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overview of the game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 34 / 37
Date: February 25, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Tactical combat games are evolving, and this game allows urban warfare to take a higher step up. Traditionally speaking, it has always been the tactically minded PC gaming crowd that's enjoyed these ultra-realistic types of games, but this game was designed for the xbox. With a beefed up AI system, this game allows more realistic reaction to urban combat (stance, formation, ROE, using cover for protection. This game removes the first person shooter aspect--although you will not shoot directly(pull the trigger) you can give commands as to where to point the gun and shoot or throw a nade', move individual warriors to where you want them. This forces people to use cover more, rewards brains instead of fast trigger fingers, and allows you to connect with your platoon (you even read the letters they write home), soldiers distribute ammo among each other, soldiers work with each other(one will crouch down while another stands when around a corner to maximize covering fire). It even takes other factors like damage to buildings, being sensitive to their culture(enter a mosque, you can't fire your weapon-thus alternative solutions are required), securing the dead-remove their weapons so other can't get the gun-or children, ROE (rules of engagment) This game was designed for the military first, but they made some modifications for the customer version (make it more fun), more storyline(completing the process by adding what many shooters lack, a good story to motivate the player) and it has xbox live! Graphic wise, it looks like eye candy, and I brought the xbox system specifically for this game. Many people will be turned off by the lack of firstpersone shooting, but I believe they made the right choice because too many games are too much of a run-n-gun type--even american's army (although they made it realistic) has too much of a run-n-gun type situation. Sure, gamers don't really care to play an Army simulator that operates with excruciating realism, but full spectrum warrior has a good blend of tactical, squad-based gameplay and hardcore action together. With many games hitting the market promising a realistic combat experience it is nice to see a team actually developing a game with just that. Full Spectrum Warrior promises to be the first in what could be its own genre of games.

A thrilling and fun alternative combat game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 17 / 20
Date: November 15, 2004
Author: Amazon User

So there I was, up to my knees in bullet casings. I'd safely guided my two teams through the perilous streets of Zafarra, capital of the central Asian hotspot of Zekistan. We'd been taking out insurgents while on the trail of terrorist mastermind Mohamed Jabbour Al-Afad.

As we moved down one deserted street, pausing only long enough to eliminate a solitary enemy who opened up on us from an alley, a technical suddenly rolled out of the next intersection, laying down heavy machine gun fire and pinning the eight of us behind a burnt-out kiosk.

I sent Bravo team scurrying back down the alley while Alpha hunkered down amid a hail of .50-caliber bullets. Within a couple minutes, Bravo had emerged one block away to flank the technical. A sniper who was dumb enough to leave himself exposed on a balcony was quickly dispatched with.

Although the technical began firing on Bravo, I ordered Alpha to draw their attention back by firing on the enemy from behind their cover. This allowed Bravo to scamper down the street and duck behind a wrecked car, a position that put the technical within range of the M203 grenade launcher. Bravo's grenadier popped up, aimed, and within seconds a zooming 40 mm frag lit up the technical and turned it into a smoking hulk.

That was just one of the many tense scenes I encountered in "Full Spectrum Warrior", a fantastic combat title that delivers adrenaline in copious quantities. The game scraps the usual first-person perspective in favor of a third-person view in which you control two teams, each with a team leader, grenadier, rifleman and squad automatic weapon. Rather than rushing enemies with a minigun in each hand, the point here is to employ basic Army tactics of using cover and laying down sector fire to have your teams achieve various objectives.

The tactics are fairly straightforward and easy to get a handle on. There are few nice bonuses as well. At some points in the game you will get temporary control of a third team. The pair of Ranger snipers in one of the final levels was particularly sweet. Some objectives will also have you call in air strikes on certain targets.

The graphics are fantastic, rendering the soldiers and cityscapes with realistic detail. There is a nice heat shimmer effect that gives the experience somewhat of a dreamlike quality. Recently I saw some photographs of U.S. Marines in Falluja, and was amazed at how much they resembled scenes from "Full Spectrum Warrior". In one level that left my controller moist with sweat, you work your way through alleys during a sandstorm, the limited visibility added to the tension.

Adding to the realism is the constant banter - much of it foul - coming from the soldiers, some of whom develop distinct personalities in the course of the story. The game reminds us that for all their fearsome gear, soldiers are pretty fragile - a couple AK rounds will take your guys out of action. And don't even think about leaving a man behind. If you lose a guy to enemy fire, you in fact lose two, because you have to assign someone to carry the wounded until you reach the next aid station. And if someone is killed, game over, you incompetent loser. Restart from the last checkpoint and try not to screw things up this time.

Some reviewers have been disappointed at a lack of absolute authenticity, i.e. the fact that some enemies labeled as behind cover still appear totally exposed, making it impossible to take them out with fire from certain angles. This misses the point, which is to get players to think tactically about combat situations and not rely on pixel-perfect shot placement to dispatch large numbers of enemies.

You can finish the game on regular difficulty in about 15 hours, which I found to be of perfect length. Any shorter and it would have felt lacking in depth. Any longer and it would have been in danger of being repetitive. As it stands, the game left me feeling like I really accomplished something, yet at no point did I feel bogged down in levels thrown in as filler.

