Mortyr 2

Ok, It's True we weren't the greatest fans of the first game. Mortyr was an average shooter, barely able to improve on the similarly-themed Wolfenstein from a decade earlier. However, having played the latest code of this WWII FPS sequel, we're reasonably confident it's going to be a considerable improvement over Mortyr.

Doing away with the whiffy sci-fi overtones of the original, Mortyr 2 casts you as Sven Mortyr, a British soldier (although he's Norwegian) who's intent on rescuing his father from the Nazis. During the game's five campaigns -which Mirage says span a whopping 30 hours of gameplay - you visit a variety of locales including northern Europe, Poland, Yugoslavia, Greece and a titanic Nazi underground bunker.

Behind Enemy Lines

Graphically, Mortyr 2 looks set to be quite spiffing actually, thanks to Mirage's home-made Argon engine that does a fine job of replicating the look and feel of WWII battlefields. During one level, we found ourselves trapped behind enemy lines in German-held trenches, forced to launch a daring one-man raid to sabotage the Nazi's artillery and clear a path for advancing Allied troops.

Explosions sent debris flying, while barrels rolled convincingly back and forth as they clattered into trench walls. Artillery fire soared towards its distant targets, the booms masking our approach as we launched stealthy attacks on gunners. With so many WWII shooters concentrating on teamwork, Mortyr 2's solo gameplay is a welcome return to tense one-man-army action.

In another mission set in a snow-covered village, we found ourselves outnumbered and outgunned, forced to use stealth, tactics and cover to survive, firing short controlled bursts in order to conserve our limited ammunition. What's more, sniping proved an essential skill, while experimental weapons - designed but never manufactured in WWII - added substance to an otherwise predictable, yet realistic arsenal.

Mortyr 2 is also set to feature several sub-games including stealth levels and helicopter piloting missions, though when we tried the former, it proved to be more irksome than entertaining and felt somewhat tacked on. The Al too, though admittedly still incomplete, also needs plenty of tweaking. Challenging it may currently be, but convincing it ain't.

It's Up To You

Mortyr 2 is unlikely to set the world alight, but neither should it be discounted. If Mirage can use the next few months to sharpen up the subgames and improve the believability of the Al, then this could well be a very solid and hugely challenging solo WWII shooter, something that's becoming decidedly rare in a genre evermore dominated by team-based gameplay. We live in hope.