Duplicate - PC Games

Soldier of Fortune Tactical steers the first-person shooter genre away from the supernatural weaponry of Unreal and Quake and toward the realistic tactical combat of Rainbow Six and SWAT 3. In Soldier of Fortune Tactical, stealth, caution, and cover carry as much importance as accuracy and firepower.

Players assume the role of John Mullins (also the name of the game's real-life mercenary consultant), a soldier for hire who accepts the most dangerous missions the U.S. government offers, including recovering stolen nuclear warheads and infiltrating war-torn Kosovo. Hawk, a burly sidekick voiced by The Green Mile Oscar nominee Michael Clarke Duncan, accompanies Mullins primarily in scripted sequences that advance the grisly story. Soldier of Fortune Tactical's single-player story line exceeds genre standards and rivals Valve's classic Half-Life for depth and excitement.

A first-person shooter wouldn't be complete without explosive weaponry-- Soldier of Fortune Tactical certainly doesn't disappoint. The arsenal includes a knife, several pistols, a shotgun, a variety of machine guns, a rocket launcher, flamethrower, sniper rifle, grenades, and a futuristic microwave gun. Unlike most action shooters, players select new weapons before each mission--and you're restricted in how much armament John carries. For instance, you must make tough decisions between the larger weapons. Should you take the submachine gun for close-quarter combat or grab the sniper rifle for a stealthier strategy? Weapons also do much more damage than in typical first-person shooters. If you're unarmored, a single shotgun blast could end your game. These elements give Soldier of Fortune Tactical an intensity not often seen in the genre. --Doug Radcliffe

Pros: Heavily modified and very crisp Quake 2 graphics engine Varied multiplayer modes provide frenetic online excitement with smooth action on a standard modem connection Over two dozen missions with multiple objectives and diverse locations, such as on a speeding train and at Kosovo Some of the best weapons and weapon sound effects ever used in a first-person shooter Cons: Limited enemy artificial intelligence

Amazon.com Product Description
Soldier of Fortune Tactical is the low-violence version of the popular Soldier of Fortune game. You're the world's deadliest soldier of fortune and your mission is clear: survive. Track your prey across the globe in a series of secret missions to take down a fanatical terrorist organization... before it takes you down. Maintain your cover as a covert warrior in a startling variety of explosive missions ranging from underhanded sabotage to stealthy assassination to full frontal assaults where skill marks the difference between the hunter and the hunted.