Graphics

Buzzwords like ‘next generation’

NOLF2 is running on the next-generation LithTech engine, ‘Jupiter’. More than any other series of engines, the LithTech ones are recognizable and identifiable by their style. There’s always been a sort of flat, cartoonish look to them - the textures never seemed to be on the same level. If it wasn’t a chronic trend with LithTech engine games, we’d normally attribute that to the developers.

The Jupiter engine is the most distinct of LithTech engines, breaking the mold after a fashion. We were particularly impressed with its ability to handle highly detailed facial models. Characters have a massive variety of expressions, natural-looking ones at that. No one will think Armstrong is particularly realistic (he’s not intended to be), but others like The Director and Cate have stunning expressions. The eyes and lips in particular are very communicative. Lip-synching is especially convincing.

Sugar in the gas tank

So... tempting...

Down the rabbit hole

Animation has really gone through the roof with NOLF2. Not only are models fluid in their motions, they have a ton of them to go through. Even stock bad guys like H.A.R.M. troopers and Soviet soldiers have a huge repertoire of motions and poses at their disposal. They’ll stand around talking, shrugging and gesturing in various ways. They handle stairs very capably, are well versed in searching for Cate while she’s hidden and a variety of other tasks.

That’s not even the end of it! By far the best part of the animations in NOLF 2 are the combat effects. If you hit a ninja running on a rooftop, she’ll fall to the ground in a believable fashion. Same with a sniper on a balcony – he’ll fall over the railing like you’d expect him to. Dying soldiers will roll down stairs, they’ll fly through the air when propelled by a grenade blast, writhe in pain when caught in a bear trap and gently tumble to sleep when put down with a sleeping dart. In short, NOLF2 is brilliant.

The hot stuff

Combat effects aren’t neglected either. Muzzle flash from weapons is as good as Max Payne’s. The weapon model details are similarly impressive with clearly a great deal of time spent in making them compatible with the character models. Enemy soldiers are perfectly blended with their weapons, we simply can’t see where one ends and the other begins.

More max skills

Headshot!

Painful way to go down

We’re a bit less impressive with explosions and like effects. The special effects do get better as we look at the environment, with a tornado, water and molten ‘lava’ (play the game, get the joke) being standouts. The water and lava are done as in UT2K3, complete with waves and a reflection texture of the environment laid over, which follows the wave pattern. Very, very spiffy indeed.