Full Spectrum Warrior

"It's like looking into the FUTURE!"

Alright...Let me just get this out of the way, first. If you are influenced by the events overseas right now, this might not be the game for you. It has soldiers using foul language, and calling the people of the game, "Zeke's"(like Krauts, or Japs).

Now that that's out of the way, let's review this wonderful game, shall we?

Introduction - This game originally started out as a training tool developed by the Pentagon to aid Army troops. It was to help them give orders in the field, and handle certain combat situations. The idea came of turning it to a game for the public, but it's not a "recruiting tool" like America's Army.

Gameplay - DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE BOX. This is an action game, but a Strategy/Action game. You control two four-man teams, deployed in Zekestan, a fictional country in the Middle East that is in turmoil. You don't actually control your characters. You can use the control stick to tell them where to go, and a push of the A button to initiate the order. You can also tell them to put up a "fire zone" by pressing X. Many more functions come with it, like Suppresion fire, or moving in two-by-two. The only time you actually get to "fire" is throwing a grenade. Hold the X button, and you can set the trajectory of the grenade, or even fire one from the grenade launcher.

Story -Despite it being a game from the Army, FSW has a really great story, surprisingly. Each of the eight soldiers has their own personality, and you learn that by their chatter in the field. The events in Zekestan unfold by in-game cutscenes, and there are MANY twists and turns.

Graphics- Wow. That's it. FSW has gorgeous graphics, and it shows on the battlefield. The bombed out buildings show their history. The abandoned cars actually can get shot up, and things explode VERY nicely. All the soldiers are modeled accurately, right down to their patches.

Sound- Movie-like. Things can be silent one moment, and then a realistic sounding explosion will erupt the next. I can't tell you how many times I freaked out when I heard explosions, thinking they were grenades going off near my team. The voices are very well done too. They match their characters.

Play Time/Replayability - currently, I am on mission 6, the game isn't even half over. I like to go back, and play a mission differently, and use different tactics. Also, one of the biggest pleasures, is that FSW is Live enabled. You can play through the entire single player campaign with two people. What fun!

Final Recommendation - Buy this game. If you are an action buff, it is in leaps and bounds here. If strategy is your game, this is one of the best. You actually need to use your head, right from the get-go. This is true gaming goodness.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/09/04