The latest Full Spectrum Warrior delivers at least even out of ten hammers. That's not too shabby.
by Robert Workman on Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Walk into a game such as Full Spectrum Warrior expecting full-on control over your squad and the ability to kick virtual ass across the land of Zekistan and you're bound to be in for a disappointment. That's because Warrior doesn't really come across as a full-blown action title like most military shooters out there, but rather a tactiful affair where you command your group of soldiers into crucial positions to take down enemies and complete a series of missions. That won't be to everyone's tastes, but the first game still maintained enough of an audience to warrant a sequel. The question is, would Ten Hammers push any further in its boundaries?
Um, no, not really. While the game does offer twelve new missions scattered across Zekistan and gives you a number of decent options in terms of keeping people alive under your command, it still feels a bit too much like the first game. Worse yet, it suffers from some crucial AI thinking that's a bit absurd. And for a game that had the assistance of the US Army (at one point, anyway), that's a bit outlandish. "Be all you can be, even if our weapons aren't." Doesn't sound right, does it?
So, as I stated, the action is mostly made up of commands, where you direct your squad of soldiers to a number of positions to engage them in battle. Real-time controls are implemented in terms of being able to hop into any one of the soldiers to get a better view, but that's mostly about it. Precision Fire has been added, but it's made up of just being in the right place at the wrong time. This may frustrate a few of you, but the gameplay system isn't really that bad, and gives you an idea of strategic offense and defense, something most military action titles just don't do.
Ten Hammers also has a slight edge over the original game with the addition of multiplayer. Eight players can hop into battles, either in two player co-op team-ups or full-out battles between American and insurgent teams, and it's interesting to see what tactics come into play. Offline, two players can go at it or team up to see how well their plotting does for each other. Some works better than others, though.
GameDaily


