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Sound
 Sound
in Soldier of Fortune 2 is exceptional, and one of the places where the
game really shines. Weapon shots and explosions are loud, forceful, and
satisfying. The sniper rifle (when rarely used) and the shotguns are particularly
"big" sounding. Nicely, different sounds play depending on where
the player is standing when firing a weapon. Blast a guy with a shotgun
against a wall, and you'll hear the shrapnel slam. Voice acting is good,
with the player character John Mullins' voice particularly well acted. Star
Wars alumni Mark Hammil makes a voice appearance, but doesn't add anything wonderful.
If Raven got Mr. Hammil for Soldier of Fortune 2, why couldn't they
drag him down to the studio for Jedi Knight 2?
Value
Like
most first person shooters, there's not much in Soldier of Fortune 2 that
you haven't already seen somewhere else. The game has come down in price
the past few weeks, and should be able to be found for around $30 (US).
In my opinion, I'd wait until the price drops a little more before picking this
game up. I've been a big fan of Raven games dating back to 1995 or
so when I was first introduced to their games from a friend. Since then,
I've enjoyed Raven's unique blend of technology and art. Games like
Hexen and Heretic 2 are classics in my opinion; and although some other people
did not like it, I hold Jedi Knight 2 in high esteem. Unfortunately, Soldier
of Fortune 2 may be the first game from Raven to show that a change
in the process they use to mastermind their games is necessary. There is
a definite "Raven Formula" for creating their first person shooters,
and it is finally starting to look dated. I do know that Raven developed
Soldier of Fortune 2 at the same time as Jedi Knight 2, Quake 4, and possibly
another game. Could the Raven team be spreading itself too thin?
Looking at Soldier of Fortune 2, that question comes to mind.
I don't hate this game, but am disappointed that it does absolutely nothing new
for the first person shooter genre. Don't get me wrong.. Soldier
of Fortune 2 is a game worth purchasing, but know that you can't expect anything
revolutionary.
System Requirements
 System Requirements:
- Internet (TCP/IP) or LAN (TCP/IP and IPX) connection
- Pentium® III 450 MHz or Athlon® processor or higher
- Windows® 98/ME/2000/XP operating system
- 128 MB of RAM
- 60 MB of uncompressed free hard drive space (plus 350 MB for the Windows
swap file)
- A 100% Windows® 98/ME2000/XP -compatible computer system with DirectX 8.0a
- 3D Accelerator Card Required
Review Configuration:
- Pentium® III 550 MHz
- 512 MB RAM
- 64MB GeForce2 Video
- SoundBlaster Live! Value Sound
- DirectX 8.0a
- Windows 2000
Pros:
- Fast action, movie-like plot
- Big, satisfying weapons with great sound
- Impressive enemy AI
- Vegetation adds unique elements to gameplay
- Random mission generator
Cons:
- Very linear single-player gameplay
- Find the switch tasks still in a game in 2002
- Blocky models and levels; don't make full use of the Quake 3 engine
- Stealth missions tedious
- Dull, overused storyline
- Obviously rushed ending is very anticlimactic
Overall:
| Graphics: |
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| Storyline: |
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| Gameplay: |
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| Sound: |
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| Value: |
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| Total: |
6.6 |
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