Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror

"Not very tactical, but a lot of fun"

~INTRODUCTION~
Tactical Ops has been compared in many ways to Counter Strike; dismissed as a poorly made clone. However, this is not the case - looked at as a game, Tactical Ops is a wonderful achievement. There are a number of things Tactical Ops does much better, but there are times when it makes the flaws of the game model more glaring.

~STORY~
There is no story to speak of, but each map has it's own little paragraph of story. Generally, though it's the Special Forces vs. Terrorists kind of tripe we've seen in countless amounts of action movies.
5/10

~GRAPHICS~
The graphics are very, very aesthetically pleasing. The settings look wonderful - they vary from the standard urban environments to dusty deserts, jungles and even a cruise ship. The weapons have been remodeled - everything looks a more detailed and professional. A few weapons (the SPAS 12 and the AK47 for example) look exceptional. Character models have been improved upon - their movement animations are less robotic than those found previously; however the jumping animations need improvement - they still look clunky. The game's weather and lighting effects are fairly well done. A few maps feature exotic environments, such as the mountains of the arctic, or the humid density of a jungle. The snow falls heavy and the rain pelts hard, creating splashes and puddles on the ground - it makes for a more immersive experience. I also think this is one of the first tactical action shooters to feature female models, which does give one choice. One little annoying thing, though, is that everything looks really really shiny; but this seems to apply to most games using the Unreal Engine. Another annoying nitpick is the muzzle-flashes - they cause too much slowdown at close range. Other than that the graphics are great.
8.5/10

~SOUND~
The sound is incredibly nice and detailed. All sounds are done well, and everything is good, down to the last detail - from the sound of footsteps, the clatter of heavy gunfire, to the chunk-chink of someone reloading. All the weapons have a satisfying punch - from the thud of a shotgun shell connecting to the head to the thunderous sound of the heavy machine gun. The radio voices lend some personality to them - both sides have different voices, which are further split into different sounds for each gender. Sometimes, however, the explosions sound a bit muffled.
8/10

~GAMEPLAY~
This is where it all comes down to - Gameplay. If anyone has played CS before, they will be in familiar territory here. If not, here's a small run-down: two teams face off - the Terrorists (bad guys) and the Special Forces/SWAT (the good guys). In each map you are given different objectives, with at least a half a dozen different paths to complete them. Or you can simply slaughter the other team. The objectives from the gamut from basic hostage extraction and bomb planting to UT Assault-like objectives where you must attack a checkpoint and/or defending another.

The buy system is much more effective here. Not only can you buy weapons, but you are given the option to sell them too. Money is more plentiful also - you can pick up money that your dead enemies drop. However, the buy system flaws are also more glaring - there are times when the players focus on getting more cash instead of objectives (this will happen 40 to 60 percent of the time). This doesn't put a damper on the game's enjoyment, but it does get on one's nerves sometimes when someone runs around like Rambo shooting wildly to try to hoard money.

The weapons are top notch, and all of them are equally balanced except one - the M60, which is the Terrorist's new toy. It is cheap, effective, and thoroughly unfair. Every weapon that is found on one team will have a counter part that is more or less equal. In a few situations, though, one team's weapons will have more functionality. Case in point: the Terrorist's Glock is more effective in close range, whereas the Special Force's Beretta pistol is better off when used from a distance. Other than the M60, the weapons are excellent. They all serve their own purposes and some are only useful in certain situations. For example, there are certain weapons that only function well from a defensive stand point (the MAC 10), weapons specifically tailored for assaulting (the MP5 Navy SMG), and weapons that are versatile enough to handle both (the M4/M203). One thing I especially like is the ability to throw knives - you aren't totally defenseless when you run out of ammo; and if your enemy doesn't have extra knives to throw, this will aspect will give you an edge over your opponent.

9.5/10

~REPLAYABILITY~
This game is all about online play. Tactical Ops provides bot support (you can start practice sessions with bots or run a public server with bots) but they aren't too bright. They can buy weapons and shoot fairly well (some of them have the magical ability to snipe with an AK-47) but they can get stuck in corners/wall and run like lemmings into choke points. Over all, I recommend online play wholeheartedly over bots (this coming from someone who spent 7 months playing bots). Bot practices are only fun for getting to know maps and weapons or getting a ridiculously high frag count recorded within the game.

~OVERALL~
This game is awesome, IMO. Of course, the point that will make-or-break it is whether or not you can accept this game. The similarities to CS are indeed staggering, but there are enough differences for this game to hold its own. And might I say, it does so quite excellently.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/03/04