Xbox has had its fair share of military inspired games in its time. Which involve the player assuming the role of private Rambone, who then wages a one man war against terrorists and other militia men sometimes incorporating a small unit of more private Rambones which follow you around like lost sheep. Although these games are very engaging at times especially those that offer the team element, the level of challenge is based on reflexes and a keen eye more than anything. Some have allowed players to perform limited tactical manoeuvres yet still exhibit the core movie like game play gamers come to expect.

Now that the cold war seems to be a thing of the past and the threat of global nuclear war is seemingly diminished. Modern day war fare as seen on numerous TV news reports takes a different path to those seen in WW2. With more organised terrorist groups/militia that are well armed than ever before City based warfare has become the mainstay of modern combat especially in more recent times..

Well several years in the making, a tool was developed for the US military to simulate tactical manoeuvres in an urban battle field using a computer program. At the cost of 45 million dollars this tool was produced and used by field officers to develop tactics in urban warfare.

THQ have managed to secure the rights to publish a game based on this Military tool and have produced a “Game” based on some elements from the Military version. So what this means is that all you arm chair generals can polish those well earned medals (a pound coin and a fifty pence piece attached to some hair and chewing gum found in the recesses of your sofa/chair, whatever) and start raising ranks around your household, although not sure if mum/wife/girlfriend/dad/brother/sister/pet snake would approve. That’s right because developers Pandemic have produced for your entertainment Full Spectrum Warrior not to be confused with Sinclair Spectrum Warrior which sadly died in the late 80’s.

Ok let’s get serious. Full Spectrum Warrior allows players to take command of two light infantry units as they traverse a war torn modern day Middle Eastern themed city. Receiving orders on the fly (war is never predictable) the player is thrust into various close quarter situations as the units try and fulfil their objectives.

Gameplay:

The first stop and a requirement is the MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Territory) course which effectively is a lengthy training exercise to familiarize the player with the core structure of tactical manoeuvres. Here the player learns how to use the various commands available and moving /switching between teams effectively. As you probably know the game does not allow any 1st person direct control over the troops which means you tell them what to do and they obey. This works by using a cursor and command interface which allows players to place a marker on the terrain and then command the troops to that location using various moves to get there such as covering fire or smoke cover. The use of two separate fire teams allow for an even greater depth of tactical deployment as you learn how to flank enemy positions or cover the other team whilst they move to another location. So, like me if you enjoy playing commander in chief then you can do so, where any mistakes that are made are down to the player and not the troops themselves. Simply knowing how to move your two fire teams around is not enough, as knowing what to do to give your men the upper hand in any given situation is key to success in this game.

The first thing that the game can’t stress enough although it damn well tries to is how important cover is for your units. The city based structure of the game means that potential cover is everywhere. This can simply be a side of a building or alcove, to cars and crates/boxes littered around the city as you would expect. However to add a sense of realism and I’m sure the Military version does a great job of this too is the fact that certain cover is perishable. This adds an extra element of tactics as commander you have to weigh up the cost of effectiveness and potential loss of life when moving troops from cover to cover, especially when faced with RPG wielding enemies. The same rules apply to the enemies as well, who seek cover as best they can.

Your Fireteams:

Your fire teams consist of 2 well trained four man units each with their own roles to play. Each team has a team leader who receives mission updates via radio and has the use of a PDA device which reveals satellite images of the local area. The team leader plays a crucial role in the effectiveness of each team and is usually the man up front whilst moving across terrain. The team leader can call for recon and air strikes as well as being the main voice you will hear throughout the game. However, and I cant stress this enough is that the games emphasis isn’t based around the skills and personality of the unit (as this would differ in real life) but more the skill of the commander (you the player) and how you deploy your units.

Your Weapons:

Each member of the team has his own weapon and ammo level for that weapon. Things like grenades for the m203 grenade attachment come in very limited supply as well as bullets which can run out if you get into too many stand-off situations where cover is limited and you have to use suppressive fire to move on. However weapons don’t jam or overheat and are reliable in combat. As with the actual team members the weapons themselves are not the main emphasis of the game although paramount to any military success.

