Soldiers: Heroes of World War II review

It has to be said, the games market has become absolutely bloated with WWII titles over the last few years. Certainly, the most extensive armed conflict in the history of our world has always been the inspiration for many a programmer, but we must surely be approaching critical mass now, with flight sims, strategy games, first-person shooters and even role-playing games all getting a look in. Developing more of the same is, frankly, cheeky and the only way Soldiers: Heroes of World War II can justify itself (and, indeed, even survive in such a crowded market) is by being very, very good...

The eyes have it

Being a sumptuous visual feast never did anyone any harm and, from the opening seconds of your first mission to the moment the final shell casing hits the floor, this is a consistently beautiful game. The fully-rotatable isometric perspective (which also allows you to zoom in and out to a degree and tilt the camera somewhat) allows you to enjoy war in all its terrifying beauty, as artillery shells rip the ground asunder, tanks crash through the remains of collapsed buildings and flames lick at the chassis of abandoned vehicles.

The attention to visual detail is fantastic and ambient touches that would alone be impressive, such as the subtle rustle of a bush as a soldier sneaks through it, are dwarfed by the explosive results of 1940s warfare. Soldiers is at its most gorgeous when it's being destructive and nothing escapes the ravages of war. In short, if you can see it, you can blow it up. This might not boast thousands of bump-mapped polygons or fancy coloured lighting effects but it doesn't need to. It's the most attractive isometric game around.

Anatomy of a war

All this detail isn't just for show, it reflects the depth of interaction within the game. Spotted some ammo crates lying by that checkpoint? Feel free to take a look inside. The machinegunner on a half-track giving you grief? If you're a good shot, you can blast his head off. Is that a set of points by the trackside? Of course you can change them, and commandeer the train to boot. All this choice brings with it immense scope for improvisation and tactical tinkering, since being able to immobilise enemy vehicles if you can't destroy them outright or loot the dead for additional equipment means a sharp-minded soldier always has a chance against the odds.

What's more, that explosive scenery I mentioned is itself dynamic and ever-changing. What was once an outhouse or a fighting vehicle becomes useful cover and loose debris or a crater can be a lifesaver. Through use of a context-sensitive cursor everything I've mentioned can be achieved by using a single mouse click. This game isn't just a pretty face.

Itchy trigger finger?

It soon becomes apparent that this is a game that won't strictly sit within a single genre. On the surface it appears to be small-scale real-time strategy game, with the usual point 'n' click commands dictating fire or movement orders, or letting you assign your men to vehicles. However, the mission design veers sharply away from real-time strategy fare and often into problem solving territory, making some missions feel a little like Commandos Lite. However, Soldiers doesn't take itself seriously enough to behave as strictly as Commandos and there's always more than one way to skin a cat. The number of weapons, tools and vehicles is matched only by the variety of missions and objectives presented.

Most important, however, is that Soldiers' direct control mode effectively turns the game into a modern day Syndicate or Cannon Fodder, placing your finger directly on the trigger. Because each level will always stack the odds against you, playing it as a real-time strategy becomes a secondary option, a way to automate any backup squad members you're not immediately possessing. The focus will always be on one man at a time, which makes co-op multiplayer possibly the most enjoyable way to play Soldiers, each player controlling a single squad member and making them ruthlessly efficient killing machines. Again, the emphasis on Soldiers not taking itself too seriously is clear, with players being able to resurrect otherwise lost team-mates and return them to the fray. Don't get me wrong, Soldiers is not a pushover, even on the easiest difficulty level, but it is about putting yourself in the boots of troopers who are a cut above average.

War is over (if you want it)

Soldiers isn't offering anything too original, being a mix of derivative ideas from somewhat disparate titles, but the realisation and execution of these ideas is so slick and successful it’s instantly forgivable. Nevertheless, no game is perfect and Soldiers does have its flaws, although none of them are particularly significant individually they can combine to can nip your enjoyment in the bud sometimes. One of the most irritating (and persistent) niggles is how ignorant your own troops can sometimes be, failing to spot enemies mere meters away who are wearing down their health with incessant gunfire. This is particularly annoying when they're otherwise bright enough to run away from nearby grenades.

The isometric perspective, despite giving you considerable freedom of movement, can occasionally make it difficult for you to spot enemy soldiers or judge when you have a clear shot at something, especially where low hills are concerned. Being unable to see inside some buildings when the roof fails to cut away is also a stinker, as is the fact that this game can be a real processor hog which, on lower-end systems, will be as smooth as a baby's bottom until the action heats up.

Still, this has got to be one of the games of 2004, and not just through fantastic design. Soldiers should have a bright future ahead of it, as the demo has already received considerable attention from modders and Codemasters allowed Boomtown an exclusive first look at the editor they plan to release. This powerful tool will give the already enthusiastic (and very able) Soldiers mod community much more to work with and should broaden the scope of the game considerably. We could be playing Soldiers for a long time to come and that's certainly good news indeed: this one’s a medal-winner.