Spec Ops: Ranger Elite

"A failed attempt at a Metal Gear/Medal of Honor fusion"

Introduction

War games are all the rage these days - Medal of Honor, Call of Duty, Full Spectrum Warrior, Rainbow Six... every type of war game is out these for the taking. But you've had enough of that - you own Rising Sun and Call of Duty, can don't need that Full Spectrum Warrior or those Tom Clancy games, yet you crave more war, and more stuff to shoot/blow up. So, where do you look? Well, you could look in the direction of the awesome Mercenaries game for PS2. And I suppose you could look at this game, too - just be prepared for bad graphics. And bad music. And bad controls. And bad levels. And bad missions. And a short game.

Graphics

Starting off, if you want the graphics summed in one word, here it is: 'crap'. While you may forgive them, as this is a Playstation (original) game, but the graphics go the extra mile to be bad here. First things first - your soldier looks like a chunk of virtual Lego block. Many, many small pieces of virtual lego block. And when you move your character (who moves in a very, very stiff animation, might I add) you can see these little lego blocks even more. It isn't any better for the enemy soldiers and other humans in general - virtual people composed of virtual lego blocks. This holds true to the objects when you move your soldier as well - so blocky it's crazy. And looks like little lego blocks. The backgrounds are passable, but they're backgrounds, and they remain stationary throughout the entire level. To the game's credit, the soldiers in the plane (o Helicopter - maybe even a tank?) look good, but this is the screen you're staring at when you choose which soldiers to play as through the missions - not the actual gameplay. Maybe barely acceptable for a Playstation game, but I've been more pleased with budget PS1 titles like Snowboarding, or even the graphics crap-house Twisted Metal 2 (I can't speak for the original as I haven't played it). Luckily, these poor graphics aren't a pain to look at - you can stare at them without a problem, so you shouldn't be annoyed by them or put off by them.

Sound

There are, to my knowledge, four background music selections - one for each area of the game. This sounds acceptable, but doesn't sound like anything but trash in the game. These background themes are shockingly bland - even after being put off by the graphics, I may have expected bad background music, but not bland background music. Seeing as this game is a war game, you'd figure the background music would get you gung-ho for action - or be all calm and cool like for stealth. The game provides neither, but rather a quiet, un-catchy and terrible melody like those midi files you can download to your computer, or those different ring tones for your cell phone. But seemingly muffled. And terrible. There are the gun shot noises, but they don't quite sound like real gunshots - even the graphics affect the sound, by adding to the unrealistic nature of the game. There also seems to be only one walking sound per terrain - the sound isn't even edited for the separate feet, and it gets annoyingly repetitive, making it a pain to merely walk from place to place. Unlike the graphics, the sound and music may affect you in a negative way. Not good.

Gameplay

In this game, you run (or, more accurately, walk at a fast pace) around four areas divided into separate levels, shooting the enemy terrorist and ultimately saving your nation (though this game shows no real story - they give you a level, set of objectives, and tell you to move out and complete them). The walking here is awkward - the animation is very stiff and somewhat annoying to look at (though you can adjust). The animations for things like throwing grenades or planting bombs do not at all look realistic, which is annoying. The mission objectives here are also sometimes so confusing you'll be wandering around levels for what seems like hours just trying to figure out what to do. I doubt you'll ever think to yourself 'this is fun!' here, because the game simulates on giant game of Hide and Seek Tag (but, y'know, with bombs and guns). The back of the case says the game has a 'chillingly realistic environment'. I wasn't scared, shocked or worried about anything once throughout the four boring, dull and unrealistic areas. And that's another problem - this game is dull and boring. This isn't Medal of Honor, or Call of Duty - this is Splinter Cell, with terrible graphics, confusing controls and misleading missions, played out like a war game. This combination of genres does not mix well - some missions tell you to avoid being caught by the enemy, while you could just as well be caught by the enemy and nothing in the mission will change (you won't fail, and from what I've played no alarms sound off). This game is also home of the glitches - I've fallen through floors, walked through walls and jumped off cliffs (and survived!) countless times while playing. While it's fun at first (exploring where you're not supposed to explore, for example. I once fell down some sort of bottomless pit full of various textures from the game), it does get old, and surly doesn't warrant a purchase. This game simply isn't fun, and isn't at all worth your time.

Replay Value

If you actually decide to beat it, once you're done there's not much more incentive to play any more. When you put it down, you'll put it down forever - there is no replay value. It's boring.

Verdict

You should avoid buying this, and refrain from renting it. With games like Call of Duty, Medal Gear Solid and Full Spectrum Warrior out there, there is no reason at all to even bother with this game. Granted, it's worth 4 bucks in the bargain bin to try and find the game's many glitches (and I suppose playing one player mode as a quick extra), but it's bargain bin material and nothing more. 3/10.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 01/27/05