I heartily recommend "Full Spectrum Warrior" to those looking for a great alternative to the raft of FPS military games already out there.

This game is amazing

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 17
Date: May 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User

In response to the idiot from Bronxville...

People can play games before they're officially released to the general public. I played this game at the THQ booth at E3 in Los Angeles for about an hour. It is amazing. The AI is spectacular, as are the graphics, sound, and playability. This is truly the next generation of tactical "war sims".

And to Saraa from UK...

This game is set in the fictitous country of Zekistan. It has nothing to do with Iraq or violence against Muslims. In fact, one of the main characters in the game is a devout muslim who is also a member of the U.S. military.

Training game - not a traditional shooter

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 14 / 17
Date: October 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This is a training game, so it's design is more like a simulator rather than an action shooter. I still found the game to be fun, but it's just a warning to those looking for a Doom-type game. The game moves relatively slowly, as troop movement can be monotonous and the action can get mundane. However, if strategy is more important than action for you, then you will love this game.

Pros:
Good graphics and sound
Excellent strategy-based combat system

Cons:
Not action-packed or fast-paced
Gameplay is very straightforward - very scripted game reduces replay value.

If you like military strategy, then you will enjoy this game. It's graphics, sound, and combat system will not disappoint. If you're looking for a fast paced action shooter, look elsewhere.

Another Review

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 11 / 12
Date: June 11, 2004
Author: Amazon User

All right, the game is pretty decent (I haven't finished it yet but hear it is pretty short). The graphics are pretty, the controls good once you get used to them and the sound is good also. I bought this game knowing it was not a FPS and have not been disappointed in it as you get to work the tactics vice the shooting.
While everyone else is praising the game and their points are valid I will simply bring up the small annoyances.
1) The Platoon members: Where did these guys come from? Been in the army for 9 years and haven't had to deal with how these guys are portrayed in their comments to their squad leaders. The language doesn't bother me but the emulation of a real soldier talking that way to his leaders is something not taken lightly.
2) The M2/M3 Bradley in the 1st couple of missions: The 4 missile pod signify the vehicle is a M6 Linebacker (Air defense version) and it fires 4 missiles at one of the targets. Linebackers fire the Stinger missile (Anti-Air... not anti armor)
* The above two do not hurt game play at all. It is simply an irritant that I see as I play. (like doing something for a long time then seeing it butchered in a movie)
3) The snap reactions of the squads: a little slow on the draw sometimes as they are moving down the alley and a target presents itself. I know you can cancel the move and then issue another to initiate the attack and I could have set up a bounding move, but sometimes reflex-firing should come into play.
4) The enemy being so engrossed with the unit firing at him that he is incapable of shooting at the other squad that is running in the open.

I see in the credits that they name a few army personnel. My question to them would be what their Branch in the military was and have they ever lead a small unit in any tactical situation. Again... just a statement as there is nuances in the images portrayed that really have nothing to do with game play. My bet is they are/were not in combat arms but a support branch and now working systems/simulations.

It's a good game. For those that are upset at the lack of FPS - they should read the game description PRIOR to buying it. Knowing what I know now I would have still purchased the game.

A little frustrating at times, but fun as hell

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: August 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

In response to some of the reviews, I have to say this: I have served 4 years in the Marines as an infantryman in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I have to say this game is pretty accurate. As for the language used.. guess what, that's how real life riflemen talk when under stress! The Army and Marine Corps the public sees is different from the one that servicemen actually live in. I thought the game was very accurate portraying that. There were even a few guys in the squad who reminded me of my own platoonmates. Anyway, the lessons this game teaches you about tactics are great, although kind of basic. Unfortunately, you only get one aspect of MOUT combat, and that is moving through the streets, but clearing buildings is totally different from that, and would require a totally different game engine. (like, say... Rainbow Six?) The environments, sounds, and visuals really immerse you into the experience, and the gameplay becomes easy to grasp after a few missions. Now for the gripes- first is control. The cursor sometimes will be hard to move around when you need it the most, being hard to see, or getting stuck behind objects. Second, is the reaction time of your soldiers. If they stumble across an uncovered enemy sometimes it will take them a millenia to shoot him, resulting in you getting whacked in the process. I suppose that this is a lesson in proper tactics, and that you should have made a better decision so that you wouldn't GET surprised like that. My last major gripe with this game is the M203 grenade launcher. It is a GRENADE launcher not a ROCKET launcher! it is NOT a direct fire weapon, it is meant to be lobbed. So, if some Zeke (the slang for the enemy combatants) is in defilade behind cover, you should be able to LOB the grenade over the cover and kill him. This is how it works in real life! Anyway, those are my only major gripes. The game is fun, and provides a decent look at MOUT tactics. (And, by the way.. the M249 SAW fires 5.56 mm bullets, not 7.62 mm!)

