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Awesome

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: July 13, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is the best strategy game I have ever played and it has realistic people in it with real battles. The soldiers are down to earth and are aware of their surroundings and they don't do stupid things that you tell them to do like shoot their own teammates. The blood and gore in it is realistic and it is very awesome.

MOUT Simulation - a tactical view

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: June 12, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I liked it. This game is reminescent of Ghost Recon (2-team 3rd person) except that you yourself cannot aim and shoot. Instead you command others with a nice, quick and simple command interface.
I think one could better appreciate this game if one remembers that it was developed as an Army MOUT training simulation. In this game, as in real Army training, if you utilize the taught lessons dutifully, then you are positively rewarded with (almost always hitchless) success. If you fail to follow doctrine and err by not making covered moves or over extending, then you are jarringly "conditioned" with a graphic, slow-motion death scene with rag-doll physics engines, followed by a critique of what you did wrong and how you might correct it. As a training tool, as an interesting cinematic-type experience (ala "Black Hawk Down"), and as a replayable game, I think Full Spectrum Warrior is very effective and enjoyable. If you have an interest in the basic tactics of this type of combat in a maze of city streets, then you will find it worth buying. Be warned, it is somewhat short for an Xbox game and once you learn the "lessons" it is somewhat easy (I don't think the Army wanted to dishearten training soldiers with impossible missions).
Some comments on the tactics and gameplay:
1) the Opfor AI is not sharp as I think they tend to ignore obvious threats and are not themselves very aggressive.
2) a frustrating lack of range in calling in Airstrikes and Indirect Fire - inexplicably, you must almost be within spitting range of a target to 'designate' it, rather than LOS.
3) somewhat sparse load out - I know they intended to emphasize tactics to solve problems rather than firepower, but a M203 grenadier that carries only 3 rounds?? No AT weps. No Claymores. No optics. No ability to pickup enemy equipment.
4) essentially lacking any "interior" action and CQB even when it would be tactically logical to enter a building for cover or to get advantageous high ground. In fact, there is no provision for getting creative, outside the straightforward tactics of the game(like decoying, moving cover objects, vehicles/hvy weps, causing debris to fall, causing secondary explosions, etc)
5) perhaps MOUT doctrine has changed since I was trained, but I felt the troops were often deployed too close (a "C.F."), the choices for cover were poor sometimes (due to penetrability of objects), unwisely shooting over/cornering too close to cover (due to ricochets), and the squad was smaller than standard.
6) lack of reflexive fire in a sudden encounter (Opfor either shoots you first or runs away to cover).

Great Attempt at a New Idea

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: January 06, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Full Spectrum Warrior is not a third person shooter, it is a third person real time strategy game in which you command two squads of four men. FSW takes you to Zekistan to put down a dictatorship regime, but not before a needed training session. The game has a very unique scheme for control but the training definitly helps you feel more at home.

The squads are controlled through a reticle that you move with the analog stick, whether it be for movement, fire zones, or grenades using a point and click system. Everything happens in real time though so you have to think on your feet. The premise of the game is to out think, not out gun your opponents. By using the two squads you attempt to flank the enemy at a minimal loss to your own men.

FSW is a welcome change in the Xbox lineup. It incorporates the better things from other genres and genuine tacticul feel to create place for itself as one of the better games out this year. If you want a change of pace from the normal FPS or strategy check it out.

The most realistic yet!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: June 04, 2004
Author: Amazon User

First let me say this is NOT a first person shooter, the camera is placed in a third person view directly over whichever team you happen to be controlling at the time. If you can get past that, you're in for a good time.

With that said, I'll say this is the most tactically solid war game I've yet to play. Use buildings, couches, rubble, bushes, cars, everything in the environmet as cover to safely lay down fire with one team and sneak up on the target with the other and eliminate the threat. Don't get too close though, they'll realize you're there and adjust their fire accordingly. Can't flank the target? Lay down suppresing fire and use the other team to launch an M203 grenade right on top of him. Don't suppress too often though, you've only got a limited supply of ammo until you can get re-supplied. Got a wounded soldier? Can't leave him behind, tell your team to administer first aid and one soldier will pick him up, leaving you two weapons short of a full fire team in addition to slowing you down until you can get to an aid station.

