The tale of the folder of the Price |Retrospective review of Soldier of Fortune

How did your path in the first -person shooter genre began? Call of Duty? Battlefield? Return to Castle Wolfenstein? Medal of Honor? Delta Force? Or maybe their legendary ancestors Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Duke Nukem 3D? Or maybe you are a child of later projects? I am sure that each of us will have its own set of first-Person shooter’s, which we once lovingly called “shooters”, when you, barely stopping walking under the table, watched how your brother or dad plays them, and then you yourself were finally allowed to touch the great … Today I want to turn to the classic again, but its representative was chosen for this, my attention was deprived of my attention during my attention during his years of attentionpopularity. And how I regretted that I did not meet John Mallins So 15 years ago … In general, meet a thunderstorm of the terrorist world, a Udlovy fighter of a secret organization under the code name “Shop” – Soldier of good luck.

And as always, I present to your attention a video version of the review.

Steel muscles. Lush mustache

The genre of movieboils appeared more than a hundred years ago, over time, interest in it only increased and still a huge number of spectators spend their bloods on another stupid film about a super cool guy who saves the world who alone sends hundreds of adversaries to the next world with fascinating special effects … and it is not at all surprising that the playground industry has long begun to absorb script forms for a long timefrom big cinema and what we call cinematography. Soldier of Fortune It is a striking example of how the typical action movie of the 80s and 90s came with VHS straight to computer monitors.

The plot of the game is dedicated to one very conspiratorial group of hired soldiers, the people are commonly called soldiers of good luck, who confront all kinds of terrorist threats: then some half-naked blondes flood the metro, lay mines, let trains slope and take civilians hostage;then unknown people steal the harmless Russians as many as four nuclear warheads at once, transport them around the world, and our guys have to search for them and tear off their supervisor plans for the destruction (or capture) of the world … In general, the soldiers did not have to miss the soldiers. One of them, our protege – John Mallins, – A fighter with experience and a solid mustache each time bursts into the bead itself and arranges hell. Somewhere against the background, invisible as a ninja Parsons nicknamed Hawk (hawk) Mallins also helps to resolve this or that situation. But it appears exclusively in Katsets (occasionally through scripts, but it also quickly disappears), so that all work is always performed by the indispensable, unique John.

He wore a mustache and Panama even before it became mainstream (CPT. Price)

All the tasks that our brave fighters are sent to be issued in the same “Shop” (The Shop) – conspiratorial base of good luck soldiers. She is, unexpectedly, straight under the bookstore, which she heads Sam Gladstone. He himself does not participate in operations, but supplies the rest with everything necessary and buys tickets to Siberia, Iraq, Japan, Yugoslavia, Africa, Germany … In general, where traces of the notorious were seen deker brothers, because of which there was all the cheese boron. However, fuss with nuclear warheads was only the beginning. The crazy terrorists decided to assemble a neutron bomb and only John Mallins was able to interfere with them. Epic jumps against the backdrop of explosions, hurricane deaths, a faithful partner who dies in front of the hero’s eyes, forever elusive the headwalk – shorter a complete set of stamps, without which, nevertheless, no militant from my childhood could exist, and from that the plot of Soldier of Fortune caused me a good share of nostalgic feelings than dislikes.

Developers from Raven Software Soldier of Fortune, from which they also bought the rights to use the Title. The magazine consisted of stories actually soldiers of good luck – participants in hostilities from different parts of the world. I myself, of course, did not read them, but I suspect that the crows there read everyone, but to make such a “nuclear” plot in my own game … You just imagine: evil Russians, adherents of Saddam Hussein, neo -fascists, secret German developments in weapons of mass destruction – and all this in one bottle. Even Captain Price would not have mastered such a pack. As many as three parts of Modern Warfare, he hardly dealt with only an evil Russian terrorist! But, of course, Price to Mallins as to the stars ..

