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Senior Editor, GameSpot PC
Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix
 |  Soldier of Fortune II will stress the importance of teamwork. Here, a heavy gunner lays suppressing fire over a group of hostiles. |
I'm a big shooter fan, so I have a lot to look forward to this year, including the possibility of exciting games like Doom III, Halo for the PC, PlanetSide, and maybe even Duke Nukem Forever. However, after seeing Raven Software's Soldier of Fortune II in action, I have a new game occupying the top slot on my most wanted list. The sequel to Raven's controversial Soldier of Fortune is being developed using id Software's Quake III: Team Arena engine, and it has the same visceral action that made the original so much fun to play, as well as several addictive multiplayer gameplay modes that almost didn't make the cut.
When Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix was first announced one year ago, it wasn't supposed to have any kind of multiplayer component at all. The game, like similar first-person shooters at the time, was going to focus strictly on providing a strong single-player experience, and it would add multiplayer at a later date in the form of a patch or add-on. And at the time, that was acceptable. After all, I had a great time with the original Soldier of Fortune, even though I didn't really play any of its multiplayer modes. I thought the ridiculously fast pace and over-the-top violence of that game's single-player missions were enjoyable, and when news of a sequel that made use of improved graphics, animation, and the controversial GHOUL "gore zones" system was released, I was as excited as the next guy to assume the role of ex-special operative John Mullins in many intriguing locations around the globe.
|  The game makes some of the best use of terrain since Delta Force. |
Recently, however, we received a nearly complete multiplayer build of the game, and nearly the entire office has been locked in heated firefights after work. The multiplayer aspect of Soldier of Fortune II is, interestingly enough, markedly different than the single-player missions. Whereas the latter is more action-oriented, the game's multiplayer mode is notably slower paced. It's by no means realistic, but it's definitely more so than its single-player counterpart. The end result is a game that feels a lot like Counter-Strike, but obviously looks a lot better. There will be five multiplayer modes, including capture the flag and team deathmatch, and you'll be able to play as any one of more than 100 different character models. And these different skins aren't just for looks, either. Some of the camouflaged soldiers that you can play as blend perfectly with the game's terrain, especially on the maps that use the impressive grass effect that's become so prevalent in games lately. You and your squad members will be able to disappear among the reeds in the game's jungle levels in order to set up the perfect ambush or sneak your way undetected into an enemy camp. What's more, the game will have a random map generator that can create levels of varying terrain, size, and time of day to make sure that the action never gets dull.
Of course, Soldier of Fortune II's single-player missions will also be noteworthy. Raven has improved its ROAM terrain engine, and that gives it the ability to create missions that will have you firing an M60 out the side of a low-flying Huey, for example. Likewise, the Quake III: Team Arena engine makes things like impressive weather effects and detailed environments possible, and the 36 dismemberment zones on the character models that the new GHOUL system affords the game should keep hard-core fans happy, parents concerned, and senators fuming.
Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix is scheduled to ship for the PC next month.
Watch the video preview of Soldier of Fortune II with Senior Editor Amer Ajami.
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