A World Full of Scientists, Robot Dogs and the Most Badass Janitor (Ever?) -- An MDK2 Review

Written By: Tyler Selig

I feel like just seeing the box art is enough.

Rating: 7.5/10

Verdict: MDK2 shows its age in how it controls and the checkpoints are too few and far between in the Dreamcast version, but I can understand why MDK2 is so loved because it does everything else right.

            MDK2 is a game originally released in 2000 to mostly great reviews. It starts three very memorable characters who are entirely different from one another – Kurt the Janitor, Dr. Hawkins the Scientist and Max the six-legged robot dog. During the celebration of their victory in the first MDK, they are informed that there is another minecrawler in Edmonton (of all places), and Kurt goes to destroy it. From then on, things go from bad to worse, because well, video games.

            I like to gush about the positives in games first, most of the time, but I got some negativity that I want to get out of the way. Some people can’t look at an old game and give it a high rating if it’s their first experience because games have come a long way in a lot of aspects, while some people are able to appreciate a good game regardless of their age. I fall into the latter, but it’s important to acknowledge that there are some limitations from the old school that have been improved upon in the modern era. I could spend all review explaining what I mean but I’ll keep it at that. I will repeat this again someday when I review another old game, I’m sure.

                The reason I brought it up is because I bought this game for Dreamcast as opposed to playing the remakes or even the PC version because it technically was originally for Dreamcast. I wanted to experience the first version. I feel like I may have played the wrong version, though, because there is one issue that drives me up the wall and that’s the problem this game has with checkpoints. What I mean by this is that they seem so far away because this game is so difficult.

                Stop Internet, I know what you’re thinking! I’m whining because I suck. I’m not terrible at the game, but I’m not great. Maybe I would have been more forgiving back in the day to having to replay areas, but at this day and age it’s just not for me. Completing a section only to die and repeat the same section is not good gameplay to me. Some will argue that games like Dark Souls thrive on that, and sure, maybe that’s your thing. I can’t remember what the checkpoints and whatnot are like in Demon’s Souls (that being the only one I’ve played), but this is a personal preference so of course I’m going to knock the game down a little bit for it. Any critic who claims to be 100% objective should be shot and fans shouldn’t expect them to be. So I feel like the PC version or one of the remakes may have been a better choice because I know the PC version at least has a quick save feature so it would have saved me some unnecessary grief.

                Another problem I have is the controls, which is more of a problem of its time than a problem with the game itself. I once proclaimed that the N64 controller was awesome, but these days the limitations of single-stick controllers are really evident, and unfortunately MDK2 suffers from that. I just have a really hard time getting used to using the A, B, X and Y buttons to move, even though theoretically, using those to move and the stick to look around is the most efficient system possible. Because of this, my movement just wasn’t as fluent, the game was harder than it should have been (note: the game would be really hard regardless), and platforming and whatnot was more difficult. The move from 2D to fully 3D worlds was an awkward transition for certain genres, and MDK2 does prove that with how it controls.

                With that out of the way I can lather this game with praise. I mentioned it above but the characters truly are a thing of beauty. All three of them have their quirks, whether it’s the eccentricity of Dr. Hawkins or the fact that you’re playing as a Janitor. And who doesn’t love the idea of a robot dog with six legs who can hold a bunch of guns at a time and blast fools? Their conversations are often silly and some are downright comical, and the fact that the game doesn’t take itself silly lends itself to an amusing and enjoyable time. My appreciation for the characters grew as the game progressed.

                The story follows the tone set by the characters. Sure, something massive is happening but the game presents it in a comic book style, and it makes it less dark. It adds a lot of charm to the experience, and was definitely a good move by Bioware (though it may have also been that way in MDK, which I haven’t played).

                I have to give special attention to the music. It always adds another layer to what you’re doing. Some of it is dark, some is downright creepy, some makes you feel like a badass, but it always captures the mood of what’s going on perfectly. It’s one of those soundtracks that manages to stand out right from the beginning and I mean that because I sat and listened to the main menu music for a bit before I started playing.

                The visuals look good for a 2000 game, and it’s clear that they put some work into making the stages. Each one has its own unique style that compliments the characters and their own attributes, and technically speaking, the game did use the Dreamcast capabilities well.

                The level design is linear, but I don’t usually mean that as a negative. We live in a world of a lot of open-world, and when a game is linear (like Remember Me), people get on their high horse and speak badly about it. I appreciate both methods because sometimes I just want to play a linear game, and MDK2 has a lot of baddies to shoot, some puzzles to solve (especially when you’re Dr. Hawkins), and some giant boss battles. The way MDK2 uses its three protagonists offers a lot of variety because they have different styles – Kurt snipes a lot, Max just straight up murders chaotically and Dr. Hawkins is more puzzle based.

                In closing, this is one of the weirder 7.5s I’ve ever given because as much as I respect and admire the game design, there are those two matters that dampened my actual enjoyment a fair amount. I give a better breakdown of what my mindset is when rating anything in my biography under the Contributors (still waiting on other contributors) tab, so check that out if you want to understand where my head is.  MDK2 is undoubtedly a great game, and had I played a different version it’d be an 8 or an 8.5 at least, but I chose Dreamcast so that’s what I have to stick with.