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

Publisher:
THQ
Developer:
Pandemic Studios

Platform:
Xbox

Rating: 9/10