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A good attempt that falls very short of the mark!

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 10 / 11
Date: October 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Basically, this is a game that wraps multiple types of game play into one package. That is where this game went wrong. Also, some of the "HIGH" ratings were kids or people that reviewed this game based on the DEMO!!! You cannot truly rate a game unless you have played through the whole thing. THAT IS HOW THE GAMING MAGAZINES DO IT!!!

Any designer, manufacturer, builder knows that it is almost impossible to make an effective "ALL-IN-ONE" device because it usually does some things very well and some things fairly well or poorly.

In this game, you play from the 3rd person perspective, more like you hover over your currently active squad. You command your teams of soldiers with mouse clicks and key commands while receiving orders from an off-site commander.

Now this is unique! However, this is what stinks! You feel like your watching the action more than participating. You also have to wrestle with hard to observe terrain, angles, camera views and if you make a mistake, you cannot quickly respond. Ouch! Oh, did I mention that the game has designated save points? Yep! So if you blow it, you must go back to the last save point and start again. This is not horrible, but not pleasant either.

The good parts are that this game really requires you to think, use strategy, be patient, it is unique, there are some excellent tutorials (about 30-40 minutes worth) to help you learn the skills you'll need to get started, and the game brings in outside support like helicopter recon, mortar/artillery support, Armored Bradley vehicles. This game also offers Co-Op play which is a nice addition. I do like the hardcore cursing in this game (M****rF****r is one shining example) because I am an adult and I want adult level, realistic games. Kids don't need to play every game ok? That is what the ESRB ratings system is for. So I say thank you to the developers for doing it! You will not find ammo, health paks, aliens, space stations, rocket cars, jet packs, or secret weapons laying around or on the dead bodies or behind hidden walls. If you run out of ammo, your stuck!

The bad parts are complicated camera angles, buggy response to your commands at times, the game is a bit of a hog on resources, the action is not that exciting, the visuals are not bad but not great, there is a lot of unnecessary HARDCORE cursing(I LOVE it but any parent with a kid under 18 probably will not !!) This game is VERY short too! Just as your skills are starting to get good, the game is over!

Who is this game good for? -
If you like RTS(real time strategy) games but wish you could get more deeply immersed in them...this game will excite you. I doubt this will appeal to 1st person shooter fans that don't like RTS games.

Overall, I appreciate it for it's uniqueness. Yet, I also found it very unsatisfying. Due to the lack of excitement, poor camera angles, slow, clumsy response of your soldiers, mediocre AI for the enemies and buggy action...I cannot recommend this game.

I will make a prediction though - I bet that another company will make a similar game only better or there will be a FSW 2 and the developers will have tweaked it into a lean, mean, shoot'em up game by learning from their mistakes. For the present - I would not bother with this game.

Judge for yourself

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: December 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I don't agree with these other critics. I'm a vietnam vet, and it's realistic enough for me. Who cares if you can't enter buildings, sewers, etc. - that's not the focus. Teamwork and solid tactics: moving from cover to cover, flanking, covering fire and timely use of smoke and grenades is what this game is all about. Don't look for a training sim for the army, it's a GAME. And don't look for another 1st person shooter, this is (finally!) something quite different. I've played all the best new generation war games: MOHAA, Vietcong, COD, Men of Valor, Pacific Assault. I think this definitely ranks with them, dismissed!

US Army Infantry all the way! Hoo-Ah!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 29
Date: November 20, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Ever wanted that game that actually makes you feel like you're in the heat off a battle as a US Army Infantryman? Well this is the game to do it. You take control of different squads of infantryman (Rangers, Airborne, normal Infantry, etc.) as you send them through an urban area. Following the full ways of the United States Army (including Roles Of Engagement, Weapons, and Tactics) you must control the squad through their objective.

Much like the downloadable game "America's Army"[...] this game is made for the Army (or those interested in it.) Though most likely complicated and difficult, this game's graphics and gameplay are amazing. You can take control of the full chalk, a small squad (alpha or bravo) or just a single soldier. But remember if you do this, don't forget about the other team members. They're important to your mission.

