I had read quite alot of reviews
before I managed to get a copy of Soldier of
Fortune. Most said basically the same thing.
Design is average, AI is terrible and the GHOUL
system and gory effects got old pretty quick.
So with the many reviews already that are all
quite similar, I decided not to add another
review to the bulky list. But as I completed
the game I changed my mind. I totally disagree
with most reviews I have read.
I thought the gameplay was very good. Sure,
it is the same tactic killing every enemy as
they are almost all the same. There are some
with more armor, some with better weapons and
some which can dodge a little better. Compared
to games like Quake2 with many different kinds
of enemies, you would think killing the same
human 1500 times would get boring, but it doesn't.
SOF bring you back to basics, with not much
strategy and simply a big rambo-style blastfest.
You can also poke your head around corners to
spot enemies to snipe without them seeing you
- a small bug but even better because of it.
Now to the GHOUL system. Alot
of previous companies have raved that their
upcoming game will be very gory. But I think
SOF is the first game to actually tap into something
which I would consider gory. Obviously, gore
is not going to make a game. It is gameplay
and design which will do this.
The design of the levels is
superb. Most reviews have not really dug into
the great design. It is based upon realism,
like Half-Life was. However the levels in SOF
totally blow those of Half-Life into the dust.
There are many places chosen where great architecture
could be achieved, such as Iraq, Siberia, Germany.
I think the layout is also spot on, as you usually
know where your going and it is quite linear,
but there are many off-roads to explore. The
most obvious route is not always the right route,
as often you need to climb through air ducts
or pipes. I really can't see the Quake2 engine
in this game. It is hugely improved, even the
textures, upon close inspection, are far more
detailed. Compared to Quake2 the levels are
much bigger and I think the improved engine
is not far off of the Quake3 engine, going by
looks.
Overall, Soldier of Fortune
is one of the best first person shooters to
date. It has fantastic design and very fun gameplay,
a place where many FPS' fall. And in the Half-Life
vs SOF war, I think SOF has won.
