Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (PS3)

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is an explosive open-world action game set in a massive, highly reactive, war-torn world. When a power-hungry tyrant messes with Venezuela's oil supply he sparks an invasion that turns the country into a war zone. But for you, international crisis is all upside: You are a mercenary, and you profit from chaos. You are not a soldier. You don't have to play by anyone's rules. You have your own code: you will fulfill the terms of the contract, no matter what. If you see it, you can buy it, steal it, or blow the living crap out of it. Play your own way, or play with the help of a friend in the new co-op multiplayer mode. And remember rule #1 for mercenaries: EVERYBODY PAYS.

• Massively Open World - Play throughout the varied terrains of Venezuela that is larger than all the Mercenaries maps combined.
• Work for the Highest Bidder - You decide which factions to work for and when. From oneoff pick-up jobs to complex multi-objective missions your choices will decide how the game progresses and which faction wins the war.
• New Toys - Over 130 vehicles from civilian cars to tanks and choppers plus all the destructive weaponry you can handle from pistols to rocket launchers.
• Co-op Multiplayer - Whether split-screen or online you no longer have to go it alone. Invite a friend to jump in and help you fight your way to the top.
• Next Gen Destruction - Take down any building and see them crumble with fantastic effects - and they can be used to take out enemy forces and change the landscape of the battlefield.
• Build Your Own Private Military Company - Recruit other mercenaries to build out your arsenal and options until you have the ultimate array of options to play with.
• Playable Water - Fly over it, swim through it, race across it in boats. No longer just something to look at, water is an active part of the game.
  

If there really isn’t any such thing as bad publicity then Mercenaries 2 is already doing superbly. It certainly already has its fair share of infamy, after being denounced by the Venezuelan government as propaganda for the U.S. Army and even dragging Bono (who part owns developer Pandemic) into a row over its probity. Mind you North Korea weren’t too keen about the first game either and that turned out all right.

The reason poor Bono’s name has been dragged into the dirt is that the game’s plot revolves around a U.S. led invasion of Venezuela after a dictator takes control in a coup. It’s pretty hard to get offended about a game as gleefully silly as this though as its interests are clearly not politics but simply blowing things up as creatively as possible. As before you’re dropped into the war zone and free to ply your mercenary trade with whomever you want. However, this time you’re in charge of your own PMC (Private Military Company) and get to set up your own base and recruit your own soldiers.

Owning your own PMC gives you a lot more control over how exactly you play the game in what is essentially Grand Theft Auto in a warzone. Everything you see can be completely destroyed from innocuous shrubbery to be the biggest buildings. You can now swim as well and there’s lot more vehicles and gadgets, from helicopters to grappling hooks. With an online co-op mode as well even Hugo Chávez couldn’t fail to be entertained (maybe).