NOTE: I originally posted this in issue 6 of 2.5D

     Slaughtered by the gaming media, and the Call of Duty drones out there, Soldier of Fortune: Payback Is obviously a crappy game. Right? Well, actually, I found the game to be quite enjoyable. That's right, I enjoyed a game that has a Gamerankings.com average of 51%. If you're a Call of Duty 4 drone that thinks every FPS should be COD4, and that there's no room in the FPS for any other style of game besides COD4, then stop reading, and go on about your life. This game isn't for you. However, if you're a more open minded gamer who can enjoy more arcadey style FPS, then SOFP might be up your alley.

    I went into this game knowing full well what the ratings were, but being so tired of the scripted crap that's in every other shooter this generation, I was looking for a simple shooter, one that's more oldschool and arcadey in nature. SoFP delivered exactly what I was looking for. SOFP might borrow a few things from COD4, but it's gameplay is meant to be more arcadey.

    In SOFP you play as Thomas Mason freelance mercenary who is drawn into an extremist plot after a routine escort mission goes bad. SOFP is not much for storyline, epic battle sequences, or realism. It's all about the action, and on that front it delivers in droves. The game feels more like a throw back to games like Goldeneye than it does a COD4 wannabe. It's straight up action over strategy gameplay will appeal to those who are tired of the current trend of monotonous scripting in first person shooters.

    Unlike many recent shooters who's emphasis is on trying to create intensity by duck and cover tactics and scripted battle scenes, SOFP is all about the oldschool run and gun. Levels are pretty straightforward, and you're driven forward by continually getting mid level objective updates that tell you where to go next. The game also features a decent assortment of customizable weapons with which to dispatch your foes.

     One complaint I've heard waged against the game is that it's not realistic because the guns don't have any recoil (they do if you go fully auto, but otherwise they don't kick much). Once again, it's not a big deal when you consider the game's arcadey nature, and if you really wanna wager complains about gun realism, then no game measures up because none of them are truly realistic. It's just another case of geeky gamers not knowing what they're talking about.

    The game's enemy A.I. is not be the smartest, but there's are tons of them, and what they lack in intelligence they make up for in numbers. Enemies will often times rush you and try to butt-stroke you, or run out in the open to shoot at you than use any sort of duck and cover tactics. Once again, this might not be the smartest or the hardest A.I. (though it does have it's moments) you'll ever see, but it helps give the game that arcadey run and gun feel over a game who's enemies just hide and still psychically shoot you from cover. SoFP even has boss fights in true arcade fashion. The enemies  do at times pop in behind you to get some cheap hits, but that's honestly not a big complaint since most FPSers have pop-in enemies in their scripted scenes too. Another thing that adds to the arcadey feel of the game is the excessive amounts of gore. The Soldier of Fortune series has always been known for it's exploding body parts. Heads and limbs fly in a now infamous Rambo .50 Cal scene fashion. It's excessive, comical, and a series trademark.

    The controls take a little getting used to at first. The vertical aiming is way to slow even on the highest sensitivity, and there is no customizability in the controls either. You can only chose between presets, but even then you'll get the hang of them in no time. It even takes the sprint and knife controls from COD4. Graphically, the game runs smooth for the most part. You'll notice a few points where the frame rate dips, but nothing too extreme as to effect the gameplay. The sound effects are good, but the music isn't particular memorable. The online play, though bare bones on features, is nonetheless fun, but there aren't a lot of people playing due to the game's bad rep. That's a shame, because the two games I played online I found to be enjoyable. I guess gamers just want powerups, air strikes, and helicopters now, and could care less about any game that doesn't have that cheap stuff in it.

Bottom line: This game got unfairly destroyed by the gaming media for no real good reason except it wasn't COD4. This isn't for the COD4 or the "I need a storyline" crowd, but if you're just looking for an oldschool style arcade run-and gun-shooter, then Soldier of Fortune Payback might be worth a look. It won't blow your mind, but it's kickback to the less scripted objective based FPS games of the past. If you're an open minded gamer who's scripted-out from other shooters, than SOFP might appeal to you. At least try renting it first to see if you like it.

Of course, I could just be crazy.

Here's a vid I uploaded to youtube showing the game in action: