Developed by
Pandemic Studios for apparently the United States army and converted into a game
for the masses, Full Spectrum Warrior takes the feel of a military simulation to
a whole new level.   If you’ve ever wanted to command your own set of fireteams
and overcome challenging goals in the battlefield, but never felt like other
tactical shooters out there were cutting it, this game is for you.

In actuality, you
only direct your fireteams – you don’t exactly get to shoot or run yourself, you
just tell them where to shoot or run.  Which is fine if you expect it,
and great if you welcome it, because the game really does feel attuned to good
strategies.

The story in the
game is about as plain-as-day as one can see without actually mentioning any
names.  We’ve got a desert-laden middle-east country that ends in “–istan”,
loads of assault rifle-carrying Arabs, a cruel and tyrannical dictator, and the
brave group of army soldiers sent to liberate the country.  Does this sound
vaguely familiar to you?  Funny, it seems to strike a chord in my memory…

Anyway, the two
teams available under your command, Alpha and Bravo, are each composed of four
men.  There’s a guy with an assault rifle for suppressive firing, a rifleman for
those long-distance shots, a grenadier for when you feel that you need to
introduce yourself with a bang, and a team leader that also has an M4.  Knowing
when to use each person to the best of their abilities – or for that matter, how
to work successfully with both teams – is really half of the strategy involved.

The other half of
the strategy is making sure that your men stay behind cover as best as humanly
possible.  Thanks to the interface, it’s easy to do so – when you’re about to
move your men, the four icons following the mouse cursor that designate your men
will snap into formations alongside walls or behind cars or whatever type of
object that might provide some cover.  And yes, quite a few of the objects are
degradable, so don’t expect to be able to crouch behind a few wooden crates for
an hour under a constant hail of bullets.

Both the most
reassuring and somewhat disappointing aspect of the game is the AI.  There is
pretty much a strict set of rules pertaining to what the enemy will do under
certain situations, and once you have a firm grasp on these the game – while
still challenging – is a whole lot easier and predictable.  Enemies will almost
always continue firing at you if they have very good cover – which they often
do.  If you manage to flank them, they tend to retreat quickly.  The game is
pretty realistic, but by using common sense you can overcome the enemy most of
the time.  One thing that did freak me out concerning the AI was my own team,
though.  Every now and then it seemed like my commands flew right in one ear and
out the other, and they refused to start or stop shooting until I reminded them
again.  Moments like that aren’t the norm but they do seem to happen for some
reason or another.

The game plays, in
actuality, almost exactly like any traditional real-time-strategy game on the
market.  The huge difference here is the camera placement.  Instead of a
sky-cam, overhead camera with a distant view of the action, the camera here is
on ground-level with the troops, and that makes all the difference.  Intensity
can flare up and make for some great adrenaline pumping situations.  Part of the
result is due to the fact that really, you can’t see much more than your in-game
troops can – meaning that what’s just around the corner is a big of a surprise
to you as it is to your men.  Can’t spot that sniper firing on you?  Too bad,
your men probably don’t see him either.  For a game that technically doesn’t
introduce a whole lot, gameplay wise, it feels incredibly new and refreshing.

The graphics are
very good.  Although some of the texturing is a bit blurry – questionably so, at
times – the excellent character models and simply superb animation more than
make up for it.  Seriously, the animation is so good I could have sworn I was
watching a video at times.  The environment also looks good, and all things
considered, it is fairly varied for taking place in mostly war-torn urban areas
in the middle east.

The sound is
pretty good, with the focal point being the music.  Although everything tends to
be calm when the action is calm, the music can really get exhilarating just as
the gameplay is.  That really adds to the experience and makes the game feel
that much more exciting.  Throw in your standard fare of soldier swearing,
yelling, and teasing – all very well done, mind you – and this is probably the
most immersive military sim out there.

Full Spectrum
Warrior is a bit of a gem in my book.  It’s a little tricky to get into,
especially if you were expecting a chance to shoot up dozens of enemies with
your own trigger finger.  Really, though, the strategical style of the game is
like nothing else out there – even if you aren’t the one being shot at, you feel
like the military leader who commanded him into battle.  You really do feel like
that man – and that’s about the best compliment I can give the game.

Gameplay: 8.5

At it’s core, it’s
basic RTS.  The fact that the camera is on ground level and you don’t know any
more than the troops do makes the experience that much more intense and fun,
though.

Graphics: 8.5

Excellent if not
perfect in parts.  Textures are a little bit too blurry sometimes but animation
is incredible.

Sound: 8.5

Very good and
well-worth pumping out your speakers, the music in the game can get really
dramatic – as can your own soldiers.

Concept: 8.0

The basic gameplay
is tried-and-true, but the fresh take on that old gameplay makes this title feel
more fresh and innovative than any other strategy game out there.

Difficulty: Medium

Multiplayer: 8.0

If you wish, you
can play through the game co-op with a friend over the internet – an unneeded,
but handy little feature if you wish to employ it.

Overall: 8.5

Full Spectrum
Warrior shines through as not only the best military sim of recent times, but
one of the most intense and exciting strategy games ever created.  If you like
the strategy genre at all, don’t miss out on this gem.