The original 'Mercenaries' was one of the most interesting PlayStation 2 games of its time. With its blend of a war setting, open-world freedom and destructible environments, it might have been the PS2's most enjoyable sandbox outside of 'Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'.

But fast-forward a few years and things have changed dramatically. Not only has the 'GTA' formula been taken a step further, but games like 'Crackdown' and even 'Assassin's Creed' have taken free-roaming game worlds in fascinating new directions.

In this light then, 'Mercenaries 2: World in Flames' was always going to have a tough battle in front of it. Still, after countless delays to the game's release and with the pedigree of the previous game, expectations were understandably high.

Sadly though, 'Mercenaries 2' isn't so much the next big thing as 'Crackdown Lite' with some South American stereotypes thrown in for colour.

This time you are a hired gun selling your services to the highest bidder among a rat-tag of warlords, politicians and drug lords battling for control of a slightly too-close-to-reality Venezuela.

Of course, the story is over-run with stereotypes and the typical action movie lack of subtlety. Add some rather too obvious elusions to America's latest love-to-hate foreign leader, Hugo Chavez, and the whole thing starts feeling a bit politically distasteful.

But if there is one skill most modern gamers must have mastered by now it is the art of ignoring second-rate storylines. After all, it is the gameplay that makes things tick.

On paper 'Mercenaries 2' ticks all the boxes: Large open-world environments, a multitude of weapons, the ability to call in air-strikes with your funky little laptop, some highly destructible environments, and the ability to drive just about any craft you come across — be it boat, car or chopper.

Add to this a main character who's main aim in life seems to be having fun blowing things up and risking his life, and it becomes clear that the game's central selling point is supposed to be the joy of engaging in absurd acts of large-scale destruction.

It really should be a lot of fun. But unlike 'Crackdown', 'Mercenaries 2' manages to take all those good things and turn it into a rather average and sometimes even mediocre gaming experience.

The most fundamental problem with the game is the ridiculous enemy AI. Add to this the fact that you can take a lot of bullets without any ill effects and all suspension of disbelief is shattered.

You really don't want to be running around chasing enemy soldiers who are too badly programmed to know where you are. And once you find them, you don't want them to be able to put bullet after bullet in you while you walk up and flatten them with one punch. Such scenes might have some B-rated charm to them in a film, but when you're doing it level after level, it becomes terribly tedious.

In addition, the controls never feel quite right, nor do the weapons at your disposal provide any real thrills. Creating havoc simply isn't as much fun as it should be. 'Mercenaries 2's' failure to succeed in this most basic task is very disappointing.

To compound things, 'Mercenaries 2'doesn't look quite as good as one would expect from a major release in 2008. It must be said though, that all of those extra months in development did at least give the game funky menus.

An atmospheric soundtrack gives things a semblance of decency, but the in-game audio side of it soon unravels as enemy soldiers start repeating their very limited range of phrases.

Add it all up, and you are left with one of the year's biggest disappointments. Whereas 'Mercenaries 2: World in Flames' had once promised to be the next step in the evolution of open-world gaming, it has ended up feeling more like a rather average PlayStation 2 game from a good few years back.

Indeed, calling it 'Crackdown Lite' might be letting it off too lightly. Maybe 'Mercenaries 2: Franchise in Flames' would be more apt.