To write a review about Spy Hunter 2 without paying homage to the arcade legend Spy Hunter doesn't feel right, so let's do so.
*Bows down to memories of Spy Hunter, arcade version*
There. Now that that's done, it should be noted that it's a shame that Midway (who is currently in money trouble, and the latest rumor is that they'll be bought out by Microsoft) didn't do a better job with the franchise that basically started the whole fad of having a videogame where one can drive and shoot at the same time.
A bit of clarification is in order. There are actually two different games called Spy Hunter, and two different games called Spy Hunter 2, all of which are made by Midway. However, the original Spy Hunter and Spy Hunter 2 were coin-op arcade games. The coin-op version of Spy Hunter 2 was one of the worst sequels in arcade history, especially considering the amazing gameplay features of the arcade Spy Hunter.
This, however, is a review of the PS2 console version called Spy Hunter 2 (confused yet?), and we'll start off with a positive by saying that the initial feel of controlling that ridiculously cool car matches very well with Spy Hunter(arcade version). The multi-tasking G-8 155, which might match the coolest that Kit offered Michael Knight, turns on a dime and shifts to accelerating and decelerating speeds like we all wish we can do in Gran Turismo.
The car's control is the greatest aspect of this game and important considering the fact that every other thing else with a motor is trying to destroy it. And that's basically what the Spy Hunter franchise is all about; racing along a highway at incredible speeds and blowing away the motorcycles, cars, trucks, boats, and helicopters that step in the way.
If only everything looked clearer; the “original” Spy Hunter is famous for being one of the only multi-platform games that actually looks better on the PS2 than on the Xbox. This is scary, because it is assumed that sequels yield better graphics then the original. Sadly, in the PS2 version of Spy Hunter 2, everything is grainy and blurry, a serious disadvantage in a game where motorcycles race in front of the car and drop land mines. The natural help against this problem is to squint to see things better, which leads to sore eyes, which in itself leads to a nausea for a gamer that happens to be slightly under the weather while playing. Poor-looking explosions don't help either; developers should realize that seeing an enemy explode is one of the most pleasurable aspects of gaming.
For the single hour that the average gamer can endure such an eye-ache, the game is actually a bit entertaining. It does feel nice to control a car that can take so much damage and turn corners so neatly, and to utilize the various weapons in the game like land mines, machine guns, missiles, and smoke screens. It's rather cool how the car can transform into a jet-ski, boat, snowmobile, motorcycle, or off-road vehicle when the many different environments require the car to do so. There is also a very pleasant difficulty to the game that would please the mature gamer, perhaps mainly because a failure in one part of the mission will lead to having to start every associated sub-mission all over again. Unlike the original Spy Hunter(arcade) that truly had no end, this one provides a nice challenging experience to the finish.
Unfortunately, the story from start to finish is told in a very cheap and un-cinematic way. It's one of those games where the entire story is told from pictures of cars zooming back and forth and then having quick shifts to other scenes, because the developers don't know how to make human figures. This aspect holds true to Spy Hunter tradition, actually, but then why in the world do they even attempt to make a lame story about terrorism? It only draws attention to its shallowness.
There is a bit of deepness, however, in the two player campaign mode. It's rather cool to be able to play with a friend and divide the car's handling between two people. However, a major problem with this mode is that the roof turret on the car, controlled by one of the players, is seriously hard to manage. It’s nice that the turret has unlimited ammo, but that doesn’t matter when it can't effectively aim and shoot at anything. Also, while the sound effects of the game are usually decent, they seem to give out entirely during the co-op mode for brief periods of time. During these moments, only the uninspiring, generic action music can be heard(the original James Bond-like tune is used sparingly). In a game like this, sound is a very important part of the atmosphere, and so the loss of it is a very noticeable omission when it occurs.
There is also a two player versus mode that suffers from the same sound problem. Now imagine the graphics in this game on a split screen, and it turns out not to as entertaining a versus mode as it could have been.
Midway will hold on to this franchise like a mother does a child, and rightfully so. Spy Hunter is quite likely their greatest creation. However, it would have been nice if Spy Hunter 2 was developed by a group that had more money at their disposal. As it is, the game feels rushed and cheap. With the wide variety of games to choose from in the PS2 library, it would be strange to even give a recommendation to rent this game. However, for the purposes of nostalgia, this might be nice for a rental. Actually, it would be better to go to a bowling alley and find the coin-op original Spy Hunter, where the humble 2D graphics are much easier on the eyes then the poor 3D effects of Spy Hunter 2.
