Who wants realism in a first person shooter? Let's face it. Duke Nukem 3D wouldn't have been anywhere near as fun without the Pig Cops and floating brain aliens, and Quake just wouldn't be Quake without the lightning gun and the ability to take multiple shotgun blasts to the chest. Realism is fine in games like Rainbow Six, where you have an entire squad to cover your back and take bullets for you. But when it is one man against the world, game developers quite rightly tend to tip the odds a little more in favour of you surviving and having more fun. However, just because they can, Raven Software has decided to inject a fresh touch of realism into their new game, Soldier of Fortune (SoF), while still keeping the action fast and fun.
The first hint of realism in SoF is the main character, a mercenary named John Mullins. Raven based him on the real life ex-military man of the same name, who served for years in the army and then worked as a 'consultant' for the US government and individuals. He has worked in VIP protection, hostage and asset recovery and other such dangerous operations. So, if anything, the story and details should be closer to real life than your average shooter.
Raven has also gone to some effort in ensuring that the animation is by far the most realistic in any game to date. GHOUL, the animation system used in the game, allows for a huge number of animations per character and up to 26 "gore zones" per model. What this means is that, when you shoot an enemy in the knee (and incidentally the animation system can detect exactly where you hit down to individual polygons), they'll actually crumple down onto the floor as anyone would when shot in the knee. Likewise, when shot in the stomach, they'll clutch their belly in agony. And when shot in the crotch…well, yes.
Of course, it wouldn't go down well if enemies reacted realistically to unrealistic weapons, so laser guns etc. are out and real life weapons are in. Levels will also be based around real life locations, such as Siberian wastelands, terrorist installations and even a moving train. Also, health will not be conveniently placed throughout levels, but will instead be very scarce indeed. Judging by recent screen shots, the locations all look convincing and beautiful. Raven has modified the Quake 2 engine almost beyond recognition for use in Soldier of Fortune. It now includes 32-bit colour, detail textures, fog regions and even a terrain engine for scrolling outdoor levels such as their train level. This all comes at the expense of requiring a 3D card (just like Kingpin), but we can live with that.
Raven did a superb job on Heretic II and Hexen II. So, when they say they can attain a the kind of perfect game play balance that has long evaded other developers, realism mixed with instantly enjoyable action, we can believe them. Look for Soldier of Fortune early next year from Raven Software and Activision.
Pete Closs
Games Editor