Soldat Review
Overview: Soldat is a freeware online game in the same vein as Liero, Worms, Quake and Doom. Basically you control a guy in a variety of side scrolling maps whose main agenda is to decimate the other guys using an assortment of weaponry.
Gameplay: The gameplay of Soldat is superb, it's so simplistic but the creator, Michael Marcinkowski, has managed to create a game which is even more fun than a lot of retail products. The large number of weapons, and the impressive bonuses (Flame God just plain kicks arse) will have you playing for hours, both online and off. Yes, that's right, this is an online game and that's where it really shines. It's so much fun to go into a game and blast the crap out of complete strangers, especially when you've mastered the control system. Speaking of, that is possibly the one downfall to the game, though a minor one. The controls will take a bit of getting used to, with the mouse controlling your aim and firing, and the keyboard for movement, at first this is a bit daunting due to the 2d nature of the game, but with a few minutes you'll have adapted and will be ready to kick some butt.
Visuals: This game looks stunning for what it is, plain and simple. Sure, it lacks the dynamic lighting, reflections, and other pretty extras which don't actually make a game better, but for what it is it looks stunning. The main area of the visuals which astounds me is the animation of the men running around, every movement is incredibly fluid, especially the death animations, the rag doll effects are simply breathtaking (you'll be killing your opponents in some interesting ways simply to watch the way they move in the air). each pickup looks distinct, and the game does take use of some 3d effects (mainly the characters it seems) and considering this is all in a 6mb download you can understand why this section rates so well.
Sound: The sounds are beautiful from the shotgun to the minigun to the flamethrower each weapon has a distinct sound to it that sets it apart from the rest. The sounds of the soldiers as they get blown apart is equally splendid, and, something I never thought I would say but, I actually enjoy the music in this game. There are two tracks Battle and Gore and they just really suit the mood, especially Gore. It's hard to express the enjoyment you receive when you kill your opponents with some good thrash metal playing in the background.
Lastability: As I said before Soldat is an online game therefore the majority of your playing will be against other human opponents. Online games are always long lasting because they are often updated with extra maps, new weapons, etc. I doubt this game is any different. Add to this the fact that there are five game modes to choose from some, like Rambo Match, are quite interesting and put a new spin on the genre.
Conclusion: All in all, Soldat is an addictive, wait, that's not enough, Soldat is an INSANELY addictive deathmatch feast. Yes, you will spend hours playing this game, you will start playing and won't stop until Dutch has tasted death for the hundredth time. So once you're finished here head over to the links section and go to the Soldat site, you won't regret it.
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Where can it go wrong? With nearly 15 weapons, 5 bonuses, about 20 maps, and online play it simply doesn't get much more fun than this. Controls take a second to get used to but that's the only negative. |
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Stunning animations, and rock solid play on even the slower systems make up for the lack of detail in terrain. |
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Shotguns sound like shotguns, grenades sound like grenades and a couple of well placed music tracks round out the sound category. |
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With five game modes and an ever increasing population of gamers ready to do battle over the Net, Soldat is proof that you can play a game for months and not get bored of it. Add to this that the creator is constantly updating with new maps and general fixes and you will see that this game shows even greater promise for the future. |
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I have two words for you, addictive and fun. Nothing else can describe this game. |
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