A "HOO-AH" must-buy for those interested in the US Military or war games, but not for those who don't mind difficult missions.

the best game for realistic war

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: May 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

this game is a new step for gaming.it makes it so u don't have to worry about who has the fastest reaction time and who can aim the best,its whose the better leader and better tactics.people who rate this so low is because they like to play the same ol type of games,thats it,this game makes it so u can't rambo ur way thru it.i highly recommend this to anyone who wants a realistic war expierence

LAME, Save your money!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: October 13, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Well, I must say that I am extremely disappointed with FSW in many respects. For one, the graphics are not exactly anything to rave about. They are ok, but that's about it. And after all the hype this game received and the advertising it put out, it seems they should have saved some money for the developing. Basically, the actuall gameplay is at a 4 year old level. Click here, move there. THAT'S ALL YOU DO. And I can't stand the cheesey jargon used in the voiceovers. Horrible! I am an infantryman in the US Army, and I can tell you, no one I know talks like this or uses the goofy lingo the throw around in this game. Also,there is NO open ended gameplay, you can only move to certain areas on the map. The enemy AI and the weapons physics are ridiculous. You can have your team fire at an enemy out in the open and he wont move, wont throw a frag, wont call in support etc. If you want a REAL war simulation, buy Operation Flashpoint. It's dated, but still THE best squad/fps/command game ever made. After all the patches and upgrades and addons and it's truly open ended gameplay, OFP will probably be the only game that will permanently stay on my hard drive. FSW, nice try, no cigar.

Good mechanics, Bad Implementation

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: July 18, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I'm a little upset after attempting to play for the last few weeks. The problems with this game are not in how the core mechanics of the game work or the design of the levels or the abstract representations of cover. The problem lies fully with two very specific decisions: use of save points and the no friendly casulatie ROE.

I'm sorry it doesn't take but a glance into the history of the past 3000 years of war to understand that while tragic, people die in war. So telling me or any other squad leader to in effect capture a city while taking no losses is in a word ludicrous.

Add onto to this the "sitrep" points that force you to replay large chunks of the levels over and over until you remember every enemy location and scriped event until you finally get to the next one andyou have a disaster waiting to happen.

The final piece that pushes the game over the edge is the total lack of response your squads have. Case in point, there is no cover from where you are to the cornder of the building you want to move out to. You set one squad to cover your six(alpha) and tell the other(bravo) to move up. Bravo is about two feet from the corner when a target runs around. Does bravo engage? dive for cover? nope. They keep running right past him. Ok maybe thats an isolated issue one that doesn't come up much. Next case: Alpha is give a bounding move order with a fire sector to suppress a known enemy position. In the process of the move order, the enemy moves out of the cone an advances toward alpha. Alpha does not redirect fire on the target. The target then walks withing two feet of the forward elemts of alpha, who are now blindly watching the empty position, and proceeds to mow alpha down.

If taken individually these design decisions would simply be annoying, but when you add them together you have a recipe for disaster. Unless you enjoy venting at your squads stupidity and replaying 1/3 of a level for the nth time pass on this one.

Graphic: adequate,
Sound: great, but a little heavy on the language, an option would be nice.
Gameplay: 5 (for the core mechanics)
Design: 1 (failure to make product accessible)
Overall: 1 (More like some rough in the diamond)

Great on tactics, no fun on gameplay

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: November 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Well, the game graphics are great, the sound and the tactics are pretty good, and fairly accurate as far as MOUT squad tactics goes.
However, a squad has three fire teams not two, and don't forget about the other 2 squads in your platoon that are close by. What about calling in artillery, or an airstrike? Some fighting is done a night also.

I agree, no building searches, booby traps, sewers. The fact that the enemy is pretty dumb and stands behind cars, is unrealistic. Never mind that he is only one guy, he still doesn't go down. It is very frustrating, sometimes I feel like If I had control of the fireteam leader by being a first person shooter, enagements would not last as long with a well aimed shot to the enemy's grape.

As far as it being too American..the game is about Americans so what do you expect. Being a combat vet myself, when rounds are coming down range you are cursing at them, then cheering when a target goes down, then you move on.

