The game has seen numerous updates over the years, but Rise of a Soldier is the first time the game has been made available for console play. The PC version's Special Forces updates will no doubt be arriving on console format in the very near future, but for now, X-Box and PS2 owners will have to make do with the basic package, which allows gamers to take on the role of a raw recruit and gradually turn their character into a battle hardened veteran.
Like its online kin the game begins with basic training. Here gamers get to learn all about the US military's arsenal of small arms and how to use them. Before gamers get to pick up a weapon, however, they are shouted at by officious NCOs as they make their way around the obstacle course in what is one of the best and most in-depth tutorials to accompany any game, regardless of genre.
Depending on how well gamers fared on the obstacle course and how good their marksmanship was they earn certifications, which translate into skill points that can be used to upgrade the characters in several different areas. From here players ship out and the real game begins. Players are tasked with everything from escort convoys to oil field patrol duty to going up against a ruthless enemy. Gamers aren't able to simply run around and deal with the bad guys solo, as America's Army is a rigged squad-based game and teamwork is an important factor. Gamers who attempt to do anything on their own won't last long.
Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows
Publisher: Midway
Platform: PS2 and X-Box
Taiwan release: Already available
If it's mythical hack and slash you crave then Midway's Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows is for you. Packed with enchanted lands, immortal heroes, wily warrior clans and, of course, magical and often malicious wizards, the game offers players the chance to roam through myriad lands, where they'll encounter a host of lovable and loathsome characters.
The story follows the Emperor Ghost of the once all-powerful Uricointi Empire, who is cursed by an evil wizard and must both regain his once mighty empire and deal with the evil ones who never wish to see the Uricointi Empire rise from the ashes. The game's plot is laid out by the Emperor, who narrates the game with theatrical flare. The crux of the game revolves around four characters, each of whom has a different fighting style.
Gameplay is easy and there's no need to master any difficult control variations. Combat is simply a case of pressing a single button with which players can throw projectiles or whack evildoers on the head with deadly weapons from their arsenal. Each level features both combat and puzzle solving, but for the most part the puzzles are easy and it's a lot more fun to concentrate on killing everything on the screen rather than running around looking for a secret passageway.
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