"What was a decent looking PC game a year ago does an ugly Xbox game make. The outdoor environments look like Ghost Recon whereas the indoor environments are reminiscent of the Goldeneye days. You'll notice a pattern of backgrounds being bland regurgitations of one another. Draw distance is very limited. Everything is chunky. In other words, this game doesn't shine"
"With the horrendous loading times come noticeable moments of slowdown. It's not really clear what causes it because it doesn't normally happen when there are big explosions or you're switching areas. Occasionally, you'll notice it when there are a lot of bad guys on screen, but usually it's for no apparent reason at all. "
Closing Comments
Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix was a good game on PC. This sloppy port is not so great on the Xbox. When you have Halo and Ghost Recon in your library, there's little reason to spend $50 bucks on a very average shooter with sub-standard Xbox graphics. The only reason anyone should consider getting this game for the single player mode is if they crave gratuitous violence. If flying body parts is your thing then this is the game for you. If you don't live or die by gore, pass this one by.
SOFII's only saving grace is that it does have multiplayer on Xbox Live. This is fun, there are a variety of modes, and you get to unleash slice enemies and friends to your heart's content. However, this game doesn't really offer any multiplayer modes that you can't find in other FPS titles, so again, only get into this game for the gore.
Presentation
This game suffers from uber long load times, boring loading screens and menus, pretty blah graphics, horrid collision detections, and a huge neon sign pointing out this is one heck of a sloppy port. 4.0
Graphics
When a game a next generation console game's graphics can be likened to Ghost Recon and Goldeneye, you know something is wrong. 4.0
Sound
Repetitive, annoying sound effects and an almost non-existent soundtrack leaves a lot to be aurally desired. 5.0
Gameplay
It's a standard straightforward shooter. You don't need tactics or stealth to get through this one. 6.0
Lasting Appeal
With plenty of single player and multiplayer options, you could play this game for months to come. Heaven help you. 8.0
OVERALL SCORE (not an average) 5.8