This
sequel teases us by allowing the player to fire the
various team members' weapons but it's not satisfying
enough for action junkies.
by Cole Smith
April
7, 2006 - As
Ten Hammers would suggest, the Full Spectrum Warrior
series has still not found its niche. The genre is
real-time strategy but the gameplay suggests shooter.
The strategy aspects are very similar to the original
but made all the more complex for the sake of a few
new features. That can be disconcerting for those
that expect this sequel to take the series to the
next level.

The
original game gave players a good introduction to
the genre of squad-based tactics. The game was used
by the US military as a sim training tool for infantry
soldiers to become familiar with such tactics. While
it may have been a good tool for the army, most gamers
found that the experience lacked depth, not to mention
that it was hampered by the controls. Some improvements
can be found in Ten Hammers but it's still far from
perfect. The missions can be very demanding, often
only allowing you one or two ways to complete them.
There is a lot of trail and error. It's very easy
to get killed and a lot of time it's not your fault.
There are delays in commands such as retreats that
will see you stand around and get killed. Other times
the enemy will charge you and your team will miss
them even though they are at shooting at point blank
range.
Zekistan
is an imaginary country but it's a composite of Afghanistan
and the troublesome Middle Eastern countries. The
environments comprise desert, rocky foothills, swampland
and urban areas. By commanding two units your basic
goal is to kill all of the insurgents through a limited
number of tactics. One of the most popular tactics
is to have one team flank the enemy while the other
engages them in fire. Through the use of the precision
fire mode you will be able to take control of your
teams' weapons. Using the automatic rifleman you can
spray machinegun fire to try to keep the bastards
at bay or you can attempt to pick off the enemy one
by one much like a sniper by using the team leader's
rifle. The grenadier can launch grenades into open
windows and take out more than one enemy at a time.

Other
than the ability to shoot your team members' weapons,
you don't actually control the characters' movements.
This is accomplished by issuing orders or by pointing
and clicking to a place on the map. It's in your best
interest to move your unit to a place where they will
be safe. There are several walls, buildings and burnt
out vehicles to use for cover. Moving your men is
a dangerous proposition, especially when you are in
more open territory. You have to make sure that you
are in a position of suppressing the enemy before
you move or they are not in the immediate area. Even
then you have to be wary of snipers in the windows
and at the top of buildings.
The
ability to take charge of up to four teams, Alpha,
Bravo, Charlie and Delta will allow you to have one
team cover the other during such moves. You also have
the ability to split your four-man team in half. This
gives you more flexibility but it's only appropriate
in delicate situations that don't require a lot of
firepower. Keep in mind that there is always strength
in numbers.
Another
team that you can employ is the indigenous scouts.
This is a unit made up of inhabitants of the region
that basically perform spy/recon missions for you.
They are able to move about the territory with virtual
impunity and give you reports on the enemy's whereabouts
without giving away your position. Another good addition
is the Bradley tank which lets you blast some heavy
25mm rounds into the enemy's nest. The tanks add some
depth to the gameplay but they are not very resistant
to rocket propelled grenade attacks.

In
this game you can actually enter buildings and climb
stairs to gain a higher vantage point. This is something
that was sorely missing in the first game. It can
be easier to defend your position and better assess
your strategic moves based on the layout of the streets
that you can see more easily.
Online
includes a four-player Verses mode as well as a two-player
co-op mode. The Verses mode included maps from the
single-player mode which you'll be familiar with.
The factions are somewhat matched but they have different
advantages. The Americans have better weapons while
the insurgents have numbers on their side. The co-op
mode is the shining star in this game. It features
eight new levels and is by far my favorite mode. You
can bring all of the features that are available in
the single-player mode to these online modes.
There's
a lot of swearing in this game, and it does lend some
authenticity to the content as it replicates the tension,
confusion, fear and anger that comes with being in
such a dangerous situation. It's too bad the cutscenes
are so corny. The acting and the dialog are just awful.
It's as though the developers wanted to turn this
into a B-movie instead of portraying a slice of real
life.
The
strategy elements and the point-and-click system bog
the action down in this game. I can see how it can
be used to teach a soldier to think before he acts,
considering that he's putting his life on the line
and can't respawn, but those looking for an action-packed
game with a focus on fun had better look elsewhere.

Features:
- Intense
Squad Based Combat Suppress and disband insurgent
forces with the latest arsenal of weapons and equipment
- all based on real-world military weaponry including
the ability to control mechanized units, such as
Bradley Tanks and Armored Humvees.
- True
Military Gaming Experience - Use real-world combat
tactics to command infantry squads, ranging from
US Light Infantry and US Ranger Forces to Multi-National
UN Coalition Forces - taking on a variety of combat
missions through war torn environments.
- Innovative
Genre-blending Game Play Experience Delivering the
most genuine infantry combat experience ever, combining
squad-based combat and real-time tactical action.
- Enhanced
Strategy - New features include the ability to enter
interior environments and position sniper teams,
save and protect hostages and control additional
fire teams, Charlie and Delta.
- Command
Responsibility The lives of the squad members lie
in the players every movement and decision. An in-game
replay video system, allows players to evaluate
their squad's combat effectiveness and learn from
mistakes.
- Friend
or Foe Online Game Play Take the action online for
a variety of multiplayer modes. Play through the
game in Co-Op mode, go head-to-head with other players
or team up for objective based missions.
- Developed
by Pandemic Studios (Star Wars: Battlefront, Mercenaries
and Destroy All Humans!)
By
Cole Smith
CCC
Senior Writer
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