There are so many first-person shooters available for the PC, that it's difficult to see how any game in the genre is ever going to compete on its release unless it is a definitive 'must buy' title. Usually this means including a compelling storyline, innovative gameplay, intelligent AI and perhaps more importantly than ever before, the inclusion of an expansive and fully functioning experience. Sadly, whilst UberSoldier looked promising in development, it has failed to improve to a benchmark standard set by its competitors - not least since it does not include online functionality.

You have to give it to the game's developer, Burut software; they've given every one of the game's elements a good go. The game is a crazy concoction of zombie individuals and a tale of revenge, all set in the midst of World War II. A group of German nerd-types have stumbled across a discovery that enables fallen soldiers to be brought back to life as undead creatures with powers of superhuman proportions - the Nazi's want to harness this power to create an elite army. Now, as avid cartoon watchers will know, no matter what the creature, when it is born the first thing it comes into contact with is its Mama. In a similar vane, the alliance of soldiers brought back from the dead is determined by the first person they speak to after being awoken. In a bit of bad luck for the Nazis, you play the role of Karl Stoltz, a German who first comes into contact with a member of the Allied forces after being woken from his partial, um, eternal slumber. Stoltz is none too happy with what his countrymen have done to him, so he decides to side with the allies on a mission to take down the Axis once and for all.

The main difference between a regular soldier and Stoltz the super soldier is his ability to stop bullets in their tracks by surrounding himself with a defensive force field. The force field is acquired by directing numerous headshots in quick succession. This ability is moderated by a meter, which, when filled means that enemy fire will not penetrate your shield, either dropping to the floor in front of you or rebounding right back at them. Obviously most people's first thoughts would be that this is a blatant copy of Neo's ability in The Matrix films, but on further consideration you are sure to come to the conclusion that this is a well-established method of protection, implemented in games and films many years previous to the trilogy starring Keanu Reeves - or probably not, as the case may be. Either way, it's a novel inclusion, though it does make some of the more expectedly challenging areas of the game easier to complete as they might have ordinarily been.

Other than Stoltz's bullet-repelling ability, UberSoldier's level structure and game play is a simple case of making your way in a linear fashion from the start of a level to the finish, completing generic mission objectives and making sure that no foes along the way are left standing. The enemy AI seems not to have advanced significantly from the preview versions of the game, although they have a competent degree of intelligence, there are still often moments where they act deaf when a grenade explodes or otherwise totally oblivious to one of their comrades being murdered just a few feet away. If there's anything positive out of static enemy targets, it's a chance to demonstrate some of the game's impressive over-the-top rag doll physics which fit snugly into the realization of the game's already unreal storyline. Depending on the angle from which they are attacked, enemies fly, somersault and crash into walls, proceeding to then die in a fashion that'll have you grinning and saying something along the lines of, 'Ha! Have that, you inferior UberSoldier, you!' Best make sure no one's watching at the time, mind you.

One of UberSoldier's most impressive elements is its convincing World War II environments, shown off in their entirety by what, even in earlier versions of the game was an already impressive graphics engine. Whether exploring bombed out cities, secret military bases or battling onboard one of the game's most interesting environments, a U-Boat, every part of the backdrop is beautifully rendered in hi-resolution quality polygons. On the other hand, the number of different character models is still limited, (though this could always be covered by a 'they're zombies... zombies all look the same. Duh' excuse, it's a little bit uninteresting and deflating to keep running into the same set of people throughout). Sound wise, Uber Solider performs expectedly enough, but not spectacularly. There's the usual moans, groans and screams from the enemy and a whole load of different sound effects for bullets shooting from the barrels of the game's large selection of weaponry, but nothing that's likely to have you cranking the volume up to convince the neighbours that World War III is kicking off inside your bedroom.

To utilise a completely unrelated analogy, UberSolider is the ever faithful, once queen of the dolls, Barbie while something like Counter-Strike is Bratz, the new kid on the block reveling in the attention its receiving and showing Barbie up. While Barbie's still trundling along, going for trips in her motor home, the Bratz are out partying and cheating on their boyfriends like the socialites that they are. If Barbie is ever to regain her crown, she'll have to do the same one day, otherwise she'll forever be in the shadow of her rivals. In the same light... sort of... UberSolider lacks online play and offers an average, ageing, gaming experience - Counter-Strike does the opposite. Sure UberSoldier is a budget release, but sometimes you pay for what you get... and sometimes true quality deserves spending a few more notes. Uber by name but despite a hardy effort, not, unfortunately, by nature.

57%

By Andrew Macarthy

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  1. kasbaji Unregistered 3 years ago

    tres tres ters

    biennnnnnnn