Not a great port of a slightly above average PC game.
User Rating: 4.3 | Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix XBOX
At first glance, this port seemed like it was identical to the PC version I had played over a year ago, graphics-wise, at least. However, going through the tutorial, as well as the first couple of levels, it soon becomes apparent that corners were cut concerning the minor graphical details. The character model resemble those of the PC version, however they’re less detailed and they animate even more clumsily than those of the superior PC version. The environments are also a lot less detailed, and overall, this isn’t quite the great looking X-Box game that it could have been. The gameplay is tight and practical, yet its incorporation within any of the levels maps is sloppy, as if the levels aren’t quite ready for every single way you may choose to maneuver in the environments – that was also present in the PC game, but here it is magnified almost to the point of annoyance. The sounds also suffer a bit, as some effects are louder than others. For instance, the main character’s footsteps are louder than those of his enemies. That may sound normal, but his footsteps are louder than some of the gun blasts in the game. In addition, the music and environmental sound effects sometimes blare too loudly over character conversations. It’s not too big a deal; it just destroys the immersive mood that the game is obviously going for. Storyline-wise, the game could have benefited from a few cuts to the dialogue, as conversations seem to go on for at least a couple of minutes too long. As with the PC game, it’s as if the producers of this game decided it needed to chase the Metal Gear franchise, and have an elaborate storyline full of dialogue-ridden sequences. The thing is, they have the dialogue, but none of the – what’s the word? – PIZZAZZ of the Metal Gear games. The story ends up feeling more hokey than it really is…it’s actually quite compelling if you can sit through all the needless dialogue. I haven’t had a chance to sample the multiplayer or the Random Mission Generator in this version of the game, but from what I can recall of the PC version, neither is worth more than a quick play-through or a passing glance, compared to other games. As it stands, Soldier of Fortune II for the X-Box is an average console FPS. It could have been more or less than the PC version (like Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War compared to the original release of RtCW for the PC), but we’ll never know because the X-Box game is already completed. This game is pretty cheap at this point, so I can recommend at least trying it out for the console curious (those who like to compare versions), or for those who haven’t had a chance to play the superior PC version (the latter half may like it more than the former). If you have reservations concerning the quality of the port, than you’re better off steering clear – this game is not as good as the PC version…’nuff said.
