An exciting unbelievably violent first person shooter (Soldier of Fortune (PC))

Member Name: Burning_Darkness

Product:	Soldier of Fortune (PC)
Date:	18/10/09 (15 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good visuals, varied levels, visceral feel, straightforward and entertaining gameplay

Disadvantages: graphics are starting to date

Released back in 2000, Soldier of Fortune is a ludicrously violent first person shooter that uses a modified version of the Quake 2 engine and has a real world setting, seeing you play as John Mullins, a highly trained Mercenary working for the US Government to foil a group of terrorists attempting to aquire nuclear weapons in a bid for world domination.

Though the 3d-accelerated graphics are perhaps a little chunky-looking today the game nevertheless manages to retain a polished feel, helped along by some excellent animation, well-designed and varied levels and highly-detailed weapon models. The enemy AI is suprisingly good as well.

The various missions are diverse and engaging, seeing you doing battle with white power skinheads in a New York Subway, fighting african terrorists on a moving train, getting caught in crossfires in wartorn Kosovo, as well as fighting through a military base in the frozen Siberian wastes and going up against a Yakuza gang in the streets of Japan.

Some missions are all-out, gung-ho blast-fests whilst others require careful infiltration to avoid guards from spotting you and tripping the alarm, and the game has a well-executed range of weapons to choose from, including a 9mm pistol, magnum, combat shotgun, rocket launcher, scoped sniper rifle and several different submachineguns. You can only carry a handful of weapons at once, further developing the tactical aspect of the gameplay, and the weapons are tremendously powerful and visceral-feeling to use, the game allowing you to blow opponents limbs and heads off, whilst stomach-shots will expose intestines and sustained automatic fire will keep enemies' lifeless bodies dancing in the air until you release the trigger. You can even blow enemies' weapons out of their hands before plugging them in the head as they beg for mercy, should you wish.

Its all very strong stuff, and makes for a very intense and satisfying gaming experience. A well-designed and engaging first person shooter, Soldier of Fortune is an ultra-violent and immensely entertaining game with plenty to offer despite its advancing age.

Summary: An excellent and very gory game