Overall, the game is OK, however the lack of personal control of the charecters makes me want to slap them around and not play. A great game, but it could have more 1st person shooter involvemnt, more cooperation with other squads / platoons/ companies, better vehicle cooperation, booby traps, ambushes, heavy weapons, airstrikes..etc....

Original and beautiful, but could have been much better

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: October 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I haven't yet finished this game, but what I have seen is nothing short of stunning. That's too bad, because with a little more work this game could have been one of the greatest ever made.

Don't be fooled into thinking this game is a first person shooter with some aspects of tactical control. It's something much different. In FSW, you are an unseen squad leader, moving your two teams through a bombed-out, rubble-strewn, third-world hellhole liberally populated with AK-47 wielding fanatics. You cannot directly control any particular soldier in your squad. Instead, you give them commands, either as a team or individually. The game is essentially an exercise in observing an area for threats, moving one team into an overwatch position, bounding your other team forwards, observing for threats, etc.

Each team has a team leader with an M-4 carbine, an automatic rifleman with a M-249 SAW light machinegun, a grenadier with an M-16A2 rifle with an M-203 grenade launcher, and a rifleman with another M-4. Each squad also has fragmentation and smoke grenades at their disposal. At some points in the game you will have access to artillery fires and helicopter recon. If more than one of your men goes down the mission is a failure and you must restart from your last save point.

Enemy AI appears at first glance to be pretty poor, but this isn't always the case. Enemies are generally poor shots at longer ranges, but are deadly in close quarters. Usually, the best option is to use one team to engage the enemy from behind cover, while you flank around a building with the other. This will work about 85% of the time, but the enemy will sometimes trick you into moving into an ambush with your flanking team. The enemy will generally try to find cover and return fire on your troops. If they see one of their comrades go down, or are under fire from two different positions, the enemy tends to panic and rout, making them easy pickings. You often don't have to enagage an enemy, and it's rarely worth the effort unless you absolutely have to. It's often possible to bypass an enemy, or force him behind cover with suppressive fire and then break contact. The enemy also seems to have unlimited ammo, which is unfortunate becase they tend to simply blaze away at your troops, even when they're under cover. The enemy will not, however, shoot at your men if they can't see them. If you run into problems, you can usually break contact by throwing a smoke grenade between your men and the enemy. The notion of firing through the smoke never appears to have occurred to them.

Friendly AI is reasonably good. Your soldiers each have their own distinct voices and personality, ruunning the gamut from good-natured but stern leader, to cold-hearted killer, to irritating teenage soldier. Each soldier has subtle differences in his uniform, including using non-issue body armor or uniforms that are inapproprate for a desert/urban setting. Some of your noncommissioned officers even have combat patches (unit patches worn on the right shoulder). The junior elisted have a proclivity for whining and cussing, and the noncommissioned officers spend a great deal of time telling their charges to shut up and clean up their language. If your troops unexpectedly come under fire, it's not unusual for the entire team to start shouting obscenities!

For the greatest army ever fielded, though, your troops are pretty poor shots. Most kills happen only after you've flanked an enemy and he abandons his position. Also, if you're under fire and unsure of what to do, pressing the spacebar will cause your troops to hide behind the nearest available cover. Unfortunately, your troops have a nasty habit of hiding behind couches, wooden crates and other objects that tend to disintegrate quickly when exposed to liberal amounts of 7.62x39mm Soviet ammo. That, or your men will sometimes drop to the prone position in the middle of the steet, which tends to get them killed very quickly.

The graphics are nothing short of stunning, and the game does a great job of making each and every location unique. The level of detail, from advertisements on walls to rusted rebar sticking out of rubble, is like nothing I've ever seen before. It's really easy to lose focus on what you're doing by sightseeing.

You can only save as designated save points, usually immediately after completing an objective. This isn't as irritating as it might sound, though. The game has a replay function, which allows you to jump back into the action at any point. If half of Bavo Team just got cut down by a machine gunner, you can watch the replay, including of where the enemy is, come up with a better plan, rewind the replay to the point immediately before you entered his field of fire and try again. It's a great tool that allows you to observe your mistakes, and learn how to play better.

