Surprisingly good - two games in one!
SINGLE PLAYER REVIEW
I didn't expect much from this title, but a few good reports and a lower than usual price enticed me to try it.
The single player mode is entertaining, allowing the player to play as three separate characters in the US army fighting in contemporary Afghanistan. A Navy Seal, Ranger and a Tier 1 operative. The player characters are the silent type, with personality coming from squad mates and the tasks assigned to the player.
The Seals and Tier 1 guys are similar, in that they fight behind enemy lines, with the Tier 1 squad being a more extreme version (you don't want to mess with them). Standard gun play is mixed up with calling in air-strikes and participating in some great sniper missions.
Where the Seals and Tier 1 guys use stealth and precision. The Rangers are all brawn and bravado so those missions stick more closely to standard FPS convention, yet still manage to create some of the most intense shooting levels I've played - being pinned down in a mud-hut under a barrage of RPG fire was a particular highlight.
I also want to give special mention to the section where (as a Ranger) the player must put covering fire on an entrenched machine gun position, to allow others in the squad to approach it so it can be targeted for an air-strike. The game isn't going for all-out realism (thank God) but moments like this help add to the authentic feel for the likes of me (who'll never be in these situations).
MULTI-PLAYER REVIEW
A watered down Battlefield is essentially what you get here. 3 classes of soldier, 4 game modes, great graphics and very enjoyable gameplay are the order of the day.
Levelling up occurs quite quickly, which helped me have the 'just one more go' feeling. Though some may not like that the game has a limited weapon set and maps and doesn't have Battlefields array of vehicles, but it is still a great game and a worthy addition to the single player package.
Special mention should go to the fact that a different engine has been used to produce the multi-player mode, so you do essentially get 2 games for the price of one (and it's already cheap!).
