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| Soldier of Fortune,
For Dreamcast |
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| Games,
Richard Young,
31 October 2001 |
Rating: F4
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It is with some trepidation that I bring you a review of a game in which the opening levels are set in a besieged New York underground system. Soldier of Fortune by Crave Entertainment may not be suitable for some, particularly as it is 18 rated and can be very gory, but I for one am currently quite enjoying shooting virtual terrorists in the knackers.
The player takes on the role of highly trained war veteran John Mullins (don’t laugh, your comrades are called Parsons and Gladstone) and it’s time to take out the trash. Shotguns, handguns and something called a Microwave Pulse Gun (very handy for today’s busy soldier with no time to cook) are at your disposal, as is a basic knife, which you can wave at the bad guys if you can get close enough. Being a first person shooter, the standard joypad is a bit of a compromise in the control department, however it proves to be in my mind, the easiest of the current batch of FPS’s to control. Using the standard “main 4 buttons for forwards, backwards and strafing, joystick for looking/aiming” setup, you will soon be traversing the large and detailed environments with ease.
The levels are fairly linear in design, but with the odd switch or puzzle to work out in order to progress. Disposing of the baddies is an interesting experience to say the least, in that they react depending on whereabouts you shoot them. Without going into too much detail, it is also possible to “modify” their number of limbsÂ….Not really necessary, but it certainly adds a level of realism that you don’t often see. What is impressive is that you can shoot almost anything, from waste bins to windows to TV monitors, and watch the detritus fly, should you feel the need.
The action is not as frantic as Quake III: Arena or Unreal Tournament, and that is probably a good thing because there is some dodgy slowdown when there is a lot of action on screen, and the loading times are, quite frankly, offensive. One can’t help feeling that this has been somewhat of a rushed PC port, as the odd graphical glitch or dodgy framerate could have been so easily eradicated with the Dreamcast’s power – just look at the amazing Outtrigger for smoothness to rival Nescafe Gold Blend.
There are some neat touches too, like the sniper scope, and the general leaning towards stealth as opposed to gung-ho blasting is a good move. A neat game, while although may not be everyone’s cup of Tea, has enough longevity to while away the rainy evenings.
By Crave Entertainment
Published by Activision
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