Nice looking but too scripted

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: June 15, 2004
Author: Amazon User

In its eager attempt to be realistic, this game looses a lot of its potential excitement. I don't even consider it very realistic - I often find myself firing at a fully exposed oponent, using the most powerful weaponry available, for maybe 5 minutes with no result. I know the idea is to flank the enemy, but why flank him when I have him in my sights, all exposed and ready to go down? Furthermore, the game seems awkwardly 'scripted'. You go from point to point,fighting enemies which can often only be engaged in one way - you are in fact not required to think much. You may have fun playing it for a day or two, but after that, it gets a bit repetitive and stale.

On the plus side, the controls are surprisingly easy to learn, and the soundtrack and graphics work very well, only on a few occasions you wonder if they ran out of budget (when a soldier dies, for example - strangely uneventful).

The only game that I have played that works for me is Ghost Recon - it has an element of realism, the action of shooting and taking cover, and many alternative ways to approach a problem - in FSW you feel like you are carried through the game - in GR you have a feeling that you really fight and think your way through.

I wish GR had the graphic and fluidity and dialogue of FSW - that would make the ultimate tactical shooter.

This is a very realistic game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: July 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

First things first, if you like run around and shoot with no regards to dying, DO NOT GET THIS GAME. I spent 8 months in Iraq from the beginning of the war with the 101st. I think this is as realistic as a game can get without confusing civilians on tactical warfighting. Its great to see a game come out that mimics they way the US Army light infantry fights! It does get repetitive I will admit, but guess what thats how the fighting force that protects this country trains.

Anyways if this game isn't exiting enough for you, throw 100 plus lbs of gear on, run around the room, and have your buddy shoot at you, actually that would make it a little more realistic.

To sum this up in order to win here you have to shoot, move, and communicate.

Review of Full Spectrum Warrior

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: June 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game is awesome! This game was based on the training aid of the US Army. In general this game rules. The graphics are top notch and really take control of the Xbox hardware. The gameplay is fun and exciting. There are sooooo many ways to dispose your enemies. The sound is very good. You feel like you are in the battle field. Now here is the in depth review.

GRAPHICS: The best yet. Everything is crystal clear and smooth. The soldiers expressions are very realistic.
(5/5)
GAMEPLAY: Very solid. You get sucked into the game because of all the things you can do to kill your enemies. Controling and comanding your men is simple and fun. You can even call in air and mortar strikes.
(5/5)
SOUND: Solid. Background music is very satisfying. Extra battle field effects are nice. Squadmates talk fun trash while in combat or while waiting for orders. Most annoying thing is that there isn't much voice variety when issuing commands. That gets very repetative.
(4.5/5)
MULTIPLAYER: Playing with a friend on the same Xbox is fun. You just do hte campaign missions together. On Xbox Live is where the fun is at. You get to work together on the campaign missions which adds a whole new twist.
(5/5)
EXTRAS: You can save your missions on replay saves and swap them on xbox live. Its really cool to see how you completed your mission or saved one of your buddies in a bloody crossfire etc... Truly awesome.
(5/5)
OVERALL: Awesome. Get this game. You'll love it and won't want to stop playing it. Word of warning. This isn't a FPS. You command two teams of 4 (Alpha and Bravo) and you tell them what to do. You don't get to actually shoot on your own. A la Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six. This is a must get. Don't listen to any negative reviews.
(5/5)

For Military Enthusiasts, Not Counter-Strike or Unreal Fans

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: May 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I've always been fascinated with military Spec Ops and the units thereof since I was a kid, and when I read the specifications on Full Spectrum Warrior, I was rather excited to purchase it once it reached the Platinum Hits list. I picked it up and was pleased with several things while disapointed with others.

I give FSW a 3.8 out of 5.

This is not your typical military game. Up until a few years ago, US gamers were bombarded with so-called tactical games and first-person shooter games like Delta Force, Doom 3, Counter-Strike and Unreal Tourny. While these games are extraordinarily fun to play, they lack in realism to the point where you can run in a room guns'a blazing and survive multiple shots while loading your firearm.

FSW takes that concept and turns it upside down. Now, instead of charging your enemies, you outflank them or you get shot. This concept is very repetative throughout FSW, but the whole point is to teach you how urban close-quarter battler (CQB) works. Veterans of Counter-Strike, Unreal or Doom 3 may not like this game because of its slow gameplay and repetitive gameplay, however, military enthusiasts will appreciate the realism applied to the concept of FSW. So, the pros and cons.

One big downside is the lack of control over the individual units, meaning you cannot shoot their weapons for them unless it's an explosive round. You may, however, set up individual fire zones, which can save you from being flanked. But the lack of control still adds a sense of boredom and frustration as a target could be just ducking and shooting behind a wall and when he pops his head out, your men will probably miss over and over until the tango grenades you.

The graphics, for its time, is very smooth. I loved the details in the weapons and the environment, however, graphics do not make a game. The story is somewhat propaganda in nature since it seems to praise military intervention of dictators, something that not everyone can agree with, however, this does not take anything away from the game but is worth noting.

Other than that, I loved it. I love having to actually think really hard about my every move, the game is not really challenging, but the guys with RPGs make me keep my head down.

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