Use your mind and not your trigger finger to do well on this game although there is definately no shortage of action. Just enough pauses to let you consult your GPS and draw up a plan of action on your next objective.

Graphics and sound are both great, as is the AI on both your soldiers and the enemy. Your team will seek cover if they should come under fire as will the enemy (unless you are in the middle of an open field, but you're smart enough not to do that...right?).

The only complaints I have (and they're not that bad, actually) is (1) no head to head multiplayer, I think they could have used the training environment with the "Laser-Tag" gear to pit squad vs. squad capture the flag style tournaments online. (2) It's difficult to keep an eye on one fire team while controlling the other, but you can learn how to keep them safe while you're away. (3) the squad (two four man fire teams) is comprised of your textbook, cliche squad-members; the hard-core Sgt who is your basic bad-a@#, the kid who has more fun playing soldier than doing anything else, the kid from the "hood" who likes to run his mouth, the kid who joined just to piss of his parents, etc. Not only have I seen these in every military movie made but I've been in the military for almost 7 years and I've seen all eight of these same personallities in every unit, platoon and squad I've been in as well (three separate units with countless separate squads and fire teams in each). And finally (4) the M203 is technically NOT a direct fire weapon like the game says. True, it IS mounted to an M16 or in this case the M4 and there are sights mounted to said weapons designed for the grenade launcher, but you still need to launch it with an arc otherwise it will not go very far. The way you see it fire in the game, it's a very flat trajectory like an RPG and that is not how it's actually fired.

I actually give this game 4 1/2 to 4 3/4 stars and I'd recommend this to any war game fan as long as the individual realizes it's not a first-person shooter. If you can get past that one fact, you should be extremely happy with it. Only time will tell on the replay value though.

Amazing, Innovative, and Fun = Full Spectrum Warrior

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: June 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I will start by saying that this game has been in development for a while. The games idea and story were written in 2000. This was before 9/11 and the War in Iraq. The games actually development start was months before we sent troops in to Iraq.

So no, THQ did not cash in on modern day affairs. What they did do is create a simply outstanding game.

This is not a first person shooter. In fact, you never pull the trigger in this game. Think of FSW as a real time strategy game. While I wont expatiate on the plot and storyline, you will be in control of two squads, Alpha and Bravo, each consisting of 5 men with their own abilities ( i.e. sniper, riflemen, etc). You control these two groups and can instruct them on where to stand, aim, what to shoot, formations, where to go, etc.

The real fun is on Xbox Live, where one person will control the Alpha squad, the other the Bravo squad. Its very fun communicating and coordinating with people you have never met before.

I think by now people will know whether this game is for them. This game is innovative, you wont find anything else like it. A game (or simulation, rather) like FSW is actually used to train soldeirs on urban combat. OF COURSE, the game was altered a great deal to appeal to consumers like you an me, so therefore confusing tactics were left out, graphics were updated, etc.

If you want something different, where you may actually have to think and plot attacks, then FSW will not dissapoint.

