MDK2 offers a whole lot of gameplay that you’d expect, along with a lot that you wouldn’t. It’s really three separate games in one, although Max and Kurt play a whole lot more alike than the doctor does. I’ll cover each one in a little detail. The plot starts off immediately after the first game ends, and involves more alien shenanigans. Part of the fun of the game is watching all the silly things happen, though, so I’ll not burst your bubble. That is, other than to say that I never knew hearing an alien mutter “Who’s your daddy? Why, yes, I am” could be so amusing.
Kurt’s gameplay is a whole lot like the first game, which makes sense -- he’s the main character from the first game. You will find yourself sniping, chain-gunning, and floating through various levels, utilizing the abilities of the Coil Suit to the max. The sniper rifle is a zillion times stronger than the chain-gun, and is the only way to open certain doors. The Coil Suit has a nifty parachute-like ability, letting you glide around and get to faraway platforms. And that’s something you’ll be doing plenty of -- MDK2 has a lot of pain in the ass platforming, just like the first one did. Thankfully, you can save at any point, so get ready for lots of reloads. (And if you reload in the same level that you’re in, the transition is damn near instantaneous. Nice.)
Max’s levels are a whole lot more combat-oriented. He can hold up to four guns at once, and you’ll find new guns scattered pretty much everywhere in his levels. He also gets a jetpack, which lets him fly up and over obstacles, although you’ll find that the jetpack areas often tend to be more of a pain in the butt than anything else you’ll do with Max. There’s something wonderfully gratifying about blowing aliens away with four Uzis at the same time, though, so you’ll hear no complaints from me in that department. And Max can blow away structures like walls, which is often necessary to progress in the game.
Dr. Hawkins’ levels are the most cerebral in the game, and as such, feel the most like a different title. The doctor has two inventories -- one for each hand. By selecting different items and combining them, you can make all sorts of nifty inventions. These inventions are necessary for beating the levels, as you’ll find yourself having to build, say, a leaf blower to get rid of something. Most of the combinations are intuitive, but some of them are not quite so. As with most puzzles of this type, some people will go through it immediately seeing what needs to be done, whereas others will get stuck.
All three of the play modes are entertaining, and the game keeps mixing it up so you never get tired of one or the other. If there’s a problem with the game, it’s that it’s at times too hard -- stupid platforms! -- and it ends up being a little shorter than I’d like. The levels are huge, yes, but there’s less than a dozen. Ah, well, you can’t have it all, can you?
