The cheesy tough guy is back, and how we’ve missed him. For the last week we’ve been playing the new Serious Sam game and trying hard to do little else. While a full review will appear in the November issue, here’s a sneak peek.

All the trademark Sam elements are in place. Huge big wide open outdoor areas under a blazing blue sun. Check. Outrageous enemies that respawn in almost endless waves. Check. Really stupid humour that you’ve just gotta love. Check!
Playing Sam 2 is as exhilarating as it is exhausting. While much of the game is spent either running backwards shooting non-stop, with a deft side step and reverse when your back hits a wall, there’s strategy to it, too. The levels will give you health, shield and ammo spawns when you’re near death – it’s just a matter of positioning yourself so you manage to scoop it up before the health bar winks out.

Built using a new 3D engine – Sam 2 looks spectacular, but it is very demanding. To run it with all detail cranked up you’ll want a seriously beefy system. We tested it on an Athlon64 4000 with a GeForce 7800GTX and it managed a steady 40fps at 1280 x 960 resolution, but no anti-aliasing. On a SLI 7800 system 1600 x 1200 is achievable.

Sam 2 doesn’t take itself seriously and is a return to over-the-top fun gaming of old.