military weapon that could bring about World War III! Can you(as Cate) outwit and defeat the deadliest assassins H.A.R.M. can throw at you in time to uncover their deadly plot?
All you have for helpers are:(Instead of the training sequences of the first game) a crow called "Santa" who pops up at odd moments to give you tips on how to use gadgets or who to find next. Also from the first game-a huge Scottsman in a kilt named Magnus Scott who tends to chicken out when faced with danger. Frowsy old Dr. Schenker appears again-now he is grouchily employed by U.N.I.T.Y to help analise the secret weapon, of course.
Cate will run, walk, sneak, lean and crouch. She (and you) will become proficient at driving a snowmobile in frozen Siberia-after some dizzying rides trying to stay on the paths, I enjoyed the beautiful wintery effects of this level, especially the snowflakes floating down and the crunching sounds of boots on frozen ground and in icy slush. She will have to escape a burning submarine. The most hilarious mode of transportation is when she finds herself on the back of a tricycle with Armstrong pedaling like mad while she tries to pick off the enemies.
In addition to Siberia and the submarine, Cate goes to India, Japan, Antarctica,the Aegean Sea,and of all places-Akron, Ohio. Sound boring? But wait 'till you get there!Some of the most intense moments in the game are here.
And there are plenty of enemies: Ninjas, Mimes, H.A.R.M. guards(as in the first game, you can evesdrop on their stupid conversations and get some chuckles) Soviet soldiers(they all seem to have girlfriend problems)Bombay policemen,and Super Soldiers. Behind these foes are the nefarious Volkov, who runs H.A.R.M. but is constantly bullied and harassed on the phone by his mother,also the Mime King, and Isako, head of the Ninjas. Behind the scenes movie sequences show the "good guys",fairly competant British agency U.N.I.T.Y. and the often brash, beligerant and bumbling U.S. military. The tounge-in-cheek humor in these makes the game all the more fun to play.
Once again, Cate has a great assortment of weapons and gadgets:The katana, Japanese sword, shuriken throwing stars, crossbow,hand gun, AK47 assault rifle,sniper rifle, 9MM machine gun, utility launcher for her tranquilizer darts and camera disablers. a code breaker disguised as a compact, a fingernail clipper-lock pick, a hairspray-welder, among other things.
I also enjoyed the music in the game-Russian, Indian or Asian themes, depending on location.
Gameplay: steer with mouse, WASD for direction. R mouse to use something, L mouse to fire weapon. You have an on screen compass and can lean, hide in the dark shadows, move bodies, crouch and sneak. I found the controls to work smoothly for the most part.You can play on easy, normal or difficult.I always play on easy mode in these action games and found this to be challenging enough, and had health and armor left at the end-always a secure feeling. I think this game would be good for an adventure gamer who wants to try some action for a change.
The game loaded perfectly with no glitches.Even with intense and prolonged action it never locked up or crashed. played on WIN XP,512MB,ATI Radeon128MB.
Recommended:256 MB,video 64MB
If you enjoy games with plenty of action, sneaking and humor, don't miss this one. I give it a hearty
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