Soldiers of Fortune

"Soldiers of Fortune is good."

Soldiers of Fortune is a two player action shoot-em-up game that is very fun. This is one of the better SNES games out there, not to mention very hard and fun. Ok let’s get down to it.

Gameplay –Fun Factor 8/10 This game is really fun, you get to choose from six different mercenaries that all have different types of weapons. Some have machine guns, shotguns, and more. You get to choose one player and CPU, which are just you and the CPU on a team or two player modes, you and someone of your choice. Now both are very fun, but it is always a bit more fun with a friend though. You get to run though lots of levels and blast enemies.

Difficulty 8/10 Soldiers of Fortune is a damn hard game. There levels are very long and detailed and have lots of enemies too. You get very limited health and it gets tuff. Now with a friend you can watch each others back but sometimes when playing one player mode, the CPU you will just run off and kind of do his own thing, this can hurt you especially when you are swarmed by the enemy and the little health you have doesn’t help. Basically this game takes skill, and luck it is a hard game but it is also a fun game.

Controls 8/10 The controls to this game are just right. Not that there is many to learn. Basically you have your move and then you have your shoot. Now with controls like that anyone can get to know them. Sometimes your players will get stuck like when you run and turn, they sometimes get stuck on an edge but that does not happen much at all. So the controls are fine.

Story 7/10 The story is ok, it could have been better but in a way it fits a game like this perfectly. The only thing that could have been done, that wasn’t was maybe more of a detailed story line. Any way’s this is the story: Sometime in the last century, The Baron Fortesque invented a bizarre machine called the Chaos Engine. The device became incredibly powerful and turned against its creators. Its power to corrupt time and matter was out of control. Then a cloud of chaos descended over the sky, turning humans and animals into ravening beasts. Your job is to defeat it and stop the trouble with your mercenaries for hire.

Graphics 8/10 Soldiers of Fortune has some good graphics. The players all look nice and so do the enemies. The levels are long and detailed; the trees look good, the swamps, and the waters. The bosses look good also. The building’s and structures are a bit blocky, but still look good, a great job done in this department.

Sound 8/10 I really liked the music in this game. Especially at the start up screen and the choose your player screen. The in game music and sounds are also good. The explosions and guns firing all sound good. The music gets you in the mood and fits nicely.

Playtime and Replay Value 6/10 The game is medium in length, it could have been longer but at least it is not way to short. The game is also fun and you may want to play it again with a friend, but other then that the game is not an “I must play the game over again”. Sure it is a good game, but not a great game. You should have fun your first time through and maybe one more time after that, no more, unless you are a huge fan of shoot em up games.

PROS:
Good Graphics
Good Music
Really Fun

CONS:
An ok storyline
It seems they made it hard only for the purpose of it lasting longer.

Final Recommendation I say pick this game up. This game is really fun and will be worth the little money you would have to pay for it now. So if you want a fun cheap game for your SNES, pick this game up, you will be happy you did.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/15/03, Updated 04/10/03