Serious Sam – Next Encounter is a first-person shooter developed for PlayStation 2, featuring Sam "Serious" Stone fighting against his evil clone, Mini Sam. Mini Sam manipulates time to eradicate ancient civilizations. The game spans over 40 levels set in Ancient Rome, Feudal China, and Legendary Atlantis. Players can engage in online multiplayer or cooperative campaign modes, enhancing the gameplay experience.
In this installment of the Serious Sam series, Sam takes on a new arch-nemesis `Mini Sam`, an evil clone of the hero Sam `Serious` Stone. Mini Sam has taken control of the timelock and is going through time wiping out ancient civilizations - and it is up to Serious Sam to put a stop to him.
The game takes the player through over 40 levels in three historic locations; Ancient Rome, Feudal China and Legendary Atlantis. The PS2 version includes online multiplayer support for up to 8 players via the broadband adapter and two players on one PS2, while the GC version allows 4 players to battle it out on one GameCube.
Competitive multiplayer modes include Deathmatch, Hold the Flag and Pass the Bomb. The entire single player campaign can be played through co-operatively, allowing two players to help each other take on the vicious armies of Mental and Mini-Sam.