shooter

I very much enjoyed the creativity of the original No One Lives Forever and had very high hopes for this sequel.

Very importantly, make sure your computer meets the technical requirements (e.g., video card capable of hardware transform & lighting--T&L--I've heard people without capabilities have big problems if they can even play). Graphics work is extremely smooth and well done. The sound work is a very rare, if not unique, 10 out of 10 for soundtrack, cues, etc. Outstanding. New features for hiding, increasing various skills levels, dragging away bodies, etc. have been seamlessly incorporated and are very easy to learn. Most levels can be accomplished by either stealth or brute force--the occasionally maddening stealth requirements of the original don't exist, save perhaps for one not-too-difficult courtyard one needs to sneak through. Cut scenes are more efficient and not as much of an interruption. I don't recall encountering any real bugs, perhaps a first for a game (!), save perhaps getting trapped once or twice by civilians in a corner in India from which I couldn't move.

On the downside:
There's new humorous gadgets, but it's quite easy to go through the entire game and never use them, even forgetting if they're being carried. Switching weapons/gadgets isn't always the easiest thing. Unique levels requiring things like skydiving, SCUBA diving, etc., don't appear. One swims for maybe ten seconds total, and the rest of the time is running around, primarily with weapons and some attention to stealth when needed. There's a snowmobile, but barring a couple of mandatory jumps across chasms, it can be ignored and things just run through if wanted. The game overall can seem pretty "standard" until about the last third (about the time the tricycle and the mimes kick in! Bravo!). Completing the game takes about 1/3 the time of the original. In making a streamlined and cohesive game, some of the unique and unpredictable creativity of the original appears to have been toned down.

Overall? This remains a very very good game, and is extremely well put-together, perhaps the "slickest" and most commercial-feeling overall of anything to date. For those more "experienced" who like things challenging and with some variety, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Jedi Outcast, and Serious Sam 2 are probably better bets. When it comes to game of the year (for which this MAY be a contender), games like Grand Theft Auto 3 and Mafia probably have more going for them (and we're still waiting on the new Tomb Raider). NOLF seems to be going a bit more "slickly" mainstream and losing a tad of its original "what the heck let's be creative and do something bizarre" edge. Still worthy of getting a movie made from its concepts though, as much as it's starting to feel more like a female Austin Powers rather than just being its own thing.

NOLF2 gets a strong recommendation, with a caveat that fans of the original may find that more work was put into graphics and sound than in creating and expanding creative concepts, and another caveat that "serious" gamers may find this a surprisingly relatively quick and straightforward play.

Thumbs up, but I want my NOLF 3.

No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way continues the story of British agent Cate Archer, and her quest to save mankind. She's like a female Austin Powers, set in the 60s but a bit more witty and intelligent.

Cate Archer isn't Rambo. Her missions aren't about shooting everyone in sight. Instead, you lurk in the shadows, use your ultra-cool weapons like the Angry Kitty, and distract your enemies by throwing coins or hitting wind chimes.

The levels are very well done. The graphics are great and quite realistic, making you really feel like you're in different areas of the world in the 60s. The computer characters chat with each other and the ambient noise fits in well. The music is great!

There are all sorts of types of missions, with a wide selection of weapons to find and funny scenes to keep you entertained. The game really pulls you along and the ride is quite enjoyable. The characters are very well done and seem quite real. Add on to all of this a quite-fun on line game experience and you can easily play this for months. Highly recommended for any spy-game-fan!

I love first-person shooters (stealth or no stealth). I love James Bond-style stories. I love humor. I love great graphics.

Therefore, I love this game. I will say that the first couple of levels are a little slow, but once you get out of Siberia, it is a blast. It is just the right mix of stealth and action. Yes, there is one of the "don't get seen" levels, but it's not really too difficult and it is pretty short.

I haven't done it yet, but this is one of the few games that I can see myself playing through a 2nd (or 3rd) time.

The multiplayer is a blast as well, especially if you get a few friends together for deathmatch. There is something really satisfying about shooting your friend with a glue bomb and then taking him out with a flaming crossbow bolt.

If you liked the first NOLF, you should love this. If you thought that Contract JACK was so-so, you should enjoy this much better.