What is better than a good game full of make believe creatures and lots of killing?  A good game with make believe creatures and lots of killing - with a hot chick in a tight outfit to look at while you are playing it.  Just like how Rynn and Lara Croft brought their respective games to fame, Julie will bring fame to Heavy Metal F.A.K.K.2.

Is a great looking butt all that this game has to offer?  No, but it was a very nice addition to the game.  With some great textures and some interesting looking creatures, Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.2 has a lot to offer just about anyone vaguely interested in this genre.

Story
Just to clarify, this story didn't make much sense to me so I am going to try and not mess it up too bad.  My sincerest apologies to everyone if I do.

In Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.2 you take the form of the well endowed Julie.  As the story goes, years have passed since Julie defeated Lord Tyler on the battlefields of the "Holy Land".  Since then she has decided to work on more important things.  She has brought to Eden perfect natural balance and has rebuilt a ruined city atop the field of mystical bubbling geysers. From there the life-giving water of the planet flows to all the planets corners.  Eden is the water source and it has given the people who dwell there endless life and good health.

" This is my home. These are now my people. I will watch over them and protect them from all that might blight this holiest and wondrous of places. I AM F.A.K.K.² and no mercy shall be given to the spoilers of the Universe.

Far away in the furthest parts of space a ship moves along it’s  journey destroying all worlds in its path.  For 2000 years, it’s destination has been Na’Ch Thra’ Thull or "the place of the soft machines" or also known as Eden.  At the helm of the ship is an ancient creature known as the father, they call him GITH. GITH controls a hyper-evolved corporation which has annexed and merged itself by means of hostile take-over with every world it has encountered creating a culture called Belphegoria. Enslaving their people and using their souls to power his ship through space. Their two 2000 year trip is almost over and it is believed that Gith’s last merger will be with the Universe.

The sacrifice of the Belphegorians shall be rewarded with eternal life and their place in the new universe Gith will create in his vision, but all Belphegorians do not share this vision. There are power struggles at work within the corporation. These dissidents are called Belphegorian Zealots and they have enlisted a new agent in the war on Gith - the one they call "The Chosen One".  The last warrior who stands between Gith and total control over the Universe is Julie.  A transmission is sent from the God–Ship in hopes that the "soft machine" who slays Gods will hear their message - "GITH IS COMING"

Game Play
The overall game play in F.A.K.K.2 is something that we have come to expect from the third person shooter genre.  While most hardcore gamers don't thoroughly enjoy 3rd person shooters, F.A.K.K.2 has a lot to offer to everyone.  The type of view that comes default in F.A.K.K.2 leaves you looking at some very nice scenery since you are looking at the tight outfit wearing "Julie", however this view leaves much to be desired for most gamers.  

The lack of multiplayer makes me wonder what happened?  Fortunately, GOD is soon to bestow upon us FAKK Arena, an add on for F.A.K.K.2 that adds a multiplayer feature.  Originally planned for an October release, GOD has sent word that progress on the patch has been slowed due to other projects that the company has been working on. We are told that there is not much left to be done for the patch to be completed, however there is no definitive release date.

The AI in Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.2 leaves much to be desired.  I don't know how many times I came into a room and found a monster doing the exact thing and attack in the exact same way.  The lack of AI leaves this game as a one hit wonder on my shelves.  This game isn't the type that I can play again and again.  Once I finish it, it will go on my shelves and probably never see the light of day again unless someday I feel like reminiscing about the old types of 3d shooting games.

Video
The graphics in  F.A.K.K.2  is where this game really shines.  Great detail was put into every part of this game.  From the landscapes to the dragonflies, everything in F.A.K.K.2 was done with great precision.  F.A.K.K.2 does a great job keeping lag low while having great looking textures and landscapes.  

As you can see by the screenshots below, Ritual didn't try to make the game realistic, but did spend an enormous amount of time making it look pretty.  The wings of the dragon flies flow easily.  The weapons work is done with great detail.  And yes, Julie's butt looks quite nice.  All in all the video is very well done and quite nice to look at.

Audio
There isn't much to the audio content of Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.2.  What kind of sounds would you expect out of a game in this genre.  Some sword slashing and gunshots, which sound good.  The buzz of the wings of the dragon flies.  Some screeches and roars from the monsters out to get you.  But other than that the audio is very simple.  Does this take away from the game?  Nope.  F.A.K.K.2 does just fine on its own without a lot of extra screams and footsteps.  I believe that the lack of sound in this game was intentional to keep the attention on the screen.  Quite well done.

Mods
As with any good game, there is a following of good Mod makers.  Mods are an addition to a game that gives the game a different option or game play type.  Already, there have been quite a few different Mods for FAKK2 that promise to raise the level of play considerably.  Just so I don't take up too much room I will not go into specific mods, but me assured, if you can surf the internet, you can find these mods and install them quickly and easily.

Conclusion
Over all, Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.2 is a good buy that can be enjoyed for quite some time by just about anyone.  The lack of AI keeps this game at a middle level within its genre, but the landscapes and monsters are worth looking at a few times just for fun.  If you are looking for a game that will keep you playing for weeks to come, this game may not be for you.  However, if you are looking for a game that you can play for a few days and then put away for a rainy day sometime down the road, F.A.K.K.2 is just the game that you are looking for.

I didn't thoroughly enjoy this game, however I gave it high marks for the type of game that it is.  Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.2 is a well written game and it deserves all the props that I have given to it in this review.  The fact that it isn't my type of game in no way reflected my judgment of the game.  I thoroughly believe that even though this game wasn't for me, there is a very big market out there for this game and other games of its type.

Review by:  Eric Krebill Date: March 18, 2001