General Strategies

What follows are a few simple strategies to use throughout the single-player game. Some will be obvious to veteran first-person shooter fans, but others are very specific to Soldier of Fortune II.

Mastering the Controls
Soldier of Fortune II has far more controls than your average first-person shooter. It's important that you familiarize yourself with them.

You have your typical movement keys such as walking, running, and jumping. You have your typical weapon keys like primary fire mode and secondary fire mode. But there's also much more. You can lean and lie flat. Weapons have more functions, and there are several keys mapped to activating features such as laser sights, sniper zoom, and tactical lights.

Make sure you are comfortable with the mapped keys so that you can easily remember where things are in the heat of battle. And if you aren't comfortable, remap the keys so that they make sense to you.

Managing Your Saved Games
Like its predecessor, Soldier of Fortune II allows you only a limited number of saved games per level. You can, however, change the number of saved games available if you create a new game with a custom difficulty level. You can also choose "unlimited" saves at this point, and it is highly recommended that you do so.

If you choose to go with the limited saved games, though, try to save sparingly. The levels can be quite long, and there are very few points where you'll get a breather. Opposition is almost constant, so make absolutely sure that you've cleared an area before saving. Nothing is worse than wasting one of your saves right as an unseen enemy throws an F1 grenade at your feet.

Exploring Your Surroundings
The levels in the single-player game are very straightforward and linear. In most cases, there is only one available path to take. Occasionally, though, items will be hidden. It is important to search behind crates and other objects to find ammo, armor, and health. It is very rare, however, that items will be hidden inside crates. If you must search boxes and the like, use your knife instead of a firearm. It's quieter, and you'll save ammunition.

Stealth vs. Blazing Guns
There are a few levels where stealth can be used effectively. It is almost never necessary, though, and it is often harder to keep quiet than to just shoot everyone who hears you. It's your choice, but Soldier of Fortune II doesn't reward stealth any more than it rewards walking around with guns blazing. (The one exception to this rule is the Prague train station level, where stealth is required. This level is covered in the level walk-throughs section of this guide.)

When attempting to use stealth, watch the alarm above your health meter.

Here are some general stealth tips, if you decide to take that route when presented:

• The knife is not a good one-hit weapon, unless it is thrown using the alternate fire mode.
• You can knock guards unconscious with the butt of your pistol or shotgun. Make sure you stab them once they are down, though, because they don't stay unconscious for long.
• Carrying bodies is possible but not necessary. They will just vanish if you kill them, so it's not a necessary precaution.
• Never run if you are trying to remain undetected. Crouching is best, but walking will suffice. Crawling while prone is the quietest method of travel, but it leaves you vulnerable.
• Watch the alarm above your health meter, when it is visible. If it starts flashing, you've been spotted.