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Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers

Score: 75%
ESRB: Mature
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Pandemic Studios
Media: DVD/1
Players: 1 - 8 (8 Online)
Genre: Shooter/ Strategy/ Squad-Based

Graphics & Sound:

The original Full Spectrum Warrior introduced a completely new spin on squad-based gameplay. Rather than focusing on shooting elements, it instead focused on the tactical side of things and gave players the responsibility of giving troops orders and having them complete them. Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers is Pandemic Studios’ follow-up effort, giving fans of the original a more refined experience.

Ten Hammers is all about details. The dusty streets of Zekistan are the littered with ox carts, bombed-out cars, busted buildings and other debris. In other words, everything you would expect to see in a war-torn country. Some elements can be destroyed, which adds to the strategy of running cover-to-cover. Characters look just as good, especially while running around and pulling off maneuvers.

Sound does a great job of putting you in the battle. Little things like the sound of distant gunfire really help to give you a sense that you’re part of something much bigger than the mission you’re currently involved in. Ten Hammers also features quite a bit of voice work. Overall the voice work is okay, though the writing isn’t that great.


Gameplay:

Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers doesn’t make too many changes from the original formula, so veterans should feel comfortable. If you’re new to the series, jumping into Ten Hammers is doable, but will require a bit of practice. Although it may look like an FPS, you never actually pull the trigger during combat nor do you directly control any squad members. Instead, you act as a logistical commander and issue orders to the squad based on the situation.

A few improvements have been made to help make the experience more than a simple retread. The number of squads under your control has been expanded to four, giving you more flexibility with your decisions. This flexibility is furthered with the ability to split your teams up into smaller groups, allowing more options. Splitting your teams into smaller groups is risky though, since you want to send a lot of fire towards an enemy in order to limit their options.

Vehicles have also been added into the mix, as has the option of calling down air strikes if you need one.

Compared to the original, Ten Hammers feels rather bland. The story, which involves a UN peace-keeping force tasked with diffusing a situation in the war-torn country of Zekistan, feels like it is stuck in the background. There isn’t much intrigue or major plot developments to keep you interested, sucking away some of the game’s enjoyment.

Multiplayer, on the other hand, is a much more enjoyable experience. Both Co-op and 8-player competitive modes are available over Live. Co-op games are solid and work well, provided you have a good group to play with. Competitive matches, on the other hand, are good but may not appeal to everyone’s tastes.


Difficulty:

Ten Hammers is a much more difficult game than the original, which says a lot since the first one wasn’t much of a picnic in the first place. Enemy A.I. has been beefed up significantly, sometimes to the point where they feel unbeatable. Most of the time I felt that luck got me through a section rather than skill or tactics.

Game Mechanics:

Full Spectrum Warriors’ interface was useable, but led to more than a few awkward moments. Ten Hammers keeps the same control scheme, but reworks them to make them easier to use. As with the last game, everything is handled via a point-and-click interface. Once in an area, a context-sensitive cursor will determine whether you want to move to a specific area, shoot or perform other options. Movement usually involves moving your teams from cover to cover and making sure that one team has the other’s back. One of the newer options is the ability to see movements from the perspective of another team, so it is easier to make sure everyone’s back is covered.

Another addition is Precision Fire Mode, which lets you actually take control of an individual soldier. However, using this mode isn’t like playing an FPS. Instead, all you are doing is placing the cursor over an enemy and getting off a quick shot. If your target is still in view when you pull the trigger, he’ll die.

Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers is an improvement over the first. However, the ramped up difficulty will likely be enough to keep all but the most hardcore of fans away. If you were a fan of the first, give Ten Hammers a rent before making a purchase just to make sure.


-Starscream, GameVortex Communications
AKA Ricky Tucker

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