Here at GameSpot AU headquarters we've spent the last few days messing around with the PlayStation 3 version of Pandemic's highly anticipated third-person shooter Mercenaries 2. Ahead of the game's retail launch next week and our official site review (which will be airdropping in shortly) we wanted to share our impressions with you and take a look at the first few missions you can expect if/when you pick up a copy.

　　The first thing worth pointing out is that although this is a sequel and includes three returning characters from the first title--Jennifer Mui, Chris Jacobs, and Mattias Nilsson--you're at absolutely no disadvantage if you didn't play the first game. Mercenaries 2 opens with you meeting an old friend and discussing taking on a contract for one of their associates. The tension between you and your buddy is obvious, and alarm bells begin to sound when you're asked to surrender your weapons before entering the opulent Venezuelan villa. Ramon Solano is your contact and plays the wealthy-businessman-with-a-dream card to try and get the country back on track. He wants to offer you a job rescuing a General with the Venezuelan army, from a guarded compound. Hey, you're a Merc, when was the last time you turned down killing a few dudes and blowing stuff up for easy cash? That's right, never. So off you trot.

　　Left stick to move, right stick to aim, R1 to make dead.

　　The first few levels serve as both a gentle tutorial introduction to the weapons and vehicles at your disposal as well as familiarising you with the ways you'll need to access them via the controller. Voice-in-your-head Australian wingwoman Fiona is back again in Mercs 2 and helps you at every turn. You'll begin the game thrashing a power boat and after being guided by Fiona and beaching it on a coastline swarming with enemies, you'll be airdropped weapons to help you get the job done. Like most shooters, you'll use the left stick to move your character around the screen and the right analog to control your on-screen weapon reticule. Swapping weapons is done using the R2 button, and the crosshairs will change accordingly depending on what you're wielding. Automatic rifles--while in their element at short range--tend to spray bullets haphazardly at targets further away, so you'll want to shoot in short controlled bursts to maximize your damage and reduce your misses if they're far away. Once you've got the ground combat down and cleared out the area you'll get access to try out Merc 2's expansive world destruction features by calling in an airstrike on a fortified target. Pressing up on the D-pad brings up a satellite targeting mode. Simply move your cursor over the spot you want to burn and hit the X button. A small minigame pops up where you'll need to hit X in time with a spinning target. It's easy enough and there's no penalty other than waiting for another pass if you miss one. There's something magical about the reckless abandonment of regard for virtual human existence that comes with raining down hot fiery death.

　　Dig making stuff explode? boy howdy is this the game for you!

　　Soon you'll be airlifted a jeep you can use to hoon your way around the island, and after you've blown through a couple of roadblocks and taken your ride off some sweet jumps you'll get to upgrade it to something a little more hefty. Tank driving works exactly the same way as lighter vehicles, with the X button to drive forwards, square to slow and reverse, R1 to do handbrake turns, and the right stick to manoeuvre the gun turret. When you're done flattening your way up and down the hills either side of a village filled with insurgents you'll come to a clearing with a bombed out bridge. Since your tank can't float its way across you'll need to continue on foot. Depending on how liberally you've sprinkled the explosive shells you may need to clear out one or two stragglers before walking into a building and rescuing the General in a cut-scene.

　　Returning to the villa you'll be greeted by Solano, the General, and your former buddy. Things take a turn for the worse when Solano reveals his plans to assume power over the country using his vast wealth and backing from the Venezuelan army. Since he doesn't want anyone around to oppose him you're now a liability. You manage to flee the waves of armed men taking shots of you, but in the process incur a rather unfortunate injury--you get shot in the arse.

　　Naturally as a guy or gal who kills for a crust you're a little ropable at being stiffed on payment for services rendered and then being shot at, and what better way to get payback than by establishing a base of operations in Solano's luxurious home? Mission two sees you making your way there using any manner of stolen vehicles, ploughing straight through the front gate and wasting his guards. Included in this group are several special guards marked on your mini-map you'll need to take out to continue. Keep an eye out for the staff and civilians who aren't involved in the skirmish and while levelling a building may seem like the best (and definitely the most fun) way to get the job done in places, remember that killing innocents will result in a cash penalty for doing so. This mission also gives you a chance to try out the quick action button sequences you'll need to perform correctly to hijack tanks and some other vehicles.

　　Steal tanks, see the countryside, do it all in Mercenaries 2!

　　With a base of operations set up and a reason to find and take Solano out you're well on your way with Mercenaries 2. Now it's about finding work so you can keep buying those explosive toys that are so much to play with, deciding which factions you'll side with, and scoping out information on where he might be hiding. Mercenaries 2 will be nuking the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, and PS2 shelves on September 4 in Australia.