Why be a straight up military man whose missions are pre-chosen for you when it can be all about a freelance position where you get the same amount of action and less limits on what can be destroyed? And why have a path from point A to point B when you can have wide open terrain that lets you take any path through the alphabet that you damn well choose? There are some great military-based shooters out there, but Mercenaries clearly falls into the "guilty pleasure" category, letting players complete tasks while blasting the living hell out of everything to no avail. The first game was an underground hit for the Xbox and PS2, thanks to the powerhouse duo that was Pandemic Studios (the developer) and LucasArts (the publisher). Now, as expected, a sequel's picking up speed, and looks to be even bigger.

Bigger than blowing up the crap you blew up in the first game? By a longshot. Mercenaries 2: World In Flames picks right up from where the first game left off and thrusts you into an all-new territory in which you can wreak havoc to your heart's content. In the game, it turns out that a power-hungry tyrant is beginning to mess with the oil supply in Venezuela for his own greedy purposes, so it's up to you to choose from one of several mercenary characters to go in and simply clean house over a series of missions, putting this punk-ass in his place. Why let diplomacy and rules get in the way? It's about results, son.

The first big addition that several players may notice about Mercenaries 2: World In Flames is the fact that you no longer have to go about this destruction by yourself. Sure, the "one man army" theory is great for quickie stress relief, but nothing like leaning on a team effort to bring down a political-heavy jackass, right? The game features cooperative multiplayer in the Mercenaries 2 campaign, allowing you to work alongisde a friend through a series of missions offered throughout, moving just as quick to get the job done as before. Of course, if you're not up to sharing the fun with someone else, you can always take the solo course, in which you'll still get a little help.

During the game's proceedings, you're able to run into other mercenaries looking to do a little liberation, and you can bolster your numbers by creating a Private Military Company that will allow you to enlist others for support. There's also customization features that give you the chance to add a personal touch, so you can remind those who manage to survive your assault just who was responsible for it. Nothing like putting your own personal stamp on wreckage that used to be a drug building.

But enough about working with others. You're probably asking, "So when do I get to blow something up?" Well, chill out for a minute and I'll be happy to explain. Like in the first game, you have access to a number of weapons and vehicles that will help you get around the island to get your missions complete, with lots of enemies getting in your way. Now, with this being a next-gen game and all, Pandemic has added a few personal touches to help bump the destruction along. Ah, how nice.