I came across this SOF2 article written by a female gamer. Tricia “Kazi Wren” Harris from DallasNews feels Soldier of Fortune II is just what a hardcore gamer needs. She gave the game 5 out of 5 buttons!
Excerpt:
The United States should be thankful I am not a member of one of its elite covert organizations if Soldier of Fortune 2: Double Helix is any indication of my tactical skills. In fact, the country would benefit from sending me off to some foreign land to work undercover.
As a fan of action games, in particular the first-person shooter (FPS) genre, I’ve found a weakness in my playing ability. Tactical games – those that rely on stealth to obtain mission objectives – are tough for me. I have the whisper-quiet movement of a rhino and absolutely no sniper ability.
In Soldier of Fortune 2: Double Helix, Raven Software’s sequel to the award-winning Soldier of Fortune, players once again assume the role of John Mullins, a military consultant working for the top-secret agency known as “The Shop.” The developers throw you into bullet-flying scenarios set in steaming jungles, frozen wastelands and busy cities as part of your mission to rescue hostages, gather intelligence on dangerous organizations, or search and destroy enemy threats.
title: Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix
genre: action/FPS
publisher: Activision
developer: Raven Software
platform: PC
rating: M for Mature
I had a weapons arsenal worthy of praise — grenade launchers, sniper rifles and an assorted collection of handguns and knives. The game is known for this authentic menagerie and for the realistic way it portrays the covert realm.
Now let’s get to the part where I suck.
GAME PLAY
During the single-player game, I faithfully went through the tutorial first. You see, The Shop wanted to make sure my character, Mullins, wasn’t rusty. Off I went to learn how to jump, shoot, toss grenades and sneak. I graduated and was deemed fit for assignment.
*
The first mission is set in Prague. All I had to do was go in and extract a scientist who wanted to defect. Through dark alleys I slinked and crawled with my rifle at the ready. I was never prepared for the swarm of enemies that always seemed to zero in on my location (Note: turn off the “run” button; you make too much noise that way). I was killed repeatedly because my sneak tactics were never very sneaky. That’s a major difference with playing an FPS like this one: This isn’t a deathmatch free-for-all; a different skill set is required.
Every level I played (and I did eventually make it through the majority of the single-player game) was wrought with twists and turns, tough enemies and civilians that I had to be careful not to kill or my mission was over. I was glad for the SOF2 strategy guide from Brady Games. It was a handy reference tool whenever I searched in vain for entry points or needed a quick exit. This is definitely a game where a strategy guide is an asset.
SOF2 is an intense, bloody game. The realism of your missions is evident in the mess left behind by grenade explosions or gunfire. You also need to keep an eye on ammo levels – I learned the hard way that reloading in the middle of a firefight is fatal. But that’s exactly why someone would buy the game. I was intent on meeting my mission objectives and it wouldn’t have been very satisfying without the level of violence portrayed. I was also glad to see special care was taken with hit locations. Bad guys reacted realistically if I shot them in the leg (they fell down) or their hand (they dropped their weapon).
The game comes with a multiplayer mode, which brings with it several opportunities to turn your friends to dust – Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Infiltration and Elimination.
*
I jumped online and promptly found myself splattered across a wall. I couldn’t get enough of Capture the Flag or Team Deathmatch. It was carnage and mayhem – all good fun. No server glitches. No lag.
GRAPHICS
If I can get away with calling this much gore beautiful … then it was. Brilliant use of lighting on all levels added to the game play. There’s an option to turn off the gore, but why would I? The textures and character skins are extremely well done. Raven certainly made these areas stand out.
LEARNING CURVE
I found the default control settings a little awkward, so I recommend you tweak these before setting out. I also mentioned that I took the tutorial – you should too. Even at the easiest level, SOF2 is no pushover of an action game.
*
LONGEVITY
Perhaps the best addition to SOF2 is the ability to access a random map generator to continue playing. There are several steps to complete. First I grabbed a mission type (demolition, escape, assassination or infiltration), then a location (desert, hills, jungle, snow or plains), the time of day, and a difficulty range.
With this option, the replayability of SOF2 seems endless.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
SOF2 was more difficult than I imagined, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s an intense game on all levels, but also a great example of game development. Rich graphics, heart-pounding action and rewards for a job well done. Just what a hardcore gamer would want.