Review by: Chris Harding
Published: July 6, 2000

It’s an interesting time to be a gamer. There is much hype surrounding the next-generation console systems, such as Microsoft’s X-Box and to a lesser degree Sony’s PlayStation 2. With arguments heating up over what direction is best for the industry, a number of high profile titles are now seemingly up in the air over release platform and timing. The two camps couldn’t be farther apart. Proponents of the console systems cite standardization of hardware and lower cost of ownership as the saving grace of the community, while hardcore PC enthusiasts hold fast in their testimonies that the PC is the incubator of innovation, depth, and complexity. For years now the console and computer markets have catered to separate audiences with few exceptions. As these audiences become singular, the challenge to create products that appeal to both will become increasingly more important. However, the elements that constitute a well received console game, such as quick load times, ultra-speedy gameplay, simplistic interfaces and reflex oriented action have proven difficult features to implement on the PC. Difficult, but not impossible.

In 1997, the combined teams of Interplay and Shiny introduced the PC to one of the most unique takes on platform action ever seen. For those not familiar with the sleeper hit MDK, a little history is in order. MDK had the player assuming the role of Kurt Hectic, a janitor employed by a mad scientist named Dr. Hawkins. In the original, Kurt is given the task of saving the world from an evil alien race attacking the Earth. He’s given a super-duper technological suit of armor capable of many neat tricks and sent off to face an endless stream of strange-looking aliens. At the time of its release, MDK sported some of the best visuals the industry had ever seen. Coupled with its slapstick-style humor and extremely fast-paced action, MDK was fairly well received and won over a lot of hardcore PC players in the process.

My first impression of MDK 2, however, wasn’t at all positive. Excited to check out the promising visuals on my new 1GHz powerhouse system, I was extremely disappointed to find out that the OpenGL game only works on certain video cards with certain combinations of drivers; even with the provided GLSetup utility I could not get MDK 2 to work on my new 64MB geForce II card. So it was with much frustration that I moved over to one of my older systems, which is equipped with two OpenGL-friendly Voodoo2 cards in SLI mode. As expected, everything ran according to plan, and once up and running I was impressed with the OMEN engine. It is quite capable of rendering some impressive visuals, and the designers have utilized its power quite well, showing off a lot of color variations and eye-popping lighting techniques.

Except for the significant flaw in compatibility, I was happy to see that high quality graphics remain a key factor in the appeal of the MDK 2 series. As for the rest of the offering, the newly introduced features to the sequel are its best elements. As mentioned earlier, there are multiple characters available to play in this version, and each of them come with their own strengths and weaknesses. Of the three, Kurt maintains his sniper and parachute abilities. The other two would-be heroes include Dr. Hawkins, the mad scientist from the original, and his pet Max, a six-legged dog whom he invented. Max carries a weapon in each of his four upright paws, making him the best choice for “shoot first, ask questions later” types. Dr. Hawkins’ character is the most interesting for many reasons, mainly because I feel it’s BioWare’s way of introducing some depth and complexity to this otherwise mind-numbing shooter.

You see, Dr. Hawkins can combine items he finds and form them into weapons and tools. For instance, find some liquor and dirty towels and you’ve got a Molotov cocktail. Items such as duct tape, pipes and dirty towels don’t sound like much, but in the hands of a mad scientist, they’re deadly. However, Dr. Hawkins isn’t the easiest character to play with mainly because MDK 2 isn’t as forthcoming as it needs to be regarding how to use these concoctions. In retrospect, while the option to play three different characters seemed cool at first, in the end I found myself wishing I could have played the entire game as Kurt. It’s also important to note that you’re not given stewardship over which character you play, which is something that’s determined for you at the beginning of each level.

From a gameplay perspective, MDK 2 remains mostly consistent with its predecessor. The levels are all very straightforward with little complexity; it’s hard to get lost and there’s usually only one direction to travel. There’s a lot of running and shooting, as everything is wildly fast-paced with little regard to tactics or strategies. However, there are a fair number of puzzles in MDK 2, and if there is any one area where the sequel doesn’t measure up to the original, this is it. Most of the puzzles are reflex-oriented and not of the mental variety. Solving the puzzles in MDK 2 can be quite challenging, but for all the wrong reasons. I never ran into a puzzle that I didn’t know what I needed to do, but found myself stuck for eons in one place simply because I couldn’t complete the layered jumping-sequence puzzle. Some of these include obstacles that prevent you from moving onward, and having to attempt the same action-oriented task over and over again caused me a lot of frustration.

Still, I was able endure and in the process became quite thrilled with the gameplay overall. MDK 2 offers a form of fast-paced action quite different from most PC titles. I’m not sure how else to describe it other than to say it’s very console-like. Every encounter in MDK 2 is staged, which will elate some and annoy others. For the most part, enemies aren’t like the AI subjects that can be found in other first person games. The enemy is usually contained within a specified region and only specific bosses will wander from their given locations. This creates a staged feel for each battle, and given the scripted events that have been included for them, the outcome is quite effective.

Over time I became fond of MDK 2, although, just at the point I was starting to have a lot of fun with it, the game was over. With only 10 levels, it took me less than a weekend to finish the entire thing, and given the fact that I was stuck for long periods of times on certain jumping puzzles, the brevity of the entire adventure is alarming. Couple the shortness of the game with the fact that it offers no other form of play, and questions regarding the product’s overall value begin to arise.