No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way (PC) Review

In many ways this sequel plays it safe and doesn't really alter anything. No One Lives Forever 2 is, once more, a globe-trotting spy-vs-terrorist adventure, which takes place during the swinging '60s, and wholly embraces the silliness of early James Bond films. Something is missing, however, and that would be the awesome dialogue sequences that were a big part of the original's charm. There was a lot of talking in the latter, many times annoyingly so, but it gave it its comedic character. It wasn't just goofy, light-hearted fun either. The many cut-scenes on offer would many times revolve around some serious matters, especially the bias towards Cate Archer's gender. This takes place during the Cold War, after all, and in a department (as well as world) run by old men.

Here dialogue takes a bit of a backseat, and as a result it doesn't feel as if you get to know the characters involved. The original Cate Archer showed impatience, passion, tactical thinking, sympathy, sarcasm, and even wisdom. The "new" Cate Archer is just a cool superspy with a very pretty face, and the villains are more cartoony than ever before. Generally, this leans more into parody compared to the original, whose intent was to pay homage to old-school spy flicks. On the other hand, the comedic side has been enhanced, with even more funny conversations between guards to eavesdrop, and with lots of notes scattered around that make fun of a variety of things.

Gameplay wise this remains pretty much the same. Essentially a blend of standard, run 'n' gun FPS action and stealth, No One Lives Forever 2 doesn't force you to stick to a particular way of playing, although there are still many moments that cannot be done with stealth alone, which will annoy those who came in expecting a game that can be completed this way alone. Cate can use a variety of gadgets to work her way into a facility, but this time she can also lean around corners to see what's up ahead, and even blend with the shadows by standing for a couple of seconds in a dark spot - but she'll also have to be ready for lots of shooting, with enemy AI being a tad more advanced… although they still tend to run like crazy towards you.

It should be noted that this plays much better than before if you want to be stealthier. The original game didn't always communicate that well whether an enemy/camera could see you, and while this isn't exactly perfect, it feels better tuned for tactical espionage. A neat tool is the Utility Launcher, which is essentially a gun that shoots projectiles that range from tranquillity or tracking darts, to camera disablers. Sadly, there are a few flaws that put a dent on all the improvements that have been made, with the first one being how you still need to occasionally throw stealth out of the window, and just go in guns blazing.

The second issue at hand is that it includes an RPG system of sorts. In some ways this is a good thing. Increasing Cate's speed with gadgets, raising her max health or armour, and so on is not a bad idea per se, especially since it is tied around gathering pieces of intel, giving you the perfect incentive to snoop around a bit more thoroughly, whereas in NOLF Cate was "awarded" with the equivalent of a pat in the back. This, however, also affects things like weapon damage and accuracy, which can be a bit of a pain when that blasted headshot didn't really land as you thought it did. These are all nit-picks, however. The biggest problem here, is that enemies… never stop coming!

So, Cate has carefully planned her actions. She has killed a whole battalion without anyone noticing her, and then carried the bodies out of sight… only to realise that the outpost she's been playing Hitman at has been repopulated. For reasons that may seem bizarre to mere mortals, the developer has chosen to implement a re-spawn mechanic, which means that no matter how well you "clean" a location, more enemies will soon come back. Theoretically that's not a problem. In fact, knowing that new soldiers might appear can make the experience more adrenaline-pumping… but this is a mechanic that must make sense. Enemies must come through a door, from an elevator, with a vehicle. Instead, these simply appear out of the blue, and in essence force you to become very trigger happy.

Okay, both games in the original duology have plenty of issues. Which one is better, though? Well… it might initially feel like the sequel is much better at everything. Aside from the respawn thingy, it has a more balanced pace, the stealth mechanics work pretty good, and visually this is a treat. From the small, traditional Japanese village and the cold Siberian taiga, to the detailed alleyways of India, or the ghost town of super-windy Ohio, this looks awesome. Even better are the characters, as they now have more lifelike facial animation. Cate's new look might alienate some, as she is more "stereotypically" beautiful, whereas her original model (stylized after the stunning Mitzi Martin) has a more striking, aristocratic air, with "colder" characteristics, but personal tastes put aside, her current version remains a looker.

Weirdly enough, many, critic included, prefer the original. It's not really a matter of nostalgia. No One Lives Forever is a slightly cracked pot, with a flower that needs water, as well as a generous fertiliser dose. No One Lives Forever 2 looks much, much better, but it's just a plastic plant. What this silly analogy is trying to say, is that the mechanically and technically better sequel, actually feels more artificial compared to the first instalment, which, while heavily problematic, had a much stronger character. It had less, but more memorable jokes; a more fleshed-out protagonist; a better balance between comedy and seriousness.

Oh, and dead enemies stayed dead!