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.
