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Sunday 2 March, 2008
Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix
Gamelog entry #1:
SUMMARY
In Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix the player controls a soldier. They compete via multiplayer with other players and try to get the highest score or complete objectives. The game is fast-paced and is very difficult when playing against other players.
GAMEPLAY
While playing SOF2 your emotional state is rather intense. It is a fast paced game so you must always be looking for targets and where to go, how to get there, and what to do once you get there, all of this while not getting killed.
Characters in the game are poor. The only different is the skins of the characters or the costumes. Since the game does not revolve around individuality I do not think it plays a roll at all.
The story is the same as all first person shooters. Also the game is not bought to play the single player, it is purchased so that you can play online with other players and own some noobs.
The gameplay is very fun. As stated before it is face-paced so you are constantly being pulled back into the games magic circle. Every time you kill someone or capture something you might rest for a second (unlikely) and then are forced back into the games magic circle.
The interest of this game is completely based on the other players you are competing against. If you are the noob getting owned, chances are you aren’t having fun. But if you are doing the noob owning then you are most likely having a great time. So as long as your on top, it is fun and interesting.
There are no social interactions really in this game, it moves too fast. If there are social interactions it is usually just the quick trash talk.
I felt that I experienced the flow of the game. It pulls you in very easily and the competition and game types are fun.
Gamelog entry #2:
GAMEPLAY
SOF2 is an addicting game. It is not like COD4 where you get weapon upgrades. Everyone has access to the same weapons. But each weapon has different shooting styles so the player is forced to pick one weapon to get good with. This is extremely nice and gives all players a level playing field. The only difference between players is how much time they have devoted into becoming good at the game.
DESIGN
I would say that the most innovating element of this game is the pace. Most first person shooters are either way too fast paced like Quake or too slow like Ghost Recon. SOF2 did an extremely good job of combining both play styles and finding a middle ground that is both fast paced and allows for slower play styles. A lot of this also depends on the game mode.
The level playing field is what makes this game a good game. It give all the players the same chance to win.
The levels are varied enough. All the levels have close, medium, and long range combat. Some have more of one than others, but the levels are all well balanced and don’t give any one team a huge advantage.
The main challenge of this game is getting good enough to beat other players. The game keeps players interested because there is always someone that you can beat, and the more you play the more people you can beat.
A good example of conflict in this game would be during the game mode of Capture The Flag. The flags are placed at the opposite teams base and you are supposed to return them to yours. The conflict is the other players defending their flag and trying to take yours. Without the players in the game, it would be extremely easy and predictable, you would get the flag every time.
The interest element of this game is to dominate other players. The more you play, the better you get, the better you get the more fun the game is.
The space in the levels of this game vary. Some are very small and are geared towards close combat while others are more sniper maps. One of the more innovative elements of this game is their RMG (Random Map Generator) these are outdoor maps that you can generate by entering a string of letters. This keeps the game fresh with the introduction of new levels. As opposed to the same few over and over again.
There is nothing I would change about the game. The game is made as well as it can be and still have a level playing field. The only frustrating thing about the game is when you run into people that are way better than you. Then you just get stomped.
Overall this game is a total blast. It is easy to play, it doesn’t take a ton of time to get good at, and the gameplay overall is fun.
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