Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix
- June 18, 2003 12:46 PM PST
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Switch off the safety and plug away on the sorry terrorists standing in front of your barrel.
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Army of One
As military ?consultant? John Mullins, you?re engaged in a secret war against bioterrorism on behalf of the mysterious Shop. The conflict will take you from Prague to Kamchatka, packing realistic weapons and matching bloodshed at every global hotspot. Sometimes you?ll assist Marines, and other times you?ll find it?s better to go solo, breaking into the compounds of Colombian drug lords at your own pace. The action takes place from a first-person perspective, but that includes some vehicle-based sequences, such as manning an M60 inside a helicopter.
The sharp but dark graphics reflect the shadowy environments that often go hand-in-hand with secret missions. Enemy deaths are ridiculously overwrought with lots of melodramatic falls followed by twitching. Is this a covert operation or an opera? However, the game?s incredibly accurate per-pixel hit detection?meaning you can target a leg, head, or even weapon for specific reactions and strategic effects?offers pure shooter satisfaction.
Fortune Smiles
Sometimes enemies take time to notice you, but once they do, the A.I. is fairly impressive. Enemies seek and use cover, hit alarms, react to sounds, and even grab new weapons if you give them the chance. A good amount of gameplay is knowing how and when to use stealth to maximum effect. The controls take some getting used to?there are lots of weapons to juggle, as well as physical positions like crouch and prone to consider?but they respond well after a few hours of play. The single-player campaign is meaty, and Xbox Live support is always welcome, but SOFII earns special awards for its random mission generator. It?s the ultimate in replay value and makes a fine offline trainer besides.
Soldier of Fortune II may sound like a mixed bag, but the action proves intense enough for players to forget the flaws.
