Full Spectrum Warrior

"The new king of military gaming."

While not the greatest game I have ever come across. This title definately breaks some new ground, establishes itself as a franchise with some serious potential and sets new standards for military sims. Now without further adu, Lets get to that classic gamefaqs style review breakdown!

Graphics: Exceptional. Almost everything in this category is practically flawless for this type of game. Draw distances go on for miles, textures are some of the most realistic and well rendered this console generation has ever seen and the framerate stays as smooth as you could ever possibly want. Without a doubt this game screams xbox and is a good example of what can be done when a game is developed with the box specifically in mind. Think Conflict Desert storm without the developers worrying about the tech limitations of the PS2, and you get a general idea of what this game looks like. Throw in some great explosion effects and other cinematic style presentation effects (Like a constantly rumbling camera while your troops are running ala Saving Private Ryan style) and you have got yourself one hell of a good looking game. The main problem I find with this game graphically however is that it does have some collision issues, so get used to seeing people walk through each others bodies and get impaled by guns on ocassion. Its very noticeable at times but really doesnt take too much away from the overall package.

Sound: Turn it up and connect it to your surround sound system and this thing will have you bobbing and weaving at the moment enemy fire is heard. Yes, its that realistic and that good. This is a game meant to be played with the sound turned to up to the max. The first time you hear a mortar strike, your reflexes and ability to stay cool will be tested. The sound is so realistic that on high volumes its almost confusion inducing. I personally was not a huge fan of the constantly potty mouthed voiceovers, but hey thats realism for you... I think... The music is also a bit lackluster and consists of that same old monotone generic army music that you have been hearing for years now. Just turn it off.

Gameplay: Ahhhh the gameplay, where to begin? I will skip through the full explaination of how this game "works" (You should know that by now) and just get to how this game plays. You give your troops commands and they follow them. Sounds simple huh? Well its not. If you dont know how to use strategy and consider Rambo to be your hero, expect to be smoked. This is a game that requires you to use every last drop of your resources and brainpower to advance. The difference between moving out to a corner for cover or a parked car 2 feet away is enough to get you killed in this game. Yes the game is that strict and holds no punches. Every move you make and command you give has to be perfectly executed or you wont stand a chance. Most missions consist of basic goals, such as get from point A to point B or retrieve X from position Y but while basic in nature the logistic of trying to complete these goals can at times be nerve racking and frustrating. There are a few flaws in the design of the game as well. Here is my list.

The cursor that you use to control you men is very finicky and tends to cause the camera to swing when trying to get into certian positions, it also makes navigating through obstacles a pain too at times, due in part to the fact that for some reason, your "imaginary" cursor seems to be an actual physical object and cant go through simple barriers like crates and cars, in turn forcing you to try and weave it through. Combine this with a very sensitive camera system and lets just say it tends to get frustrating.

There is a delay between when you tell you men to move out and when they actually do. When Bravo is in dire need of assistance those 2-2.5 seconds of delay can mean the difference between continuing and getting that good ol save ready to load up. I know its a minor quirk, but hey it annoyed me.

Enemies rarely deviate from their "script". A HUGE problem. I was curious to see how prevalent this issue was and tested the AI in a few situations and many times the result was not very good. There would be times when an enemy would repeat the same 2 steps over and over again for up to 5-10 minutes at a time. Fire at my covered team, Duck behind corner, repeat until I decided to kill him... Basically the ememies in this game dont really adapt and use tactics against you the way that I hoped they would.

Switching teams can be disorenting at times due to weird camera transitions.

Again. Its not perfect, but taken for what it is, there is no denying that even with its flaws, this is a game that has the core gameplay of a franchise maker.

Xbox live: Ok so I've only played a few games online, but from what I have seen, this game should fit right in with the already great selection of live compatible games. Just file it under the "Thinking mans" category with games like Splinter Cell PT. This is an online game that im sure will benefit heavily from "meeting places" such as gamefaqs, due to the fact that teamwork is of the upmost importance and since you will have only one other partner, you will want to make sure you know who you are getting involved with before starting a campain. Its going to be rough in the beginning as you will probably get paired up with 12 year old kids whos only idea of tactical military action involves single soldiers taking down entire contries and people who quit on you out of frustration, but just give it some time. The potential is there.

Conclusion: This game is in my opinion a hands down must buy for the mature gamer. Face it, most of the the big guns *coughHalo2,Fablecough* of the xbox gaming world dont hit until the fall/winter so this summer should be one where you pick and choose your games very wisely. Now go be wise and start off your summer of gaming with this gem.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/03/04