MDK2

MDK2
PC cover art
Developer(s)BioWare
Publisher(s)Interplay Entertainment
Producer(s)
Designer(s)
Programmer(s)Cameron Tofer
Artist(s)Russ Rice
Writer(s)
Composer(s)
SeriesMDK
Platform(s)Dreamcast, Windows, PlayStation 2, Wii
Release
March 29, 2000
  • Dreamcast
    Windows[2]
    • NA: May 25, 2000
    • EU: July 1, 2000
    PlayStation 2[3]
    • NA: March 26, 2001
    • EU: June 29, 2001
    Wii
    • WW: May 9, 2011[4]
    MDK2 HD
    • WW: October 12, 2011[5]
Genre(s)Third-person shooter, action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

MDK2 is a 2000 third-person shooter, action-adventure video game developed by BioWare and published by Interplay Entertainment for the Dreamcast, Windows and PlayStation 2. It is a sequel to the 1997 game MDK. First released for the Dreamcast in March 2000, it was later released for Windows in May, with newly selectable difficulty levels and the ability to manually save. In March 2001, a slightly reworked version, featuring level design modifications and gameplay tweaks, was released for the PlayStation 2 as MDK 2: Armageddon. The PC version was released on GOG.com in September 2008,[6] and on Steam in September 2009.[7] A port of the PlayStation 2 version was released for Wii via WiiWare in 2011. Also in 2011, a HD remastered version was released for Windows. Called MDK2 HD, this version features new 3D models, textures, improved lighting, and remastered music, and was released on Beamdog in October, and on Steam in July 2012.

The game begins moments after the end of the original MDK. Believing they had vanquished the alien invaders, Kurt Hectic, Dr. Hawkins and Max are shocked to find a single Minecrawler remains. Kurt heads to destroy it, but upon doing so, encounters a massive alien called Shwang Shwing, who reveals the invasion of Earth is far from over. The main difference between MDK and MDK2 is the ability to control three playable characters (Kurt, Hawkins and Max), each with their own strengths and weaknesses. As such, the gameplay in the sequel is more varied than in the original game, with more emphasis on platforming and puzzles than straight run-and-gun shooting.

MDK2 received generally positive reviews across all systems, with critics praising the graphics, variety of gameplay styles, level design, boss fights, the game's sense of humor, and its fidelity to the original MDK. The most commonly criticized aspects of the game were the difficulty level, which was felt to be too high, and the platforming sections, which many critics found frustrating and too exacting. Hawkins' levels in general were seen as inferior to Kurt's and Max's. In 2007, Interplay announced plans for a third game, but it was never made.

  1. ^ "MDK 2". sega.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2000. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  2. ^ "MDK2 (PC)". GameSpy. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
  3. ^ "MDK 2: Armageddon". GameSpy. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
  4. ^ "MDK2 (Wii)". GameSpy. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
  5. ^ "MDK2 HD Launches Today on Beamdog". Develop-online.net. October 12, 2011. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  6. ^ "Q&A: GOG.com's DRM-free downloadable games". GameSpot. September 8, 2008. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  7. ^ "Steam". Facebook. September 17, 2009. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2016.