Price against the backdrop of serious Mallins looks like a milakh

As well as later the developers have a completely real prototype, from which the breeds sprinkled and appearance and even they did not change its name. Real John Mallins was the same as a soldier of good luck for 10 years, and this, not counting the rest of his military career. In short, a man in this matter understood as no one else, and the crows even managed to attract him to the development of Soldier of Fortune as a consultant. It is believed that at the very beginning of the development of Raven Software were going to create something like a realistic simulator of a hired fighter, in fact, Mallins could come in handy for this, but in the end, perhaps by the way and for the best, we received a film action movie with a very specific understanding of realism of realism. I wonder how Mallins himself reacted to the game ..

Hollywood realism

The “cinema” of the soldier of luck is not only in the plot, which is logical, otherwise I would not raise this topic at all! The elements of the cinema penetrated the most gaming process, and some details of Soldier of Fortune can be considered unique. Anyone who played a soldier of good luck after 20 years after the release of the game could forget about a lot, what was in it, but not about the mustache of the protagonist and the dismemberment of enemies. The dismemberment was embodied so magnificent that it is still surprising. Thanks to the GUL engine, the Ravens were able to create an inimitable wound system that I have not observed in any game since then.

After a well -aimed hedshot on the necks of the opponents, there was never a “perfect cut”, you could always observe an ugly stump with preserved pieces of the head

After hitting individual zones SuperB casino on the enemy’s figure, we could observe completely different reactions: for example, you could get in the leg and make the adversary grab it and funny on a healthy leg, or wound it in the hand and then it will stand for a while, holding on to it with the other hand;After a well -aimed hit in the throat, the enemy grabbed at him with both hands and, choking with blood, fell to his knees;It was possible to get directly into the barrel in the hands of the enemy, and then the weapon fell to the ground, and the enemy himself, trembling with his whole body and asked for mercy. But this is all, let’s say, light injuries, after which they could still recover (not counting the wounds in the throat). But the deprivation of the limb led them straight to the gates to the kingdom of Aida. But here not everything was standard. Personally, in my memory, in all the games I have passed when I got into my head, the enemy either just fell dead, keeping it on the shoulders, or this head was completely scattered into the blurry low polygonal pieces that dissolve on the air. Here, having shot the head of the enemy, you could see the remaining piece of this head on the falling corpse, you could even see the remaining eyes and teeth among the meat! Often, the enemies after death chatted on the floor in convulsions, making terrible chopping sounds. Drawn bloody holes showed on the bodies after getting out of the firearm, even shining them with a knife, you could see the appearance of new scarlet stripes, and if you throw this knife, it always remained sticking in the body of the poor man.

To throw knives in Soldier of Fortune is a special pleasure

I remember that only in Bulletstorm it became possible to shoot opponents of the genital organ, that is, not just shoot in an interesting area on the body of the enemy, but specifically, make him twist in pain and grab the problem place. So it was already in Soldier of Fortune. Already in it, terrorists could shoot all the eggs and watch how the poor man grabs the remnants of his limp dignity. And if you shoot a little higher, then the bandit’s stomach was torn and outwardly falling out (for 2000) drawn intestines (though not every barrel could lead to this result).

You think it’s all? Pfff! How many people were told to me, recalling the soldier of good luck, about meat and dismemberment, but not one of them mentioned the animation of death. I recently said that in Chaser the opponents gorgeously played their retreat to another world, but, damn it, then I have not played good luck in a soldier! And now I can with complete confidence can pass the prize for the best wig for the death of terrorists from Soldier of Fortune. It is interesting that the animation was not limited in time: until you stop shooting at a twitching enemy, he will continue to go fray after every hit, until the bullets end in your clip. And this, his mother, is damn great! I have never seen this anywhere else.

Sorry cartridges end so fast. Ready to look at this “dance” forever.

But such fierce cruelty, violence and, albeit Hollywood, but still realism brought down the negative reaction of the public to the heads of the developers. They didn’t cut and change anything, but the game was assigned a rating of 18+, and this, you know, a serious blow to sales. And in Germany, the game was even added to the list of potentially undesirable games for youth. It is only strange that I did not find a single article regarding complaints from the Society for the Protection of Animals … After all, Soldier of Fortune had not only humanoid enemies, but also four -legged dogs who had to be sent to a dog paradise every now and then. Sorry, what can you do. These animals are nimble and biting, so there was no time to stand on ceremony with them Mallins. They still so funny flew back with a saga after a shot from a shotgun … that is, uh … you can’t offend animals!

