Sierra Online last year released an Xbox Live Arcade game that took the Arcade by storm. The game was Assault Heroes, a scrolling shooter that was fresh, enjoyable, and a blast to play. Many, including myself, thought Assault Heroes was one of the best games the Xbox Live Arcade had to offer, so it wasn’t a surprise when Sierra Online announced that it would be making a sequel, Assault Heroes 2. Sierra Online promised it would be faster, better, and more entertaining than ever and I’m happy to say they were right.

Assault Heroes 2 follows the classic top-down shooter formula but puts its own spin on things. Fans of the original will feel right at home as it uses the same controls that made the first one so easy to play. The first thing you will notice is the fact that there are now more enemies on the screen to kill, coming at you from all angles; you’ll know from the get off that Assault Heroes 2 means business and that it will be no easy ride.

The HUD this time around is a lot easier to look at and understand: you can now see all the weapons at your disposal down the left-hand screen and it will glow on which weapon you are currently using, and by pressing the shoulder buttons, you can easily toggle through which weapon you want to use. Among the usual weapons that have carried over from the last game, Minigun, Missiles, and Flame Thrower, comes a new weapon, the Freeze Thrower. It works the same as the Flame Thrower, but freezes the enemies which then enables you to smash them to pieces using the Minigun. The grenades and nukes all make a return with the same controls as the orignal. As you progress through the levels, you will collect power-ups to upgrade your weapons, which you will need if you want progress through the game.