Evade and attack
Game play: The missions consist of demolition, assassination, espionage or rescue. Each mission starts with the mission briefing and the outfitting of 3 bags with supplies. These bags contain ammunition (time bombs, grenades and rockets depending on the mission) and of course first aid kits. At the bottom of the map the ranger is dropped (by parachute of course). Once the ranger lands the player has to make his way to the target at the top of the map within a certain time frame while navigating past minefields enemy soldiers/officers armed with a variety of arms (grenades, guns and flamethrowers) and bunkers. The player can take cover in trenches across the maps to either ambush or crawl past the enemy bunker or soldier. Some missions would have the player evade all contact until a certain object was photographed.
Missions take place in an arctic, desert or temperate setting. In the arctic missions the player can blow up the ice on a lake by throwing grenades, a great way to take out a group of enemy soldiers. After the mission objective is completed the player has to make his way to the extraction point without getting captured or killed.
Depending on the success and points (i.e. killed soldiers, destroyed bunkers) the player advances through the ranks (up to Colonel) and medals can be earned for various achievements.
Graphics: Like most old games the graphics are not the best by today's standards, but it gets the job done. The movements are smooth and the graphics overall are functional.
Sound: The sounds are like the graphics, functional and get the job done but nothing more. The soundtrack is not
too annoying. Guns and grenades sound like they are recorded in a tin can but don't get in the way too much.
Overall: Airborne ranger was one of the first game that used planning and stealth as a major game aspect. Players had to plan their route so they could make the best use of the supplies in the dropped bags and to evade or engage the enemy. The interaction with the surrounding is awesome for a 21-year-old game. Breaking ice under enemies feet in the arctic hiding under water in the temperate maps it makes for some actual tactics. The campaign mode gives the game a much longer lifespan, it takes a while until you finish the campaign and after you can still play the individual maps for just points and medals.