Monte Carlo
Liturgist
Full Spectrum Warrior
(Pandemic Studios)
Homepage: http://www.fullspectrumwarrior.com/
(reviewed on Xbox, PC version release October 1st)
I know that, technically, FSW is a tactics game and not a strategy game. If a moderator thinks that I've mis-posted then my apologies and please move the thread.
---
FSW is a tight, well-polished modern tactical combat sim. You control a section of two four-man squads of US light infantry troops fighting in the fictional country of Zekistan. OK, it's Iraq/ Somalia/ Afghanistan, but you get the drift. You are thrown numerous objectives as your squad negotiates tricky urban environments infested with enemy gunmen armed to the teeth with AKs and the ubiquitous RPG.
The game starts with a pretty thorough tutorial where the player is led through the basics of infantry patrolling, cover, small arms and tactics. It's extremely realistic, and perhaps too realistic if you're after a quick Rainbow Six style "Tango Down!" type romp. If, on the other hand, you are the type of gamer who wants to know that a street corner is covered properly before you squad-hop your other team across into cover, then this game might be for you.
The tutorial must be successfully completed before the main "real" missions unlock. The attention to detail is excellent: the urban warfare training facility looks completely real and the soldiers where their green forest pattern camouflage. Each squad has four men, the Squad Leader, an Auto-Rifleman (armed with a M249 SAW), a Grenadier (with a M203-enabled rifle) and a rifleman (who, like the squad leader, carries a M class carbine).
An early criticism here is that apart from frag, M203 and smoke grenades this is all the kit you have access to. No LAWs. No GMPGs or .50 cals. No sniper rifles. No chance to sieze and use enemy kit (remember the groovy Black Hawk Down moment when the Delta team sieze the rebel's recoiless rifle?). You have stripped down basic infantry tools for bread-and-butter grunt work. This in part seems to betray FSW's origins as a real-world US infantry urban warfare computer simulator where you only program in what you need to program in.
Personally, I don't think it detracts hugely from the game, but the inclusion of more toys for your squads would have been one of the things that would propel FSW from great to truly excellent. Too much realism can, occasionally, make Jack a dull boy. Similarly, if one of your team dies it's GAME OVER (there are fairly frequent save points) as "The US army has zero tolerance for casualties" (Devs, please send a note to Don Rumsfeld).
Onto the gameplay. Your squads move in teams of four and have good AI (if they see an enemy and you've toggled the other squad they will take cover and return fire). The basic premise of the game is to use fire-and-move tactics, smoke and suppression fire to allow one squad to assault the enemy. The realistic gameplay style can make this a rewarding and visceral experience, like when the enemy have a dug in soviet anti-aircraft MG and pin you down. You can zoom in and watch as frag grenades bonuce around the enemy position, or rifle-grenades degrade their cover to allow your flanking team to hose them down. You can set fire arcs for the whole squad or even individually, allowing for some pretty advanced patrolling options.
Variety comes in the shape of the occasional third "NPC" team you control (for example an engineer), airstrikes and mortar fire you can call in as well as aerial recce. This adds enough spice to the basic premise of what is a surprisingly hardcore little wargame (especially for a console title). Missions usually involve clearing an area, escorting friendlies and handling CASEVACS etc.
The graphics are crisp, detailed and satisfying in combat (it's one of the few games where I didn't realise that the cutscene I was watching were the actual in-game graphics!), with rounds slicing up cover like abandoned cars and enemy corpses a flying-and-a-twitchin'.
The sounds are also great. Atmospheric Middle Eastern music, enjoyable wise-cracking GI's ("it's so hot you could fry a fucking egg on my helmet!") and clearly real-world weapon noises synthed into the score.
So, all-in-all, I recommend this game and would be interested to see what extras might end up in the PC version as opposed to the Xbox.