Awsome!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: June 14, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Ok I was gonna give game 5 stars but only 4 because of various reasons. Now, this game ownz....it is the best game I have played in a long time, this game is breathtaking, you get a feel like you are one of the proud elite forces of the US, fighting along side comrades and carrying out objectives. I feel like I am righ tthere with my squad, watching over them like a guardian angel. I am wanting to become a US special Forces officer as my career, so this game really helped me understand what they do nd what tactics they use for certain situations. Now for the games flaws. Poor reflexes. If a guy walks around the corner and shoots my pointman in the head, and he falls down in a slow motion in a long groan, then my SAW gunner and the Opfor operative start exchanging fire....IT DOES NOT TAKE 7 SECONDS TO KILL A TARGET! In real life and even in a game that was poor, the AI would instantly start shooting them and kill them if they were like 10 feet in front of them. Now as for that, there is no way a crate of wood can block a 7.62 round from a SAW....there is no chance heck that the guy behind that crate is gonn alive for more than 3 seconds. The game also has a flaw of movement. In a real battle situaton, an operative will not trot accross the street while Bravo team is suppressing fire with an intrenched enemy. Thy wont be going over to the next baracade like they are oming from a square dance...they would be sprinting accross trying to get the heck out of the way of those bullets wizzing by their heads in fear of having em knocked off. Now, as for the shooting and accuracy asspects...this game rather annoys me here. The enemy is standing streight up in his bunker, and my squad is suppressing fire and they cant hit him and he shots a few shots at my squad then ducks back down....what this game is about is not to teach how to kill, is is ALL about tactics, you can only kill your target if you move around em or get right on em and gernade em. This game teaches real soldiers tactics, and in real life you can beat firepower with tactics. Tactics is what wins wars and firefights so this game is a tactical TRAINING game. So in that state of mind, this game is the greatest. I want to play online very soon, it will be very fun. Another thing, what part of the infantry do we command? Not the marines....not the Rangers, not Delta or Green berets....who r we commanding? This game is more of a treaining tool...BUT, I heard when the Rangers roped in in mission number 3 I believe, they roped onto a building and cleared it and one of my men said "Wow check it out! Rangers!" and I was like WA!? Arent I commanding rangers?

As for the way the AI speak to the commanding officers, in real life, I do not know what they say, for I have never been in real combat or have asked anyone about it who has been in the military, but I know that some younger soldier will being smart to their officers as a friendly "cool/hot-shot" joke. But it makes me feel a bit dishearted that they would speak to an office like that. One thing they did not cover in basic training that saved my squads life in an open ground firefight, was the "Leapfrong" maneuver. I learned this from Socom navy SEALs bonus video. I had one team pull back to some cars, suppress, while the other team oved back to their spot, then they suppressed and the team leapfronged their way to safety accross a open ground filled with bullets in the air. tactics save lives.....not only guns. But your mind will kill your enemy, it will save you and get the job done. Thats what the military is looking for. People who can think and articulate.

In conclution, this game is very good for what it is used for, fun, and tactics training, not for shooting people or being realistic for what most gamers want. This is game is to make you use tactics to defeat enemies, not make it as simply as shooting a target 30 yardss away, you gotta throw smoke, suppress, flank, and use techniques. I love this game.

Amazing Strategy and Tactics for the Mature Gamer

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: June 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Full Spectrum Warrior is an amazing squad-based strategy game that was developed by the military. It focusses on two squads protecting each other and taking out the enemy.

First off, this is a MATURE title. It is about violence and real-life soldier situations. While it is not a first person shooter - you aren't actually pulling the trigger - you are ordering soldiers into difficult situations. There is also heavy swearing in some situations.

For adult gamers, though, this is an AMAZING game. Each team has members with different personalities. The clothing, movementse and weaponry are all quite accurate. Probably the only real complaint is that the grenade from the M203 seems to have a little rocket in its tail given how it moves :) This was certainly a game the military had some feedback in.

The graphics are stellar, as you might expect on the XBox or PC. There are birds flying around and landing. Trees have leaves, buildings have porches. The sky has clouds and the grass has spots of dirt or moss. You really feel like you're moving through a real city and down real streets.

The audio is also very well done. You hear the boots running over concrete and dirt. The 'tutorial voice' sounds like it's coming in over a radio. The various soldiers have unique voices and attitudes. The weaponry all give accurate sounds as well.

The squad movements are extremely well done, with the soldiers acting like REAL well-trained soldiers. You don't have to tell them how to take cover or shoot - you move them from location to location and they take cover appropriately. It's very easy to get the hang of movements and actions - and a great mental challenge to strategize the best solution to a given mission.

