Delta Force: Urban Warfare

"Sadly lacking in most regards"

'Delta Force; Urban Warfare' is the first 'Delta Force' game to appear on a console to date. This is probably due to the complex nature of the games, and the huge number of key commands and shortcuts. A controller just can't cut it. And in 'Delta Force; UW' we see just why 'Delta Force' should be kept on the PC.

You play the role of John Carter, an experienced Delta Force member, who heads up a small team of operatives on a routine drug bust. The team is set up, and only Carter survives. He is plunged into a world of deceit, lies and treachery in a search for answers. The plot is fairly decent, and up to a higher standard than most first person shooters *cough* Quake *cough*

Obviously, 'Rebellion' the developers of 'Delta Force; UW' have put a huge amount of work in the graphics department, and as a result, this game features some of the best graphics seen on the system. The texturing is varied and detailed although occasionally blurry, the maps fairly big, and the game also features some amazing gun models that rival even those in some PC games. Truly an achievement for 'Rebellion' considering the hardware they were working with. However there is a cost to all this, as the frame rate drops down to pedestrian pace almost every time an enemy appears on screen. When multiple enemies appear onscreen, you can literally count the frames, disappointing to say the least. 'Rebellion' should have realised the limitations of the console before releasing this game, as they just try to squeeze too much out of the system, and it just doesn't work. Some of the outdoor levels also suffer from some bad fogging, which wouldn't have been such a problem if you weren't shot by enemies just out of your view. The frame rate issue is just too hard to ignore though, hence a lower score.
Graphics: 7

The sound in 'Delta Force: UW' is a mixed bag in most regards.
The gun sound effects are decent, although some sound rather unrealistic, and lack punch. There is also a large amount of voice acting within the cut scenes, which is fairly good, although occasionally a little rough around the edges, especially in regard to lip sync with the characters on screen.
The music is decent, if forgettable. Its never too obtrusive, so luckily you won't be reaching for the volume control. The band '3RD Strike' also provide some of the music, such as a remixed version of their single 'Flow Heat' only with the rap bits cut out. Strangely there is no credit given to the band, not even in the manual.
Sound: 8

As for gameplay, again it seems like 'Rebellion' have just tried to do too much, and have come up short because of it.
Your missions are always objective based, and you are given a short briefing before hand. Usually the objectives are retrieve an item, infiltrate a certain place, or just plain and simple blow **** up! While hardly varied the objectives help give the game a nice flow, so you usually know what is going on around you and why. There are some good missions on offer, such as one that had you taking out the guards patrolling the top level of a cargo ship with a sniper rifle from afar, and one that had you breaking into a bank undetected. The missions range from all out action to stealth based missions. The stealth missions certainly are cool, if slightly hard. You have to rely strongly on the mini-map to see the location of enemy soldiers, and drag the bodies of those killed or incapacitated out of sight before someone sees them and sets off the alarm.
Unfortunately many of the levels suffer from illogical design, being more of a maze than an actual realistic location. The dockyard was a great example, with giant shipping crates placed in such a way that it was literally a maze to navigate through. Add to this the fog and enemies shooting you from just out of view and you have an instant recipe for extreme frustration. I found myself wandering aimlessly around the level just looking for the plank onto the ship. The only reason I couldn't see it was because of the fog, which was a pain to say the least.
'Delta Force: UW' features a system of stance that allows you to stand at one of three levels; stand, crouched and prone. When crouched you are a harder target to hit and make less noise when moving, but travel at a slower speed. When prone your character makes almost no noise but moves at a snails pace and cannot turn around the full 360 degrees. This mode is useless in combat, but great for missions that require a bit of stealth.
As for the arsenal of weapons, 'Delta Force: UW' does not disappoint. You have your usual assortment of weapons, such as the Special Operations .45 pistol, M4 5.56mm Assault Rifle with 203 grenade launcher, Heckler & Koch MP5 SD3, M249 SAW, Barrett .50 Sniper rifle, SPAS12 Shotgun, LAW rocket launcher, and more as well as an assortment of grenades and knives. There is also a silenced pistol and taser, which are lifesavers in the stealth missions. Each weapon has its various uses, and are all well balanced.
Enemy AI is another mixed bag. The AI routines are good in some places, such as guards who patrol certain paths on the map, and investigate any noises they hear. They will also duck and roll away from your bullets, and try to sneak up on you. However the enemy AI is not always great, and on occasion enemies will just stand there as you throw a grenade at their feet, and look at you oddly until they are blasted to an early death. It would have been nice if they had made an attempt to save themselves, such as by ducking for cover or kicking the grenade away 'Medal Of Honor' style. Otherwise though the AI isn't too bad, and is a decent challenge.
Still, 'Delta Force: UW' still has some jarring faults, mostly due to a poor framerate and fogging issues. There are also some problems with enemy line of sight, as on a few occasions an enemy saw me through a wall. This wasn't too bad until I got to the first stealth mission which involved breaking into a bank and avoiding security. If you were spotted, the level was failed and you had to start all over again.
Another obvious problem is the clunky control system, which makes the most simple of tasks a chore. The developer tried to implement too many key commands without enough keys, so sometimes you must hold down one key and then press another, which is not easy to do in the midst of a gunfight.
Gameplay: 6
Life Span: 7

Pros
+ Great graphics
+ Smart AI
+ Decent Sound
+ Excellent gun models

Cons
- Framerate
- Controls
- Difficulty
- Fogging
- No multiplayer

Overall, 'Delta Force: UW' is not a bad game, but it pales in comparison to other games on the system, such as 'Medal of Honor' and 'Quake 2.' The lack of any sort of multiplayer mode is also hard to forgive.
'Delta Force: UW' feels rushed, and as a result does not live up to its potential. Let's just hope that 'Novalogic' and 'Rebellion' clean up their act before their new PlayStation 2 releases.
Overall: 5

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 12/05/02, Updated 12/05/02