Enjoyable gameplay in this FPS with 16 varied SP campaigns in differing locales. Cinematic visuals and sound. Great.
I did enjoy playing the SP missions and campaigns and the ability to customise the team's weapons loadouts and uniforms (usually something reserved for multiplayer games like Bf2 and Delta Force). Missions are entertaining and I guess give a feel for the types of missions: hostage recovery, information collection or terrorist elimination that the "free worlds" anti-terrorist teams must deal with. The depicted scenarios, names of the terrorist organizations aside, are plausible. Missions usually span 2 - 3 maps with intermediate cut scenes and perhaps updated objectives. The campaigns do seem to get slightly harder as you progress towards breaking the back of the disparate enemy organisation.
Getting used to these different "style" FPS games ... after the WWII themed COD and MOH. I played the game on the "Normal" difficulty mode, which is analagous to "medium" on other games ... the most noticeable difference in Challenging mode is the absence of your cross-hairs ... so you need to use your iron sights, scope or red-dot for accuracy until you get the feel of the weapon so it is harder from that viewpoint. That is, yes, you do need to aim like the real guys do and, yes, that indeed is challenging!
The SP solo "Lone Wolf" missions are essentially single map excerpts from the campaigns (allows you to bring out that inner James Bond or Rambo). The terrorist hunts use the maps from the campaign and you can play solo or with up to 3 AI team-mates. I feel that the friendly AI is much better if you only select one extra team-mate as it "seems" to follow instructions more intuitively than with the normal team of 4 (you plus 3 others). You also get to choose what type of enemy you will be taking on: militia, terrorists or mercenaries. Mercenaries are the "toughest" in the sense that they are the mirror of Rainbow Six ... they have neat weapons, good comms and body armour. Militia are basically guys in T-shirts with SMGs and Terrorists are in-between. Enemy AI is pretty good ... they do use cover and try and out flank. Only rarely can you stand a few paces away from the enemy and have it not react ... unlike many other FPS games (eg. "Code of Honor").
It is funny to see ads for other Ubisoft games on posters around the various maps ... but in an art gallery ... hmmm? What is strange however is that you will usually find that your previously eliminated (or perhaps just badly wounded) reappear in subsequent missions ... this give you that wierd "I thought I lost Lofquist back on the ferry" feeling. Quick saves (especially before entering rooms) are very helpful and autosaves occur reasonably frequently in case you get caught up in the moment and forget to save. I looked at thsi with some relief after playing "Men of Valor" that did not allow quick saves.
Gameplay is good. My approach was to scout ahead for the team and bring them up in support ... though as noted with 3 team-mates the orders got muddled at times and occassionally a team-mate would go AWOL (usually running at a wall a few rooms back and not "follow" as requested). AI team-mates are good at set pieces like room clearing ... always do a check with the motion sensor goggles before opening any doors ... at least you get an inclining of what you are in for. I tried to protect the team rather than using them as cannon-fodder by sending them in alone (plus the AI is not that good, they will die) ... though one expects in game terms as long as you succeed in the mission the loss of your team-mates along the way is acceptable. Depends how you want to play.
Pre-mission briefings are good for flavour ... but do not really help, nor do the maps as they are not particularly detailed nor are the maps accessible during the mission. Nevertheless the game does "guide" you along to the next "waypoint". There is still however scope to enter rooms or parts of buildings, streets, etc in different ways so you are not locked into one path only (as was the case in the recently played "Men of Valor" and MOHPA) on most occassions.
I think this is a game I can happily play again and again ... and plan another run through on the "Challenging" mode soon. I only wish "Code of Honor", a modern era Foreign Legion themed game was this good. C'est la vie.
There is no seperate "training" mission, except that you do get in-game hints during the first 2 or 3 missions. Don't, however, forget to try out the weapons at the shooting range ... I prefer assault guns that can fire a short burst equipped with a scope (rather than red dot) for most missions, coupled with frags and phosphorous or smoke grenades. Equip your AI team with a mix of assault guns and SMGs, flashbangs and explosives for room clearing. Some of the other weapons, like portable HMGs and shotguns, while fun to try are not that effective in the situations faced by the team.
OVERALL: Highly recommended (and low cost) FPS set in our troubled times.