Overall: I kind of feel that playing this game was more or less a measure of how much mediocrity I can handle before falling into a coma. Curiosity got the best of me and despite all the negative press surrounding SOF: Pay Back, I had to give it a shot. I really enjoyed the first two installments of the SOF franchise and felt these games broke new ground in visceral carnage, physics, and gameplay. I truly felt I got what I paid for and was pleased with the final presentation. Times have changed and it’s no secret that today’s gamer demands more and more from developers. I for one want something that is engaging, entertaining, thrilling, and challenging. As a consumer, I feel it is in my right to demand more than average creativity from developers as I spend my hard earned money buying their products. With all the creative resources available in the industry, there is no excuse to pump out garbage for the sake of publishing a game to make a buck. Soldier of Fortune: Pay Back is a prime example of this attitude and truly should insult gamers.
The selling point of SOF: Pay Back is gore and excessive violence...and that's about it. My expectations for this title were a bit too high. I suppose I was thinking that there would be some gripping underlying story, some concrete missions along with a few plot twists, and not to mention some seriously well crafted AI. Unfortunately, all is absent with this mindless run and gun gorefest. The AI? Forget about it. It doesn't exist. Your enemies will charge at you like rhinos in heat and offer no challenge via duck and cover behavior. PLEASE give me a challenge instead of going through a full magazine within seconds!! Having said that, when your enemies do make an attempt to cover or flank, it's comical and I feel like I'm stuck in a Looney Tunes cartoon with the theme music on loop. Aside from the enemy interactivity, let's talk about the weaponry. I can't really complain about the weapon models...but when you use the same ones over and over again, it gets boring. Because the game itself offers no true challenge, there is no need for most of the weapons to begin with! I got through most of this game with an @!%#*!ault rifle and shotgun...oh and my trusty pistol...good times.
Let's talk about the graphics. Nothing special here folks and quite honestly this title could easily p@!%#*! last gen Xbox specs. Jagged models, inconsistent textures, framerate hiccups, shadow density issues, looping wind and feathering effects...it just reeks. I appreciate artistic integrity and know that it takes a lot of work and dedication to put together a game that is visual nirvana. But mediocre is mediocre and it should be called out. This is not the ugliest dog in the kennel but it sure was beaten a few times.
The sound is sub par at best. The soundtrack overlaps depending on the current framerate and the outbursts of enemies seems almost too random that it's just funny. I felt like I was at rave concert at times with all the ambiance going on. Audio in a game is just as important as visual elements and so there are no excuses for this lackluster effort.
Multiplayer...wait...there's multiplayer? Hmmm...didn't notice. Honestly, it's not even worth commenting. There is nothing here that is special, unique or different that separates itself from the rest. I felt that this was just as boring as the campaign and not worth any time.
So is there anything I liked from the game? Well it was fun blowing away people while watching fountains of blood spurting out everywhere. This thrill only lasts for about 10 minutes...then it got old. I'm quite sure the marketing gimmick for this game was the "EXCESSIVE VIOLENCE AND GORE"...kind of like that "UNRATED AND UNCENSORED" stickers you get on DVD's...doesn't necessarily mean the product is good. Sadly enough, it does produce sales.
Like a mantra, I’ll say again that I expect more from developers and I'll stick by my word. There is no reason to play this game...ever. It's like a bad c@!%#*!erole...it leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth and stays with you for awhile. This game is so frustrating in nature that it makes you want to set your controller down and swear off the console for awhile. Perhaps I’ve been too spoiled with titles like Gears of War or Bioshock. Be that as it may, this title is not the absolute worst available but it’s most certainly a candidate.
Made in Canada