YOUR ENEMIES:

The enemies in FSW are not like your typical enemies you will find in other games and they are not meant to be. Seeing as the game is a simulation your enemies appear to be more like obstacles rather than real human beings. Yes they will fire at you and move position if they feel that cover would be better elsewhere. But they often will be in predetermined positions that require the player to think their way through rather than going all Rambo on their butts. As with both the skills and the weapons selection of your units the enemies are not what the main emphasis of the game is about.

Your Tactics:

This is what the game is all about “Tactics” and although feeling highly scripted, in FSW case it has to be. Otherwise how would you learn to deal with any given situation? As a player you need to look at the whole experience to see that you will have covered a wide variety of tense tactical moments. The games structure is designed so that you learn how to deal with these moments effectively. The full visual replay on offer which allows players to jump in at any given time to continue the mission perhaps using a different method to one previously used being a useful tool in the learning process. Using your knowledge from the training exercises you begin to form your own strategies which is where the game shines as the options available although seemingly limited always allow for multiple solutions.

Graphics:

Graphically FSW looks great with plenty of variation you would expect from a city. The atmosphere is definitely what one could imagine it being like based on what one knows from TV reporters being allowed to ride alongside combat troops in today’s wars. The character models are simplistic yet detailed enough to give that sense of realism. Animation or motion capture whichever was used is of a high standard as troops move authentically as well. Overall the graphics remain sharp and suitably war torn throughout helping to convey the whole urban warfare flavour very well.

Sound:

Again sound is of a high standard with some authentic voice performances on offer. The language can be a little on the “Mature” side at times as each team member has his own personality and freedom of speech. The sound effects are excellent and alongside the graphics help to create an authentic sounding experience as best possible on a console.

Longevity:

FSW boasts a reasonable campaign set over a 24 hour period . As you progress through the game the missions become more complicated and tougher to complete offering plenty of retries using the replay feature. There are extra levels of difficulty to try but as I mentioned before the main replay come from experimenting with different tactics to accomplish goals. Try some thing different and it may work, experimentation is the name of the game rather than rushing through the game as quickly as possible.

FSW is LIVE enabled as well which allows two players the chance to hook up and argue with one another over whose tactics are better or work together as two teams to complete the single player objectives. Again this mode is up for experimenting with as players can adopt their own tactics more fluidly with another human player. Overall the replay value here is down to how seriously you take your tactics and how much you wish to experiment rather than repeating the same tactics over and over.

Overall:

FSW is a great game for those wishing to take a leading role that is different to simply pointing a gun at enemies and firing at them. However one has to remember that this is a “game” and although it features real elements of war such as taking the wounded to medical points has to remain a playable experience which it most certainly is. At times one could have some gripes about how the game is realistic in parts and not in others such as enemies that seem to have infinite ammo when it comes to a standoff or the lack of accuracy in some cases (especially in close range situations) however any mistakes that are made are usually on a tactical level where the player has ordered the troops to a poor location or moved troops incorrectly.

The overall pace of the game will do no favours for gamers that have been weaned on action games as at times moving your teams can sometimes be a chore especially if you leave a considerable distance between the two teams, again this being down to the player rather than the game. Having said that the game could have made things a little easier for those who do lack the patience such as an auto regroup feature at a save point perhaps or a cursor that moves through solid objects and a slightly better camera.

Overall FSW offers players a unique military experience that players probably haven’t seen before. The game has a lot of character and is fun to play as well as being very challenging. However in my opinion is perhaps a little too much a niche game despite being very gamer based compared to the Military version (I assume). I am guessing not everyone will understand what FSW is set out to do but all the same there are some good times to be had here. For those looking for more brainwork than sheer brawn then this game is well worth a look for anyone else who is unsure then I suggest a rental to see if its your thing or not. An interesting and engrossing game for armchair tacticians.