You can do coop in XBox Live, but there's no way to do head to head. The point being that you are playing the Army here against terrorists - and the game doesn't give you the ability to be a terrorist. While that might annoy some people, it really is in keeping with the mission of the game. The game is about training soldiers who are street wise, but who understand how to safely move through an area, only taking out the "bad guys". There are even restrictions about not firing in religious areas and not leaving behind guns for innocent civilians to hurt themselves with. If the game let you "be" the terrorists and shoot the soldiers, it would send quite the wrong message.

Highly recommended for any military / strategy lover - but definitely a game for the mature gamers.

Play by the numbers

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: June 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game has a lot going for it: good graphics, good sound, and an innovative idea. You command a squad of foot soldiers: ordering them to move and take cover, or to lay down supressive fire.

But after a while, the game gets very repetitive. Before long, it seems like you're doing the same thing over and over: move a squad to cover, have them lay down suppressive fire while the other squad moves, then throw a smoke or frag grenade.

The enemy AI is pretty shoddy - oftentimes they don't realize when they're being flanked. Enemy units take up defensive positions and never press your position.

There's only one plane of play. In other words, you can't move upstairs and fire down on enemies (although they may be positioned above you).

Finally, the multiplayer is pretty weak. On x-box live you can play co-operative through the levels that are avalible on the single player mode (one person command one squad while the other commands the other squad). And if you don't have x-box live there is no multiplayer.

This game is probably worth a rent. It's pretty quick to beat, (there's only 12 levels). But once the game is over, you'll probably have no reason to pick it up again.

Neat game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: August 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I've been playing for a little while without finishing it, but I can say that it is a good game. The sound is pretty good, but the graphics are lacking somewhat. I just cannot get used to not being able to fire a weapon....the ghost recons and rainbow games are better. This is a little more like an army chess game. Your soldiers seem like they have very slow reactions and weapons that would go through cars etc easily somehow don't on this game. It is frustrating in parts, but would it be as good or challenging if it wasn't? My recomendation would be to let the price come down a little before buying and get it for under $30.00....its worth that.

A great newly developed creation for xbox

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: September 01, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I hesitated buying this game at first because of all the mixed-reviews which were written about it. I wasn't sure which side I should lean towards. The positive or the negative. I went ahead and rented the game. When you first start playing you have to go through a training mode which is required for you to complete in order to acceed onto missions. The training can be boring, but trust me, it helps a lot to learn the controlls instead of just jumping right into action.

The gameplay is really fun. You will have a great time with this game. Strategy is involved and using it is the only way you will be victorious. Since you are in control of two teams, you can plan out many strategic plans. Such as have your Alpha team fire at the enemy and distract him while your Bravo team moves in from the sides to flank the enemy while he is not looking in that direction. It looks really cool when you are having battles between one another. It looks so real and feels so intense. You keep your eyes glued to the television as if your actually there in reality.

Gamers are saying that this game can be repetitive and monotonous because of the same sort of objectives throughout the game. Mainly the objectives are to just killing enemies. You'll find yourself fighting enemies almost through the whole game. But HEY that's war! It deffinetely is a very fun repetitivness, because there are lots of different ways you have to strategize in order to flank your enemy. You may have to look at your GPS (your computer map of the whole landscape) and see if there is a alternate route you can take and come from behind the enemy. There are lots of different things you could do.

The graphics are really good. That is the strongest, and most talked about point of the game. You can tell they wanted this to look as realistic as possible along with the realistic gameplay it has.

The sound is really good. The music goes really well with the Middle-Eastern war theme of the game.

Overall this is a very fun game, and I think almost everyone will like this game. Even though it is not a first person shooter game, there are so many other commands you can tell your troops to do towards your enemies. It gives it more style and actually takes more skill to it then regular first person shooter games. Rent first I suggest just to make sure you will enjoy it for the cost of 50 dollars.

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