In your opinion, what are things that Serious Sam 2 does the best in the series?

[Artman40]

For me there are three things:

1. Music in the most memorable overall.
2. New enemies are introduced throughout the game, even in the very last chapter.
3. New weapons are also introduced throughout the game until the penultimate chapter. Also, you often don't get all the weapons so you have to adapt.

Yours?

[Solais]

1. Music. Not the most memorable, but Damjan's work is always a masterpiece and there are some absolute favorites there (Freezepad)
2. Varied environments, if a little too bright/saturated sometimes.

Aaand. Uh. There are a few others, but they were used like a single time for a short period and that's it (Helicopter gameplay for one). Wasted potential.

[Discy]

I agree with Solais.

I'd also like to add funny secrets to the list. Croteam may have added some pretty weirdly funny secrets to TFE and TSE, but they took it up to eleven with the absurdly hilarious secrets in Sam2. It really stood out and I think it's a shame they added maybe 1% of that type of humor in the secrets of Sam3.

[FreekNik]

Illusion of variety.

[Solais]

There's truth in there as well. There is an "illusion" of variety, as the many enemies are actually different versions of each other, and I recently examined the level design of SS2, and it is pretty basic and horrid. The levels look different, but they are pretty much the same.

[Artman40]

Originally Posted by Solais

...I recently examined the level design of SS2, and it is pretty basic and horrid. The levels look different, but they are pretty much the same.

Basically the opposite of Serious Sam: The First encounter?

[Solais]

Yes. With a few exceptions.

[Artman40]

Let's see: Dunes, Suburbs, Sewers and Metropolis feel very different and they have different ways of of how the fights are laid out. Dunes mainly contains arena/wave fights, Suburbs has small but numerous ambushes, Sewers has a lot of run-through areas where you move briskly forward and Metropolis contains the elements of Suburbs, Dunes and also has areas where there are no other barriers than lots of enemies.

[Finzy]

Level and enemy design overall variety, and humour & music. I'd prefer it over the other games if they'd just gotten the gameplay and netcode right.

[Gnaarwarian]

About the Level Design: I dislike the fact how people just try to divide SS2 level design into good & bad.
If i count SS FE, SS SE, SS1 Xbox as own SS titles, i'm not sure if SS1 Xbox can be seen as a seperate game or port of SS1.

In the levels of Planet Ellenier & Planet Kleer i personally see a lot SE influences like from Valley of the Damned.

So i like to call SS2 level design 'Evolutionary Leveldesign'.

About the Evolution, Evo just happens, not only bad evolution happens.

As for the Gameplay: I like the Gameplay, plus Vehicle Combat. That Vehicle combat is exactly implemented in SS like i wantd it: No Realism, just some good Arcade shoot 'em up stuff in 3d with a nice vehicle and laserguns.

SS2 has also pretty dynamic maps with mix of vehicle battles, battles with big enemies & normal SS battle fights.

About the Story: CT tries to enhance, somehow, the SS universe in the cutscenes. As it own game story it works perfect. The humor was used as a gimmick.

Another point is why not have a bad comedy styled Action game? That works before in several
Bud Spencer & Terence Hill Movies, in Trash SciFi movies.

Soundtrack is great too.

[Poorchop]

I agree with Gnaarwarian regarding vehicular combat. I like how you can use vehicles and turrets relatively early on in the game. The atmosphere is also pretty great at times in spite of the cartoonish theme. For example, during the giant arachnid battle in the hovercraft, I like the white buildings dotting the hillside in the background, as well as the moody skybox. I love it when they make the atmosphere of a level seem really special, like dusk/sunset and evening levels in TFE/TSE.

The one thing I miss regarding the atmosphere is the huge, sprawling landscapes that stretch out infinitely over the horizon. It always blew my mind how all of that was actually rendered and how you could pretty much travel as far as your heart desired in the first two games. Sometimes there were secrets and sometimes there were ambushes waiting for you out there. SS3 also kind of killed this off with the Sandworm. Lastly, I miss Kleer Kenny but at least you can apparently play as a ninja chicken in SS2.

[Mane]

I love the environment of the "green maps", with his huge atmosphere. The great music fits very well, and I liked most of the cutscenes, but that's all.

[Louva-Deus]

I love the netcode. It makes me really appreciate things...

[Mane]

Originally Posted by DaCaedster

I love the netcode. It makes me really appreciate things...

You're the host, I should be complaining

[Captain_Russia]

For me, it's SS2's Assets pool for mappers.

Lets admit it, anyone who atleast has played SS3 knows how gray and dull it is, and it's not any easier for mappers either, atleast with SS2 you got a huge variety or colorful assets that can create some really good looking levels, if used right.

[tSu_nAmi]

I love the variety of level designs and enemies.