Full Spectrum Warrior Reveals Army Mode, Contrasting Reviews 17
Thanks to EvilAvatar for pointing to a gallery of screenshots from the hidden 'Army Mode' of newly-released Xbox strategy game Full Spectrum Warrior. Originally discovered using a modified Xbox, GameFAQs lists a universally-usable code to "unlock the original [U.S. Army-funded] training version [of FSW], with more enemies, civilians, open areas, levels, and [greater] difficulty", as previously mentioned on Slashdot Games. However, critical response to the title, while generally good, has wavered a little, with the GameSpot review arguing that the game "boasts a great presentation and a unique design. However, the gameplay itself just doesn't stack up quite as well", but an alternate take at IGN suggesting that "there is room for improvement, but the game is still top-notch at every level of development and execution."
Swedish Army? (Score:2)
It really sounds like it's a reference to something...
Oh... and.... (Score:1, Funny)
** Does a little 'first post' dance **
woo!
\o/
Re:Swedish Army? (Score:5, Funny)
*gurglr**gurgle**hacking cough*
"dude.... we need a cheat code for realistic damage...."
*gurgle*gurgle*cough*cough*
An hour and a few pizzas later:
"dude.... sweeeeeeeeeeeeeedish army!"
"YEAH!"
Re:Swedish Army? (Score:2)
Re:Swedish Army? (Score:1)
The Swedish Chef! (Score:1)
Here's the unlock code (Score:5, Funny)
Unfortunately, the unlock code is:After a few unlocked games, you find yourself playing is a remarkably realistic and very sandy simulator.
Re:Here's the unlock code (Score:2)
Re:Here's the unlock code (Score:1)
Reviews (Score:2)
After looking at the other reviews for Full Spectrum Warrior, IGN is about the same as the others. GamePro gave it 5 of 5, Gamespy 4 of 5 (only the best of the best get 5 of 5 at Gamespy.) The game looks interesting.. I'm a huge fan of Ghost Recon, hope this comes to the PC.
Re:Reviews (Score:5, Interesting)
Keep in mind that this game is only similar to Ghost Recon and other such games (SOCOM, the Rainbow 6 games, etc) in that it deals with squad-based tactical combat. In all other respects, it's completely different. It's not a first-person shooter, nor even a third-person shooter. In fact, you never actually pull the trigger on a gun yourself (excepting grenades, but even that is still just giving orders to your soldiers but that you can pick exactly where you want the grenades to go). It has a lot more in common with a real-time strategy game than Ghost Recon. Take a RTS like C&C:G, remove the need to manage resources and the ability to create new units and perform upgrades, put the viewpoint at a battlefield-level third-person view, and constrain your movement options to only what your soldiers can see, and you're getting close to what FSW is like.
Personally, I love the game. I've been playing it since Wednesday. The retail game is very Hollywood, and fairly easy on lower difficulty levels (I've yet to try Authentic difficulty). Gamespot's review was correct when they complain about cover being all or nothing, though the seem to have neglected the destructable cover (cars, wooden carts, crates, etc that provide cover but can be destroyed out from in front of you). It seems that this was a concession made for playability in the retail version. It does lead to some Naked Gun-esque firefights where you can be only a few feet away from a bad guy and they can't hit your nor you them because the cover is too strong, but it also prevents you from "cheap" kills where you think you're in cover but not. The army version "fixes" this. Cover is only as good as what it's made from. You still have perfect cover if you're hiding behind a stone wall, or around a corner, but if you put your back up against a wooden fence you can expect to take a few rounds in your soldiers. The army mode also lets the AI move around a lot more, so that they're not always in the same place on every mission. The retail version seems to always have the enemies in the same place initially, but they do have freedom to run to new cover, or get scared and run away (happens, but rarely).
In short, the game rocks, but you'll be disappointed if you go into it expecting a Ghost Recon copy. Gamespot's review is really an anomaly in my opinion, and GameRanking's [gamerankings.com] review aggregation seems to validate this. Supposedly it will make its way to the PC, but if you're into military simulation games this one is definitely worth buying an XBox. It controls perfectly with the gamepad (I would expect it to be worse with a mouse, in all honesty), and DD5.1 is required to play this game properly (audio situational awareness is key).
Re:Reviews (Score:2)