erious Sam is the Mötley Crüe of video games. It’s crass, simplistic, loud, and obnoxious. There’s lots of noise and big explosions. The lyrics sound like a coked-up three-year-old wrote them – wait, actually that’s just the Crüe. I’m all for sophistication and subtlety in both music and games, but there’s something to be said for cranking up "Shout at the Devil" and letting both machine guns blast.

Serious Sam II keeps in the tradition of the series, offering copious cannon fodder, oversized weaponry, and loveably cheesy dialogue. The game unfolds at a hectic pace. The plot checks in once in awhile to drop off a joke or two, but largely you’re left alone to decimate hordes (and I do mean hordes) of fantastic enemies with a number of ingenious armaments (most creative: a parrot that flies bombs into your foes). Although there is an increased emphasis on gun emplacements and unique vehicles (like a giant spiked rollcage or small hovercraft similar to the Ghosts in Halo 2), mostly it’s just about running and gunning. Serious Sam II knows what it wants to be, and sticks to it, maybe too much. After a while, slaughtering endless waves of enemies gets a bit tiresome. Still, it’s a fun way to let off a little steam, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously.