by
Ted Kritsonis
Faze
Video Game Editor
Full
Spectrum Warrior comes across as an instruction manual for
how to be a soldier in the U.S. Army, and that’s because
it is in many ways. The game is based on a training aid developed
for the U.S. Army’s Military Operations in Urban Terrain
(MOUT), and the attention to detail in the game would suggest
this is very much the case.
For
starters, a full-fledged storyline with geopolitical implications
(very reminiscent of recent conflicts the U.S. has been involved
in) sets things up for you. A cruel dictator from a fictional
country called Zekistan is harbouring terrorists and waging
a campaign of ethnic cleansing against ethnic Zekis. You’re
being sent in to help NATO depose the country’s ruler
and stop his goons from terrorizing the population. As you’d
expect, there are militants in the country who have a real
problem with American troops being there, so the invasion
has been met with some heavy resistance.
This is pretty much where the game begins. You control two
units of four troops, Alpha and Bravo, and every facet of
their actions and movement are at your command. Unlike your
average war shooter, Full Spectrum Warrior is a tactical strategy
war sim, so you won’t be firing the guns yourself, but
rather instructing the troops to do so on their own. The structure
of the game remains consistent that way because everything
you do is based on orders you give to the troops on the ground.
This isn’t to say that the game isn’t hands-on
at all because you’re making the decisions, so poor
reconnaissance and poor movements will usually lead to casualties
or death.
This
is also why cover is the most important aspect to the gameplay.
Leaving your men exposed is the easiest way to die, so being
deliberate and methodical in finding good cover is the best
way to take out enemies and achieve your objectives. Enemies
will use cover too, so it’s up to you to strategize
how you can flank them. For example, Alpha could keep an enemy
occupied by maintaining a constant rate of fire (known as
suppressing fire), while Bravo moves from cover to cover to
attack the enemy from the left or right flank. It takes some
getting used to but the Tutorial is quite good at illustrating
how this works.
When it comes to the visual and audio presentation, Pandemic
Studios put together a pretty solid package. The graphics
do stand out, since they are better than most games, while
the war-torn environments look more than respectable. Communications
between troops is audible and even funny sometimes, showing
a human side to what sometimes feels like a robotic job as
a soldier.
The
Xbox Live component to the game is a letdown, however, since
you can only play co-operatively online against CPU opponents.
It would’ve been much better if one side could play
as the Zekistan militants, but what is offered here isn’t
the worst either. Even co-op play offline with a friend can
be cool too.
Full
Spectrum Warrior isn’t your average war game because
it shies away from a one-man army perspective, but it’s
also probably one of the most realistic war sims out there
based on the importance given to command and teamwork. It
might be boring for those who prefer to play without much
patience, but for those who want a competent tactical shooter,
Full Spectrum Warrior would be a worthy choice.
Rating:
9/10
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