Unfortunately, the game is somewhat lacking. The enemy AI is entirely scripted. They generally stand around waiting for you to make contact, and are never aggressive. This game could have been much more interesting if you had to constantly watch your six for irregulars stalking you, or if you had to suddenly take fire as a squad of the enemy tries to overrun your own squad. Alas, I have yet to run accross any situation of this nature.

Additionally, there game tends to be fairly linear. While you can bypass many enemies on the way to your objective, there is typically only one way to actually assault the stupid thing. Many enemies are smart enough to position themselves on likely avenues of approach, and there is typically just one way to flank them. Since they're also scripted, the replay value tends to be low. Once you've beaten a mission, there's really no reason go back and try it again.

Movements are also limited. Your troops generally sprint from cover to cover, though they sometimes walk. I often found myself wishing I could have them low-crawl behind cover or kick in doors so that I could take cover in a building. Also, you men all appear to have medical waivers for their knees, because they refuse to climb or jump. I can't count the number of times I fought my way down an alley, only to be stymied by...a five foot wall! In the real world, a soldier would climb over the stupid thing and carry on with his mission. In this game, you have to turn around and find another way.

To conclude, this game is nothing short of revolutionary, but it could have been better. Some games, like Half-Life, define a genre. Others, like Doom, create them. This game is the latter. For all it's beauty and originality, it's still a rough-cut, a work in progress. Hopefully, expansion packs or sequels will address the problems with AI and scripting. But if you're in the mood for something different, then you could do a lot worse than Full Spectrum Warrior.

I'd give this game a 3.5/5 rating, but since Amazon doesn't work that way, I'll round it up to a 4/5. It's really, really good...but not great.

This game isn't what you think

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 15, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game is not what you think it is. I thought this game would be like Socom but sadly...its not. Its more of a strategy click and drag, you sit back and watch all the action type of game. So many control issues and it has a slight learning curve you need to adapt to but by then your dead. Graphics are ok.

Yeeeeeee-Haaaaaaa <Gulp>

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 6
Date: October 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Well, where to begin......

I`ve been waiting a while for this title to come out. I`d seen it running on the console and was hoping that it would be at least as good.

Graphics
I must say that for the most part the graphics and effects are outstanding. The squad members look good and the terrain is well done. They`ve done a good job with combining an atmospheric setting with appropriate music to give the game a great feel. There are some lovely effects when one of your team gets injured and the action slows down to see blood spilling from an entry wound as he gets blown off his feet. Sometimes you even get a blood splash as if onto the screen to make you feel even more involved. Now and again something strange will happen such as one of your men being hit in the leg by small-arms fire and flipping 30ft (I`m not exaggerating) into the air! Generally though it`s all well done. The many cut scenes are exceptional.

Gameplay
Well thought out and put together. The AI for your squads and the bots are pretty much spot on. It does have a console feel about the game which is a shame in my book as on occasion it can make things look a bit too `arcadey`. The missions do differ a fair bit, although you get the distinct feeling of being led around by the hand. Basically you just follow the waypoint markers with little choice in doing anything else. This can be quite a downer as having more freedom to choose the routes you took etc would add to the replayability aspect of the game.

Audio
As previously mentioned the sound is good. The music is fitting and the sound effects are well done. There`s a fair amount of chatter between your squad members which will let you know how they`re feeling about the present situation. There`s A LOT of swearing so parents be warned.

The Downside
Personally the only things that really made me cringe was the seriously over zealous pro-USA feel to the game. I just couldn`t help but laugh when one of my squad piped up something along the lines of `Who do they think they are messin with... we`re the USA!` This is where all sense of realism leaves the game (Or maybe US troops really talk like that!). There are many entries in the game manual commenting how you`ll be operating with the best trained soldiers in the World and how `US soldiers don`t become rattled under fire` The manual is worth reading purely on the hilarity of such comments.

Overall
A great game. The terrible BS given in the manual and gung-ho comments made in game don`t really spoil things. I`m sure the American audience laps it up and probably believes it, but the rest of the World knows better 8-)

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