---
Conclusion:
Pros:
* Solid, uber-realistic gameplay
* Atmospheric gaming with superb graphics
* Great attention to detail
Cons:
* Eventually slightly repetitive tactical options
* Fatal casualties result in end-game
* Perhaps too realistic for some gamers
---
Cheers
MC
(Pandemic Studios)
Homepage: http://www.fullspectrumwarrior.com/
(reviewed on Xbox, PC version release October 1st)
I know that, technically, FSW is a tactics game and not a strategy game. If a moderator thinks that I've mis-posted then my apologies and please move the thread.
---
FSW is a tight, well-polished modern tactical combat sim. You control a section of two four-man squads of US light infantry troops fighting in the fictional country of Zekistan. OK, it's Iraq/ Somalia/ Afghanistan, but you get the drift. You are thrown numerous objectives as your squad negotiates tricky urban environments infested with enemy gunmen armed to the teeth with AKs and the ubiquitous RPG.
The game starts with a pretty thorough tutorial where the player is led through the basics of infantry patrolling, cover, small arms and tactics. It's extremely realistic, and perhaps too realistic if you're after a quick Rainbow Six style "Tango Down!" type romp. If, on the other hand, you are the type of gamer who wants to know that a street corner is covered properly before you squad-hop your other team across into cover, then this game might be for you.
The tutorial must be successfully completed before the main "real" missions unlock. The attention to detail is excellent: the urban warfare training facility looks completely real and the soldiers where their green forest pattern camouflage. Each squad has four men, the Squad Leader, an Auto-Rifleman (armed with a M249 SAW), a Grenadier (with a M203-enabled rifle) and a rifleman (who, like the squad leader, carries a M class carbine).
An early criticism here is that apart from frag, M203 and smoke grenades this is all the kit you have access to. No LAWs. No GMPGs or .50 cals. No sniper rifles. No chance to sieze and use enemy kit (remember the groovy Black Hawk Down moment when the Delta team sieze the rebel's recoiless rifle?). You have stripped down basic infantry tools for bread-and-butter grunt work. This in part seems to betray FSW's origins as a real-world US infantry urban warfare computer simulator where you only program in what you need to program in.
Personally, I don't think it detracts hugely from the game, but the inclusion of more toys for your squads would have been one of the things that would propel FSW from great to truly excellent. Too much realism can, occasionally, make Jack a dull boy. Similarly, if one of your team dies it's GAME OVER (there are fairly frequent save points) as "The US army has zero tolerance for casualties" (Devs, please send a note to Don Rumsfeld).
Onto the gameplay. Your squads move in teams of four and have good AI (if they see an enemy and you've toggled the other squad they will take cover and return fire). The basic premise of the game is to use fire-and-move tactics, smoke and suppression fire to allow one squad to assault the enemy. The realistic gameplay style can make this a rewarding and visceral experience, like when the enemy have a dug in soviet anti-aircraft MG and pin you down. You can zoom in and watch as frag grenades bonuce around the enemy position, or rifle-grenades degrade their cover to allow your flanking team to hose them down. You can set fire arcs for the whole squad or even individually, allowing for some pretty advanced patrolling options.
Variety comes in the shape of the occasional third "NPC" team you control (for example an engineer), airstrikes and mortar fire you can call in as well as aerial recce. This adds enough spice to the basic premise of what is a surprisingly hardcore little wargame (especially for a console title). Missions usually involve clearing an area, escorting friendlies and handling CASEVACS etc.
The graphics are crisp, detailed and satisfying in combat (it's one of the few games where I didn't realise that the cutscene I was watching were the actual in-game graphics!), with rounds slicing up cover like abandoned cars and enemy corpses a flying-and-a-twitchin'.
The sounds are also great. Atmospheric Middle Eastern music, enjoyable wise-cracking GI's ("it's so hot you could fry a fucking egg on my helmet!") and clearly real-world weapon noises synthed into the score.
So, all-in-all, I recommend this game and would be interested to see what extras might end up in the PC version as opposed to the Xbox.
---
Conclusion:
Pros:
* Solid, uber-realistic gameplay
* Atmospheric gaming with superb graphics
* Great attention to detail
Cons:
* Eventually slightly repetitive tactical options
* Fatal casualties result in end-game
* Perhaps too realistic for some gamers
---
Cheers
MC
