The Sum of All Fears

"Another mediocre FPS"

I was about to give this game a 7 but decided to give an extra pity point because of the success of other Tom Clancy games. Nearly the same as many other Red Storm FPSs such as the Rainbow Six series, Ghost Recon, etc. Maybe my expectations were too high to begin with but this game lacks.

Story 6.5/10 -
Just like all the other Tom Clancy games - a whole bunch of missions each with their own plot & story. Which is good, but according to the title(obviously) & summary, I thought this was going to be like the movie ''Sum of All Fears.'' After all, it shares the same title. However, even after I completed the game, there was not much of a tie to the movie with the only subtle relation was some short cut scenes between missions. According to the makers, the missions are supposed to lead up to the main events in the movie but I don't see much of a connection.

Gameplay 7/10 -
You move pretty sluggish throughout the game. Which in fact is not funny. It actually ticks me off. Although the basic controls are average, slidestepping seems like you are inching your way forward taking baby steps like in cartoons. In the hard difficulty, you will get shot ''sidestepping'' around a wall. The enemy will simply annihilate you even before you get a glimpse of him. Say, wasn't sidestepping supposed to be a strategy in being not noticed or attacking first? Anyway, blah.

Sound 9/10 -
All Tom Clancy games gives you that BG music that keeps you on the edge of your seat. When an enemy is near, or you open a door, that ''du-dum'' music plays that leaves you thinking ''Where's the enemy?'' and stuff and leaves you all pumped up. I think that's actually pretty cool. The BGM during the briefing menu & during loading intermissions are also pretty neat. I say that this(the sound) is the best part of this game.

Graphics 10/10 -
Cutting-edge graphics. Superb intermission movie clips & background. Unlike many games, you could actually make out & notice details and such in the background. This type of detailing show how much effort the makers put into this game just like many other Red Storm games.

Replayability 5/10 -
Not good. Not even a lousy two-person co-op. The only thing worthy of making you pick this game up after you complete it is the ''unlocked stuff'' & the lone wolf mode where you have to do all the stuff & get to the extraction zone without help from a single one of your comrades.

Rent/Buy - Buy used
I don't think you would want to waste a whole 50 bucks on a brand-new one or just rent it. I think the missions are pretty fun(although they don't really tie into the movie) and you would want to complete them all before you return this game. Occasionally, I feel like picking this game up and playing through a level or two in lone wolf mode & I think you will, too. Look for this game in the used games rack and just simply sell it back if you aren't satisfied. Happy Gaming.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/16/03, Updated 04/16/03