John Mallins against neo -fascists

The bulk of the opponents performed in a completely different dress, and sometimes even without clothing, but their appearance on the thickness of their skins did not at all affect. Actually, as well as the level of their intelligence. Sometimes they might not see you point blank, sometimes hesitated to shoot through the glass, sometimes stood stupidly waiting for you to get out of the shelter, without making any attempts to smoke you, or at least accept a more protected position yourself. But they regularly use rifts, masterfully evading bullets. Well, they really loved to smear and not get on the hero, from which it seemed to me at some point that they still get, but getting the damage here is displayed by lousy, and these hits practically do not affect the armor and hits … It turned out that this is not so, they are just oblique, because if the enemy hit you, then he hit specifically. Moreover, it is funny that, sending the barrel right at the hero, they could fall at a close distance through a close distance, but when they scorch in all directions, waving a machine gun around them, one hit is poured onto poor Mallins.

John Mallins is so harsh that it can blow up a tank from 5.56 millimeter SMG

The turbines were very well-aimed here, which could be installed both just somewhere under the ceiling, and on something that resembles a tank, but this is not a tank, because the tank in the game was also. Sometimes there were such villains, it is a pity, of course, that not as sexy as latex Sosov pupae from Wolfenstein … True, these girls differed only by a slightly stronger skin, as it seemed to me personally, and maybe they were more well -aimed (but this is not exactly). But who was annoying me just-so these are guys with rocket launchers. Moreover, it was not that they had a lot of hits, or that they shoot at you rockets … And the fact that you did not understand this bastard or not, whether the damage passed or as a wall of peas, because visually this was not reflected in any way (unlike thick -skinned flameters, and everything was clear and distinct), and sometimes bullets and shells sent to him, sent to him, sent to him, sent to him.literally flew through the model of the adversary.

By the way, another interesting solution in the game was a flexible setting of the level of complexity: that is, we had a choice from the list of standard options, but we could also adjust it of our own request. The setting included the number of sibs, the volumes of adulthood, their resistance and restriction on tolerated inventory. So the game could well be turned into a meat juman a la serious Senya or arrange a real hardcore, but one could, in general, almost complete freedom.

This is what a window with the choice of equipment looked like

Now regarding the equipment of the hero. Inventory for Mallins could also be chosen by yourself before each of the operations that had a duration of several levels. First, we are opened with a window with a description of the mission, and then the cherished weapons menu with a list of available guns and additional objects like grenades, NPV, body armor, etc.D. John Mallins had several slots in his pockets, some of them were allocated specifically for trunks, and the remaining consumables. At the same time, the weapon could occupy both one slot and two at once – it depended on the size of the gun, but the standard set usually made up a gun and two large trunks, that is, as in the column, and plus a knife that the hero always keeps with him in several copies, so that on occasion, they could be thrown into enemies, which I already mentioned already mentioning them. The rest of the weapon can be harvested directly on the battlefield. By the way, the first -aid kits in the soldier were good lucky as eating on the spot, these are such machines screwed up in the walls, like those that were in Half Life, and Healthpack, which the hero put in his pocket and used at the request of the player, but the number of them was, of course, strictly limited.

I will not say that every weapon could come in handy, some were completely useless. There are also recommendations in the choice of which guns are best used on each of the missions, but frankly, I paid attention to this when I had already passed polygists with a standard set: a gun, a shotgun and SMG, and this was enough for me with my head. It is unlikely, playing Soldier of Fortune, one could encounter such a thing as a shortage of cartridges, because mostly opponents run with the same trunks as Mallins. However, I was so struck by the local animations that I continued to waste bullets, just to see the next bandit in the dying dance of the next dance. By the way, the corpses also take a job, if you shoot or beat them with a knife … Well, in fact, after such experiments, I stayed with one knife, but a gun. The only futuristic gun for the entire game, which is given almost at the very end, was especially cool, it burned enemies directly, and although, in principle, it would be possible to do without it, but to play such gizmos, especially if you can hold them for a very short time.

