Stealth, mission objectives and a
growing terror that the world we know is on a collision course with disaster.
Those are all elements of The Sum of
All Fears, a PC release from Red Storm Entertainment, Paramount and Ubi Soft.
The game bears a lot of similarities to other Tom Clancy-inspired games, but
parallels both the novel and the motion picture. What begins so simply as a
hostage rescued soon takes on parameters of a larger and deadlier assault.
The game begins on Dec. 31, 2001 in
Charleston, West Virginia. A militant, and well-armed, group known as the
Mountain Men have commandeered a television station. Your job, as a member of
the F.B.I.’s HRT (Hostage Rescue Team) is easy – disarm the security system, cut
the station feed, free the hostages, and don’t take any casualties. It is so cut
and dried, that the game’s mission briefing rates it as easy.
There’s even a map that shows the
location of the bad guys. Now, just because they happen to be waiting on the
other side of the door, weapon aimed and ready to fire the second you open that
door, tends to discount the carnival target brand of easy.
Of course, you are well armed. You
have a variety of weapons, including grenades and flashbangs, and you have team
members that will clear a room at the merest whisper of suggestion (Ok, you
barked the command through your headset).
This is only the first of 11
single-player missions that will put you in harm’s way, but will challenge and
entertain. And just because you start the game working for the F.B.I. on the HRT,
doesn’t mean you are there for long. The game really picks up-tempo when CIA’s
John Clark appears.
If there is a drawback, it lies in
that the missions appear to be linear in nature. The same bad guys will be in
the same spots if you have to replay the mission.
Those who have played other Red Storm
games, like the Rainbow Six, Rogue Spear or Ghost Recon games, will doubtless
recognize some similarities. But this game is a departure from those titles in
that there is no planning phase that sometimes seems to take as long as the
mission, and the squad command interface is simple to use. A hotkey brings up
the interface, and you just click on the command (like to clear a room, or
flashbang it), and the team immediately executes the order. There are also
back-up squads that will support your team. You don’t get a chance to control
them, but there are in place if the firefight gets intense.
This game is very player friendly.
Even without a manual to reference, once the hotkeys have been explained (there
is a tutorial), it is straight into the game and knee-deep in action.
Graphically this game is very good.
The animation is lifelike and the environments are well designed. You can get up
close to the wall and while a bit fuzzy, it still retains some of the textures.
The environment is not completely interactive. You can shoot a windshield and
see the bullet hole in it. Same goes for a neon overhead light, but the light
doesn’t go out.
The sounds of this game are also very
good. Each of the weapons has a unique sound – weapons include M4, M16, M16/M203
(has a grenade launcher), M4/Shotgun (this one is a blast!, pardon the pun),
sawed-off shotgun, silenced sniper rifle, frag grenade, flashbang, and heartbeat
sensor – and the game also features creaking doors, and a host of ambient sounds
associated with close-quarter combat.
The Sum of All Fears is a very good
first-person shooter game. The story evolves, there are a number of challenges
that will require you to think your way through a situation rather than just go
in firing. This is entertaining and addictive game playing.
This game is rated Teen.
Gameplay: 8.4
From the start of a mission until its
end, the action is solid and evolving. That the missions seem a little linear if
they need to be repeated is a drawback, but in spite of that, this game still
delivers with challenging action.
Graphics: 8.5
The environments read very well, and the
animation is very good. The environments are only interactive to a point.
Sound: 7.8
This game delivers exactly what you would
expect, and does that crisply. The audio portion solidly supports the graphical
elements.
Difficulty: 7
The player interface makes this game
accessible to everyone, and the missions do get harder as the game progresses.
The challenge is there, and while the game is big on firepower, sometimes it is
how you use the tool rather than the person with the biggest gun wins.
Concept: 7
While this game bears striking similarity
to other Red Storm games, it does feature some improvements in game play and
interface that make the experience enjoyable.
Multiplayer: 7
The game is new so at times checked there
wasn’t a lot of action online. The game does have four lobbies for the retail
version and three demo lobbies. You will have to be a member of Ubi.com (free
membership), and each time you sign on you will go through the auto-patch
process.
Overall: 8.3
This is a very good first-person shooter,
with an evolving story and solid action elements. If you want a game that will
draw you in and challenge you on several levels, this is a game that will please
you.
