Meet the real John Mullins
Ok, so who is this John Mullins guy, and why should he authenticate the game? Can you say real-life badass? The character in the game is named John Mullins, and is based on this guy. He served several tours in Vietnam, in the Special Forces, before retiring after 21 years in the service. His talents then turned to “Consulting” for governments, which took him again around the world and into hostile environments. I won’t rewrite the entire bio here; you can swing by Soldier of Fortune.com and read the rest if interested. Let’s just say he is the genuine article. Well educated, too, I might add. It’s not all brawn in the world of the mercenary.
Shot to the thigh doubles him over | Pig-Sticker in action | Is that his small intestines? | A good look at how the Ghoul system works |
How does it look?
Soldier of Fortune is based on the Quake II engine. Now before you get depressed, realize that another stunning game was based on this same technology: Half-Life. Of course, the game isn’t as visual complex as Quake3, or Unreal Tournament, but sharp graphics can’t replace solid gameplay. The opening cut-scene shows us a view of some brick buildings in New York, and then pans down to street level. The textures are clean, and generally look pretty good. No high-tech curved surfaces here, but they aren’t missed much. Level design is good, with the two single player levels in the game being pretty realistic in nature. The subway station is gritty and littered with trash and graffiti. I was actually shocked to turn a corner and see one of the hoodlums urinating on the wall. Sure, it’s gross, but realistic. The speeding train level wasn’t as detailed, but the designers noted that this game is a work in progress, so I expect the overall appearance to improve before the final release.
Aim for the knees, it works everytime | See… | Foggy subway tunnels, but why orange fog? | The Bad Guy, must kill him. |
Body parts everywhere
Character models are another story. While they move in a fairly fluid, lifelike manner, they aren’t quite up to the models in UT. The Ghoul System does provide some technological wonders in the character modeling, though. The system has 26 “gore zones”, and most of the gear on a model is bolted on. What this translates to for the gamer is pure carnage. Blast a guy in the knee, and his leg will separate at the joint, causing him to stumble backwards, while blood squirts from the wound. Hell, there’s even a gratifying bit of bone left protruding from the stub of a leg he has left. Entry and exit wounds are modeled as well, making a nice mess on the walls and floors. There is no doubt about the claim to graphic violence; it’s all true baby. I shot a guy in the neck, and he actually groped at his throat and gurgled while blood sprayed the floor. Damn, I just can’t say enough about the Ghoul System. I know video game violence is not exactly politically correct right now, but I’m not a politician, and I won’t let my kid play this game, so I have a right to enjoy it. Unlike Kingpin, which shocked the gaming community with the ability to say the f-word 2,567 times per level, Soldier of Fortune simply gives the gamer a realistic view of blood and guts. I personally would rather see a digital intestine than have to listen to lame curses throughout the game. All of this can be turned off, if you really want junior to play the game, though. It’s a matter of choice. If you don’t like gore, don’t buy this game.
The PCMech.com weekly newsletter has been running strong for over 8 years. Sign up to get tech news, updates and exclusive content - right in your inbox. Also get (several) free gifts.
