MDK2 HD
- July 30, 2012
- Overhaul Games
- 6h median play time
In MDK2 HD, play as hero Kurt Hectic and companions, battling aliens across strange worlds with inventive weaponry. This remastered version offers enhanced visuals, improved controls, and all original game content. With humor and fast-paced action, MDK2 HD is a satisfying third-person shooter experience.
Reviews
- The game successfully captures the nostalgia of the original, providing a fun and humorous experience reminiscent of the early 2000s.
- The HD remaster features improved textures and models, enhancing the visual appeal compared to the original version.
- Gameplay remains engaging with varied character mechanics, and the game runs well on Windows 10 despite some technical issues.
- The HD version is plagued with numerous bugs, including graphical glitches, audio issues, and crashes, making it frustrating to play.
- Many players report that the game does not work properly on AMD graphics cards, leading to a poor experience for those users.
- The remaster feels lazy, with many elements unchanged from the original, such as cutscenes and UI, which detracts from the overall quality of the update.
- graphics13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players praising the HD visuals and widescreen support, while others report significant issues, particularly with AMD graphics cards, leading to stuttering and graphical glitches. Many users express frustration over the game's poor optimization and compatibility problems, suggesting that it may be unplayable for a substantial number of players. Overall, the graphical performance appears inconsistent and problematic across different hardware setups.
“Positive: the graphics look beautiful in HD and widescreen.”
“I still love the first MDK by Shiny Entertainment; I really enjoyed playing that game for its superb graphics and great story.”
“Launched game via NVIDIA graphics, seems to be working.”
“Absolutely terrible, doesn't run on most graphics cards and when it does it's unoptimized. Buy the original version instead and avoid these developers as no patch will be released.”
“I would especially be careful if you have an AMD card as I had constant glaring graphical glitches which made the game almost unplayable.”
“This game is a broken graphical mess!”
- stability12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
The stability of this HD version is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous glitches and bugs that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players, particularly those with AMD graphics cards, experience severe graphical issues, leading to an overall impression that the game is poorly optimized and abandoned by developers. Despite some positive remarks about gameplay, the overwhelming consensus is to avoid purchasing due to its instability.
“As an AMD CPU owner and an ATI HD6950 owner running the latest 14.11.2 beta driver, this game runs great!”
“It plays and runs great, and the core of the gameplay remains untouched if you don't choose the new easy/extra hard difficulties.”
“The amount of glitches this HD version has is absolutely unacceptable.”
“The only thing this HD version has over the other versions is the new character models, and while they do look nice, they aren't worth suffering over the constant glitches it has.”
“Glitches galore and general feeling that only the bare minimum was done to ensure the game runs on modern systems.”
- music11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game evokes strong 90's nostalgia, featuring a pumping techno soundtrack that enhances the action and atmosphere. However, players report significant issues with sound bugs, including music not playing when it should, crackling sounds, and inconsistent audio during gameplay, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, the music remains a highlight for some, contributing to the game's retro charm.
“Great old school action with very 90's vibes - the music especially.”
“Hell, I got so involved with this game series, I even downloaded a copy of the French music video about the protagonist Kurt.”
“Re-armed and reloaded in HD; MDK2 is a humorous and satirical throwback to 90's action/platform games where a fast trigger finger and fancy footwork around an alarming number of enemies will see you scraping through each relentless fight at the will of a pumping techno soundtrack that makes you feel like an unstoppable superhero - from start to finish.”
“A sound bug during the final fight, then there is no music at all.”
“No music very much hurts the atmosphere.”
“Sometimes music doesn't play when it should, sometimes music plays when it shouldn't, and sometimes the music just crackles.”
- humor9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of clever jokes and gags, with some players appreciating its "old-fashioned Bioware humor" and unique charm. While the comedic elements are enjoyable, they are noted to be somewhat sparse, with the game also featuring a blend of action and satire reminiscent of 90s platformers. Overall, the humor is characterized as funny, odd, and engaging, contributing to the game's appeal despite its age.
“That said, I very much enjoyed the comical adventure that these three characters went on, and about a third of the way through I realized that this must be where the term 'old-fashioned Bioware humor' originated.”
“This game is hilarious, and mowing down the hordes with four machine guns is quite satisfying.”
“A game with great humor and just a pervasive oddness throughout.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Gameplay experiences vary significantly among users; some find it enjoyable and well-structured, particularly appreciating the character diversity and voice acting, while others encounter frustration due to a lack of guidance and occasional monotony. Overall, the game runs smoothly, and the core mechanics remain solid across different difficulty levels.
“The varied gameplay between the three main cast members was also well-tailored to every level.”
“The characters are great, the voice acting is good, and the gameplay is lots of fun.”
“It plays and runs great, and the core of the gameplay remains untouched if you don't choose the new easy/extra hard difficulties.”
- story4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story is generally enjoyable, featuring humor and engaging elements, though some players feel it lacks sufficient comedic moments. While there are minor technical issues, such as audio cutting out and slow text loading, these do not significantly detract from the overall experience. Fans of the original game appreciate its graphics and narrative, indicating a strong legacy.
“The plot is sometimes funny, with jokes and gags, but there's too little of it.”
“I still love the first MDK by Shiny Entertainment; I really enjoyed playing that game for its superb graphics and great story.”
“The story feels disjointed and lacks coherence, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“Character development is shallow, leaving me with little emotional investment in their journeys.”
“The plot twists are predictable and fail to deliver any real surprises.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its originality and immersive qualities, though the lack of music detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, sound bugs are noted as a significant issue that can disrupt the intended ambiance.
“I loved the atmosphere and originality this game brought when it came out.”
“The lack of music significantly detracts from the atmosphere.”
“Some bugs might be 'forgivable' to an extent, but sound bugs really ruin the atmosphere.”
“The overall ambiance feels flat and uninspired, making it hard to immerse myself in the game.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with reports of significant stuttering even on high-end hardware like an i7 processor and 1070 graphics card. Many users recommend avoiding this version altogether, citing poor performance and a lack of future patches from the developers.
“Stuttering on an i7 processor and 1070 graphics card.”
“Absolutely terrible; it doesn't run on most graphics cards, and when it does, it's unoptimized. Buy the original version instead and avoid these developers, as no patch will be released.”