Just as anti-video game crusaders begin to cool down from their Manhunt 2 protests, in comes Soldier of Fortune: Payback, Activision's bloody first person shooter that showcases hefty amounts of gore. Although it offers a decent blasting experience, its over the top violence doesn't hide the monotonous story, brain dead artificial intelligence and lame objectives, making it more of a perverse novelty than quality experience.

Payback's biggest draw is the ability to blow off enemy heads and limbs, reducing scumbag terrorists to bloody torsos. Sniping someone in the head causes his melon to explode, while hitting him in the kneecap sends his leg flying. And if you really feel evil, a grenade does especially nasty damage, reducing a group of bad guys to piles of body parts. It's quite comical, and the only reason to play this game.

It begins with the unimaginative story, a tale about mercenary Thomas Mason (that'd be you) and the various terrorist organizations he must destroy. What ensues is a boring narrative full of lame one liners ("Don't call me boss lady") and stereotypical enemies. It's not as engrossing as Call of Duty 4's single player campaign, and you won't feel a connection to any of the characters.

You'll also grow tired of the linear mission objectives. Everything involves moving from point A to point B, arming explosives, killing people and repeating the process. And for whatever reason, the developers trick you with bizarre level designs, alleyways and staircases that lead nowhere.

Then there's a retarded artificial intelligence. It knows how to shoot (actually, its near perfect accuracy annoys us), but it also runs into walls and will actually run past you, kneel and then open fire, instead of just attacking immediately. Furthermore, we encountered glitches where we couldn't shoot them from afar due to some invisible wall, yet they were in plain sight and could hit us with little effort.

On the other hand, the game features a well stocked armory, with various automatic rifles, pistols, shotguns and sniper rifles to choose from. And while the gameplay never changes, the environments do, and you'll explore the Middle East, Asian jungles and other attractive locations. In addition, there's a solid multiplayer campaign in which you can murder your friends and enemies in such modes as death match, team death match and capture the flag, among others. You'll want to nose around for a little while, but it won't replace Call of Duty 4.

That's really what it comes down to. Soldier of Fortune: Payback is a weak man's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Amusing, since Activision publishes both games, and chose to release SOF two weeks after Infinity Ward's opus. That alone makes this game difficult to buy, especially since it costs $59.99 and feels like a budget title. If you must experience the gore, give Soldier of Fortune a rent, as it offers a few hours of amusement.