Soldier of Fortune 2: Double Helix Review

Developer	Gratuitous Games
Publisher	Activision
Genre	First-Person Shooter

The Xbox has seen a bevy of first person shooters come along in the last year. And with this flood comes the realization that it is harder than ever to pick one that really is head and shoulders above the rest. Unfortunately, Soldier of Fortune 2: Double Helix doesn't do anything to separate itself from the pack.

In Soldier of Fortune 2: Double Helix you once again step in the shoes of "consultant" John Mullins. International terrorists have developed the deadly Gemini Virus and are ready to unleash it upon the unsuspecting masses. Your goal is to exterminate the terrorist threat with extreme prejudice. Not exactly Oscar caliber material, but we don't play games like these for their gripping storylines. We play them to blast the enemy with all sorts of modern weaponry and watch as they are reduced to steaming mounds of viscera. If you like bucketloads of gore and can look past its glaring flaws, you just might derive some enjoyment. Everyone else should proceed with caution.

Gameplay – SoF 2 contains a whopping 55 missions, each taking place in a variety of locales from Texas to Hong Kong. FPS junkies should normally be excited about the length of the game seeing as how most shooters are over in a flash. But in the case of SoF2, that number could have easily been cut in half. The mission objectives may appear to be diverse, but in reality they are predicated on the age-old FPS formula; move from point A to B and eliminate everything that moves along the way. SoF 2 is a blast-a-thon all the way, don't expect much more than that.

This game won't be winning any awards for its map design except for maybe that of the headache inducing variety. The labyrinthine maps are mind-numbing and counterintuitive. Maze-like corridors, dead ends, and "invisible walls" all contribute to the tedium of trying to figure exactly where to go next. More often than not, you'll wipe out all enemies in the area, then spend twice as much time, or more, trying to find some obscure door, switch, or ladder that ushers the way forward. The problem is compounded by the fact that there is no radar or compass feature to assist you. It often feels as though you're running in circles and this monotony kills any flow the game might have had.

Once you've had your fill of the single player missions, you can extend the experience through the random mission generator. In theory, this is an excellent way to squeeze more life out of the game. In execution, it takes the inadequate gameplay from the single player missions and inexplicably makes it worse. There are four mission types to choose from, but they all play out the same way; get in, eliminate everyone, and get out. Regardless of which environment you choose, the maps end up looking desolate and are rarely populated with more than a handful of enemies. You'll quite often be able to spot enemies on the horizon and pick them before they even come close.

Online play was once considered the panacea that instantly cured any game's flaws. No longer is this the case. After giving Return to Castle Wolfenstein's excellent online multiplayer modes a comprehensive play-through, simple deathmatches over Xbox Live just won't cut it. SoF 2 has all the standard gameplay modes and a variety of maps to choose from but the online play just isn't that compelling. Most of the maps are too large, even with the maximum 12 players. That leads to long stretches where there is nothing to shoot at and, quite frankly, nothing to do. To top it off, online play can lag severely, frustrating even the most patient online gamer. The game does support downloadable content via Live and Activision has a number of maps planned for release. Hopefully, these new maps will help shore up the online experience.

At the very least, the control is responsive. Anyone even remotely familiar with the genre should have no trouble picking up the controls in seconds. Like any respectable FPS, you can tweak the controls at any point in the game to suit your preferences. There is a nice selection of weapons to choose from as well. At the beginning of each mission, you outfit yourself with weapons and explosives of your choosing. The selection process lends a little strategy to the other wise straight up action shooter.

SoF 2 is advertised as "the most realistic covert-ops shooter ever" but lets face it, it has much more in common with Quake than it does Ghost Recon. The run and gun action is supplemented by over-the-top, gratuitous gore which is by far the biggest draw of the game. Because SoF 2 utilizes the GHOUL II engine, you can shoot individual limbs off of enemies, splatter their entrails across walls, or blow their heads clean off. The gameplay may not have much depth, but there is something to be said about mutilating enemy soldiers in graphic and disturbing ways. It truly never gets old.

Graphics – SoF 2 is more or less a direct port of the 2002 PC original. The graphics were nice on the PC, but they didn't exactly push the envelope. It’s a wonder as to why the graphics came out so poor on the Xbox then. If I may be so blunt, the graphics are truly an abomination. The environments are repetitive, uninspired and are covered in a layer of fog not seen since the N64 days. The character models are jagged and the animation looks totally unnatural. Often times, enemies look as though they are ice skating rather than running. Such sloppiness is inexcusable.

Along with the wretched graphics, this game suffers from some severe choppiness. Nothing is more frustrating when you get into the thick of an intense firefight and the framerate drops to near unplayable levels. And when you aren't struggling with the slowdown, you'll be waiting during the ridiculously long load times. Expect loading screens in excess of 20 seconds. Developers take heed; this is the perfect example of how not to port a PC game to the Xbox.

Sound – Every weapon in the game has a nice distinctive sound to it. The voice acting is minimal but the little we do hear is well done and believable. There are a few minor annoyances, such as the pitter-patter of the main character's footsteps. Other than that, the sound in this game can be summed up as nondescript. There is absolutely no music in the game, which is a bit surprising but most players won't notice its absence anyways.

Overall Value - A great many people had high hopes for Soldier of Fortune 2 and a great many people were no doubt disappointed with this sloppy port. The poor graphics and ho-hum gameplay really killed any chance this game had to compete with the fantastic games arriving this summer. Even Xbox Live compatibility couldn't rescue it from the realm of inadequacy. Casual gamers would be wise to stick with proven commodities such as Halo or Unreal Championship. But if you're a hardcore fan of first-person shooters and absolutely can't wait to take part in an anti-terrorist splatterfest, then by all means, give Soldier of Fortune 2 a try.

Review by Erick Kelsen