Players assume the role of John Mullins (also the name of the game's real-life mercenary consultant), a soldier for hire who accepts the most dangerous missions the U.S. government offers, including recovering stolen nuclear warheads and infiltrating war-torn Kosovo. Hawk, a burly sidekick voiced by The Green Mile Oscar nominee Michael Clarke Duncan, accompanies Mullins primarily in scripted sequences that advance the grisly story. Solder of Fortune's single-player story line exceeds genre standards and rivals Valve's classic Half-Life for depth and excitement.

A first-person shooter wouldn't be complete without explosive weaponry--Soldier of Fortune certainly doesn't disappoint. The arsenal includes a knife, several pistols, a shotgun, a variety of machine guns, a rocket launcher, flamethrower, sniper rifle, grenades, and a futuristic microwave gun. Unlike most action shooters, players select new weapons before each mission--and you're restricted in how much armament John carries. For instance, you must make tough decisions between the larger weapons. Should you take the submachine gun for close-quarter combat or grab the sniper rifle for a stealthier strategy? Weapons also do much more damage than in typical first-person shooters. If you're unarmored, a single shotgun blast could end your game. These elements give Soldier of Fortune an intensity not often seen in the genre.

Soldier of Fortune uses a heavily modified version of id Software's Quake 2 3-D engine, and the results are impressively realistic--perhaps even too realistic. Shoot an enemy in the foot with the pistol, and he'll clutch the wound and favor his good leg. Shoot him in the knee with the shotgun, and the limb will be explosively severed in a spray of gristle. If you're the type of person who thinks most action movies are fakey, you'll appreciate the accurate look, sound, and effect of Soldier of Fortune's real-world weaponry. But if you're the type of person who closed your eyes during the beach scene in Saving Private Ryan, you'll want to turn on the password-protected violence lockout option or buy Soldier of Fortune Tactical, which has the lock permanently active. --Doug Radcliffe

Pros:

• Heavily modified and very crisp Quake 2 graphics engine depicts the carnage with frightening realism
• Varied multiplayer modes provide frenetic online excitement with smooth action on a standard modem connection
• Over two dozen missions with multiple objectives and diverse locations, such as on a speeding train and at Kosovo
• Some of the best weapons and weapon sound effects ever used in a first-person shooter
• Ability to lock out the realistic gore

• In-your-face violence could disturb even the most hard-core shooter fans
• Limited enemy artificial intelligence