Full Spectrum Warrior
Chess meets modern-day military combat in an almost-perfect mix of strategy and action.
Published: April 11, 2005
FSW hits a couple snags in some key places that really keep it from being a complete revolution in military strategy games, but that doesn't mean it isn't good, it's just... well, a first effort. The camera regularly gets in the way, and because your pointer can't go through objects (it skirts around them so you can pick from multiple formations for cover), a lot of time is spent just trying to wrestle with moving it around bits of cover, even when the camera makes determining the boundaries of that cover impossible. Further, it's sometimes hard to see around objects when your men are bunched up near it and the camera happens to be close because of the sometimes claustrophobic environments.
The aforementioned graphics, one of the major selling points of the Xbox and PC versions, are nowhere near as impressive on the PS2. They're still nice enough, sure, but the framerate and lighting pale in comparison to what they should be for a game like this. The texture detail is fair, especially considering the generally bleak environments, but the character models, which you'll spend a fair amount of time up close with in cutscenes or when the camera feels the need get a little wonky, look a little basic. The faces are decent, but the seaming on limbs means textures don't really flow like they should.
They're minor gripes, I know (well, save for the framerate, which is almost universally bad, and often gets downright horrible during heated firefights when you need precision and deftly issued orders the most), but again this is a game that offers some pretty simple strategy with a heavy, heavy coating of presentation layered over the top, and when the presentation suffers because the hardware just can't keep up, the whole game suffers.
The audio fares a bit better, and delivers absolutely fantastic immersion from ambient effects and soldier chatter that gives each member of your squad the semblance of being an individual. Gunfire, explosions, snippets from squad members, vehicle sounds, wind blowing, chopper thumps, all of it sounds clear, well-rounded and is an absolute treat to listen to. This goes double for Machine Head's score, which rests solidly on a foundation of traditional orchestral swells and ebbs mixed with brassy, clean horns. It's moving, it's engaging and completely fits with everything that's happening on the screen at all times.
The only problem is, a lot of this can be lost when the men on the squad begin piping up with little comments they feel are important to the situation at hand. At times, this can be true, but more often than not, you're going to hear the same lines over and over and over again, and worst of all, they love to get chatty at the exact moment you're delivering a situation report or are getting new orders from HQ. Sure, you can re-check your objectives from the GPS display, but part of the immersion is the delivery of the lines and the authentic feel of the speech in the game.
There are a lot of things about Full Spectrum Warrior that will absolutely hook any strategy buff. The fact that everything is presented from the perspective of the men and women actually neck-deep in the thick of the fight means there's a level of involvement, immersion and attachment to these men that you never really get from most strategy games. Unfortunately, a horrid camera and presentation marred by a piss-poor framerate threaten to overturn the whole experience.
They don't quite, meaning you can still squeeze plenty of fun out of this experience, which was even bolstered a bit by a few exclusive PS2 missions, and the game is dirt cheap right from the get-go, so there's little reason not to pick this up if you're into a little military strategy. This should only be grabbed if you can't play the Xbox or PC versions, though, since the presentation really does add quite a bit to the whole experience and there isn't a title in the history of games (aside from perhaps most 2D shooters) that hasn't benefited from being played with a good, solid framerate.
All the game versions are relatively the same price now, so regardless of platform, this should definitely be something that you pick up on a whim; if you dig on strategy games and like yourself a game of chess (or perhaps slightly more intellectual checkers), you won't be disappointed.