Realism is realism, but a laser is laid to any hero

Siberian soul. Baghdad beauties

Despite the fact that the hero brings in a variety of areas on Earth, few of them could at least be remembered by something: basically these are some narrow streets or corridors of secret objects that crash in memory only with their color scheme. I remember Baghdad, because everything is in sand tones, Siberia was remembered, because there was snow, and Africa is because this is the only mission in which we shoot opponents on the Ninth Plain by the train. But no labyrinths and branches at the levels, as in some Chaser, The Lord is his soul, there was no Soldier of Fortune. A purely linear shooter in which it was impossible to get lost, and no back -crew, well, just manna heavenly!

Oh yes, I forgot to say. Siberia is still remembered because it is Siberia, that is, Russia is our mother! Accordingly, the bandits here speak Russian and all the names are also written in Russian (for some reason, in the missions in Yugoslavia, everything is also in Russian). Moreover, even stress was placed so that Russian -speaking players could correctly read the word “output” or “hospital”. Well, I think that each of you remembers the famous inscription “Wait! Terrible entrance “, which can rightfully be considered a cult along with” no smoking “in Singularity. Unfortunately, there was no mat in the voice acting of Russian bandits, but even listening to their remarks was very funny: “drop your gun!”.

What realism can be discussed if the game does not have a worthy sound accompaniment? And in this regard, Raven again tried to fame: shots sound just as they should sound, they feel the strength and power in them! Enemies to horrify beliefly publish dying screams and gurgling. The votes of the actors sound very stereotypically: the actor Parsons speaks like a typical “steep black” of militants, and Mallins sounds so brutal that his voice does not quite fit with the visual appearance of this good -natured barbel. But then he had this voice! But at that time, the dumb, dumb chief agencies began to come into fashion, which for the entire game could not squeeze out a word, so for this a separate respect for Rayven.

It makes no sense to discuss the game schedule of 2000 after 20 years: old, angular, soapy … But this does not diminish the virtues of the game, and I repeat it for the first time, and perhaps I was repelled, but I really got high, because despite the accumulated visual, the main chips of Soldier of Fortune are still fresh, as if fresh, as it were strangeIt sounded. I just really do not see in modern playwoists of such an abundance of all kinds of animations of death and a similar level of dissection. We will not compare with the doom, it’s still a different field of the berry, but let’s say the same Call of Duty, Battlefield and other pop series, in which you will not see such a script on a checkpoint on a checkpoint on a script.

This gentleman had just dancing the animation of the wounded leg, at the same time dropping the machine gun, and barely the realization that he was unarmed to comprehend his head, he fell into a stupor. Snocks do not give up!

A couple of bugs, I, of course, found: I will not successfully step on the stairs, and get stuck;then the enemy’s abandoned animation with a shot foot, returning to his former rack, simply froze in place, holding an invisible trunk in his hands;The corpses behave strangely – some remain, others blur in the air right in front of our eyes … It’s not that all this was critical, and it is worth making a discount on the release date, then perfectly clean, ridiculous from glitches and bugs of games in nature did not exist at all.

Of the minuses, it would be possible to distinguish the main menu of the game: it is made in the form of it is not clear what significant buttons, only somewhere below it is explained by small print to you what awaits you after pressing this or another square, and playing on a wide screen you do not even notice this tiny line.

For me, this game was a discovery and even in spite of my venerable age I was very pleased. I generally like to plunge in the era of the zero and remember the old toasters or to get acquainted with me still unknown. And this time I did not regret it again. It is a pity that the crows stopped making their own games, which they turned out to be by no means good (and even very good), and went into the back room for the developers of Call of Duty. Soldier of Fortune, the fate of oblivion suffered: the second part, which came out two years later, was able to withstand the bar of the first part, although it turned out quite controversial, but the third SOF was the last in the series, and having failed on all the fronts, she put the cross in the future of a soldier of good luck.