Full Spectrum Warrior
Quite enjoyable, yet not as filling as it could be.
Tags: Full Spectrum Warrior Categories: PS2 Reviews, Reviews
Posted by David Hinkle on Apr 22nd, 2005
| Title | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Spectrum Warrior (title page) | 1 - 2 | ||
| Developer | Publisher | Genre | Online |
| Action | No | ||
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Based on a program the U.S. military used to train light infantry troops for combat in urban terrain, Full Spectrum Warrior was published almost a year ago for the Xbox by THQ. Received with praise as one of the most strategic, life-like military experiences on the console, it was only natural for it to make the jump to PC and now, finally, the PS2 (though at the time THQ said it would be an Xbox exclusive). The game did suffer some loss of its looks on the way over to Sony’s system but did retain the great gameplay and online capabilities that made it so wonderful in the first place.
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Full Spectrum Warrior revolves around two squads, Alpha and Bravo, who come under fire suddenly sometime in the near future in an undesignated Middle Eastern country (think Iraq). Suddenly being ambushed, it’s up to the player to control each team and effectively combat them using complex military tactics. Each team is comprised of soldiers with their own traits and personalities, and utilizing each of them is the key to success. Even though the single-player campaign is short (even with some added maps and tasks in the PS2 version), it’s quite good, due to the fact that controlling these squads and playing through each of the missions, even multiple times, is just plain fun.
Controlling each squad is simple, accomplished by just pointing a cursor and pressing the X button. There is a fairly in-depth training mission that will take you through every possible scenario and teach you how to use everything in the game, from supressive fire right down to grenading entrenched enemies. While this training session will make you very proficient at working with the game, the problem is that once you go through it there really isn’t anything new you’ll come upon during the campaign.
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While the Xbox and PC versions have such a crisp look that really work for the game, and helped to stifle the boredom that would arise in going through these same scenarios over and over, the PS2 just looks worse. With lower resolution cutscenes, and some sub-standard particle effects, it’s a lot harder to be absorbed into the environment.
The environment isn’t nearly as interactive as one would think for such a ‘life-and-death’ situation such as this. While it’s fairly common to engage enemies from up on high, in windows or on balconies, there is no real way to get up to them or to climb an area within view to even the odds. Most buildings are off-limits for entry, aside from the dilapidated ones. So this makes you have to take on the more vulnerable position of firing from below.
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The camera is what really makes the game so immersive. Basically hovering over the shoulder of whichever soldier you have highlighted, it does a fantastic job of moving with the squads and offering a life-like feel to the combat. It feels like you are a cameraman stuck in a major conflict, with explosions and gun fire erupting around you. Even when moving from one place to another, the screen bobs back and forth as if you were running along side America’s finest.
Overall, the dated hardware of the PS2 just butchers a lot of things taken for granted in the Xbox and PC versions. Aside from graphics, there were a few instances of severe drops in the frame rates during the heftier action scenes. This also means a bit of lag when switching between each unit and issuing orders as well. Still, one really can’t fault the game much for this as it’s mostly on the shoulders of the hardware.
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Online action on the Xbox was limited to cooperative play through the missions with another person, each controlling one of the squads. While it was a bit fun to try out, there really wasn’t any lasting value to it. If you could plow through the missions alone, why would you need to go through with another person? This is an attraction when you have a friend to tag along, but should you go it with a stranger the fun significantly drops, especially if that stranger isn’t any good at the game. Online for the PS2 version plays much like the earlier versions of the game – no upgrades here.
Sound has transitioned especially well to the PS2 version. All of the voicework is just as strong as before, adding more to each soldier’s distinct personality. Expect a lot of swearing on their part, although I guess that should be expected due to the game’s ‘Mature’ rating and violent subject matter. The explosions and gun fire all sound great, along with the symphonical tracks that you’ll hear while progressing through each mission.
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With a lowered price, Full Spectrum Warrior holds a nice amount of value on Sony’s system. Seeing as how the other versions are priced just the same now, you’d be better with them if you own the appropriate system. If all you have is a PS2 though, and think you might enjoy a crack at Full Spectrum Warrior, it’s easily reccomended that you do so.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
|
+ Visceral action + Camera really gets you into the action + Sound |
7.0 |
| What Doesn't | |
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- Short campaign, upon completion leaves little to do - Training reveals all there is to the game |
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| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| Military buffs will enjoy the ride here, but ultimately left a bit hungry for more. | |
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Tags: Full Spectrum Warrior
Posted by David Hinkle on Apr 22nd, 2005 and is filed under PS2 Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
