Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers
- January 26, 2006 00:00 AM PST
Sometimes it seems that the world of game development is so rarefied, the developers so far removed from players, that the audience can't hope to have an effect on future endeavors except by voting with their dollars.
Sometimes it seems that the world of game development is so rarefied, the developers so far removed from players, that the audience can't hope to have an effect on future endeavors except by voting with their dollars.
The Dogs of War
The original title garnered strong reviews, but despite their past success the developers of Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers indicate that addressing player feedback is a chief concern, and the preview build bears this out. Most noticeably, scripted enemies have been replaced with artificial intelligence that'll adaptively seek out and abandon cover, and work together against you, axing canned drama for more believable conflict.
Twelve single-player missions play out over the course of only two days, relating the intertwining stories of four four-man squads. The Xbox version promises awesome co-op via the Live service, allowing a friend to drop in and take control of another squad at any moment. Objective-based multiplayer pits Coalition forces against rebel insurgents, local warlords, and other militias.
Command & Conquer
Though its intense firefights can certainly get your adrenaline pumping, Full Spectrum Warrior emphasizes tactics over raw action, giving the angles of alleyways and dimensions of street cover greater significance. The smallest map of this sequel is ten times the size of the original's largest, and features more detailed environments. The possibility of a teammate dying--permanently--hangs over every encounter, and catching a single bullet can drastically affect the rest of a mission. A combat effectiveness meter should help newcomers avoid disaster.
You can jump from squad to squad, and soldier to soldier--even momentarily taking direct control of his fire--but this experience is built around team strategy and command oversight rather than the selfish glory of a lone gunman. Indeed, most of your soldiers aren't the best marksmen, so it's only by working together that they can succeed. Outflanking an enemy, neutralizing its cover from higher ground, or calling in a brutal air-strike can feel more rewarding than any twitch shooter's fragfest, whether your graded performance earns you any commendations or not.
There's no shortage of squad shooters on the market, but too many are rehashes of previous disappointments. If Ten Hammers delivers on its promised improvements, armchair generals will have renewed cause to celebrate.
