Multiplayer is where it's at
That doesn't sound like a plot that would keep anyone interested in the single player campaign for long I know, but Sam's never been a great storyteller. Being the spiritual successor to Duke Nukem he's more into killing bad guys, and when it comes to dealing out catering size portions of pain to his enemies, Sam definitely reigns supreme. There's no hint of stealth or cover and concealment here, just wave after wave of enemies to shoot and an arsenal at your disposal that would make a Royal Marine blush and think twice about kicking off. As a result the action is about as fast paced and chaotic you're likely to find anywhere and you'll probably spend most of your time desperately circle strafing or, running frantically backwards to avoid the many different kinds of death flying in your general direction. The weapons are all taken from a time period when names like "Modern Warfare" really didn't mean much, so you're far more likely to come across a chainsaw or rocket launcher than a trusty M4 Carbine, adding to the fun. But while they're refreshing change in a genre now almost completely populated with realistic FPS games they're not what makes the action in Serious Sam HD:The Second Encounter so unique.It's the enemies, for a start most of them look like nothing you've ever seen before and it's difficult not to be intimidated by a seven foot tall redneck with a jack-o-lantern for a head and a chainsaw to wield when one comes running at you. What really makes them special though is the way they interact when there are several types together, some will run at you full tilt in an attempt to suicide bomb you, others charge at you from the side like some kind of deranged Rhino and there are some real giants thrown in for good measure, so when there are a few different types of enemy on screen you will inevitably find yourself being attacked from all sides and in a number of different ways. When there are as many enemies on screen as the Serious 3 engine can render (and that's a lot believe me) the fire fights that unfold are pure mayhem and will genuinely get your adrenaline pumping. Fortunately the levels tend to be quite large, giving you plenty of room to maneuver but even so, you'll breathe a sigh of relief every time you make it out of a fight in one piece.
Continued overleaf...
