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Mortyr II
Mortyr II brings players into the turbulent
era of World War II that not only throws the third Reich against the
gamer but also some of the deadliest weapons in existence. With the
Third Reich slowly falling to the forces of the allies, the Nazis
focuses there development into new experimental weaponry, unfortunately
for the denizens of Earth, there may be a high price to pay for this
unholy power. Fortunately for us mere mortals, the gamer is transformed
into Sven Mortyr, an elite British paratrooper who must not only disarm
and destroy this insidious Nazi plan but also rescue his father in the
process.
Although Mortyr II may not feature the most original storyline, one
cannot help but smile at the simplicity of this title because this game
really goes back to basics and if ain't broke, don't fix it. The player
starts the game armed only with a knife and their wits but the game
really focuses on stealth, but each mission can be completed with a
variety of tactics or combinations thereof. Those who prefer staying out
of sight and picking off enemies from a distance will find ample
opportunity to do so, as will those who prefer to wade into the thick of
combat with guns blazing.
The A.I. of mortyr is extremely impressive and does go a long way to
keeping the game interesting. The enemy movements and tactics are above
average, and actually make the game very difficult at points. They'll
use terrain to their advantage by taking cover behind obstacles and
they're well organized. It's not uncommon for one soldier to pin you
down behind cover with machinegun fire while another lobs a grenade at
your position. They'll often stake out spots around corners when they
hear your approach, ready to open fire. The A.I. is not perfect,
however; while enemies show momentary signs of brilliance, at other
times you might mistake them for brain-damaged scarecrows. They might
run away from you for no apparent reason, or dart in and out of cover
like a whack-a-mole game.
The levels are competently designed and while extremely linear, offer a
good variety of play. Each mission has a unique goal and several sub
goals, and no mission is too long. As you play, you'll fight through
frigid Norway, behind enemy lines in the trenches of the front in
Poland, and eventually to a cliff side monastery on the Mediterranean
coast. This adds variety to the environments and allows for a good mix
of close quarters and long range combat situations. The design of some
levels is excellent, like the ascent to infiltrate the monastery, while
others, especially the early stages, are just so-so outdoor hikes.
Graphically, like the gameplay, the graphics of Mortyr are solid with
nothing revolutionary. This is not going to be the best looking game
you've ever seen even with detail levels cranked up. Thankfully outright
errors are few, mostly limited to pop-ups of non-important terrain
features. There seems to have been a good design philosophy in making
this game; the designers didn't try to blow your mind, but they made
sure what they had was done well. Because there's so much action during
most of the game, this works out since you're not going to have much
time to stand there and examine the pretty flowers. The only real
problem with the graphics is excessive slowdown in enclosed areas, which
doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.
The sound is done fairly well for a budget title but comes off as
slightly lacking. The music is excellent but after a few stages starts
to all sound the same. Voiceovers during cut scenes are short but also
well done, and the enemies are well vocalized. The only problem here is
that you kill so many Nazis that you'll start hearing the same things
over and over. Ambient sounds are generally absent, but there are some
nice effects to make up for it. Notably, in the indoor stages, there are
nice echo effects that really convey the sense of a grand cathedral or
narrow passage.
In conclusion Mortyr II is a sturdy and entertaining game that is
basically your traditional first person shooter that features an
interesting storyline, some nice graphics and a great gameplay engine.
Although it's not like Halo, it does bring things back to basics with
it's realistic storyline and probably the most interesting era of first
person shooter, world war II. If you're a fan of first person
shooters, than you should really check this game out!
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