Reviewing a game like this is difficult. On the one hand, the potential for having a truly fun and unique game experience is all there - looks, play, physics, story. On the other, the game is so bad from a technical standpoint that one has to wonder exactly who OK'd it for release, and begs the question - how does that person still have a job in this industry?

Bet on Soldier is a shooter set in a war ravaged world. After watching the intro movie, a serious feeling of deja vu swept over us. As it turns out, it feels familiar for a few reasons. The story is one part Stephen King's The Running Man, a fantastic novella (as opposed to the horrid Schwarzenegger movie it was made into) wherein death is played out for the enjoyment of the masses, one part modern gladiator, and one part Iron Storm - a Dreamcatcher game from 2002 that was made by these very same guys. The entire premise works to create a story and world that is really rather intriguing, even if it's a bit difficult to tell what's going on at times.

You play as Nolan Danesworth, a man with amnesia and a mysterious past. You learn from the movie that his wife was killed by three men - two of whom are the world famous Boryenka Brothers, champions in the most televised sport of the day - Bet On Soldier. Danesworth sets out to avenge his wife by entering B.o.S. hoping to face the Brothers, find out why they killed her, and then dispatch them to the next life. Along the way he starts to wonder why he's so good at killing - and if his skill somehow ties into the past he can't remember. All this is set against a post-apocalyptic world where two huge federations are at war. A setting eerily similar to Iron Storm (the developer's previous game) - one we wanted to really like, had tremendous potential, but was marred by technical glitches. Like we said... deja vu all over again.

B.o.S. is based on a money-for-kill system. Damage is localized according to three zones: head, chest and legs. A headshot will earn you more money than a body or leg shot kill. In addition, barrels filled with fuel (radioactive material, acid or hallucinogenic gas) are strewn about every map, and blowing them up to make a kill earns you an additional cash bonus.

So what do you spend all this hard earned blood money on? Weapons, ammunition, armor and game saves - everything, must be purchased. Nothing is free or dropped as power ups. At the beginning of each mission you're given a loadout screen where you can choose from an assortment of weapons and armor. There are approximately 40 different weapons, including knives, grenades, handguns, shotguns, sub-machine guns, sniper rifles and gas launchers (that project fire, acid or hallucinogenic gas). None of these weapons are ground breaking, but each does something uniquely different. Armor is handled the same way, with varying degrees of damage resistance. As with the weapons, the more powerful items are very costly and can't be obtained until you've earned enough. You can also buy a shield, used in combination with handguns, as a poor mans armor. It's an interesting feature that's effective and cost efficient until you can afford to upgrade.