Soldner

Do not adjust your spell-check software. Soldner is actually German for "mercenary," but our loose translation is "interesting FPS game." It looks like this newest entry in the quickly bloating Battlefield-wannabe genre will stand out with a massive destructible environment, tons of modern military might, and some extra design firepower thrown in for good measure.

How will Soldner distinguish itself from the pack? For starters, its huge map, which measures roughly four-by-six miles, not only looks good—it's also fully destructible. You can lay waste to trees with a FAMAS and watch 'em fall. More important for the game's development manager, Kevin Hoekman, though, is that "the days of camping in a building are over." While waxing poetic about safely sniping away from inside buildings in Battlefield 1942, Hoekman rolled a Type 85 tank into—and through—the wall of a house.

As you may have gathered, Soldner equips troops with the latest and greatest in warfare technology, including roughly 60 weapons and 70 vehicles. Yes, those itching to launch a Stinger at an Mi-17 helicopter carrying a T90 tank will get their chance. There are six character classes: soldier, scout, medic, sniper, heavy-weapons expert/engineer, and the new twist, the commander class. Able to go out in the field and deal damage, the commander also has satellite access and can see and command from a top-down view.

Like most current massive combat games, expect frenzied multiplayer action. Thirty-two players can be accommodated in a run-of-the-mill fight, but those using a Linux server on the back end will be able to host 128-player fights. And, according to Hoekman, you'll be able to change server settings via a webpage.

What about the single-player campaign? The shoestring plot places you in the year 2010. Because they've blown their budgets on firearms, the superpowers have gone bust. As a result, local mercenary forces have to come together to defend their turf. With 250 randomly generated objectives, even the single-player experience promises good replayability.

And if all that still doesn't make you happy, don't worry: This game is fully modable. In fact, Hoekman says the game ships with every tool you'll need, so expect to see new maps, soldier and vehicle skins, and weapons from the modding community shortly after we go to war in February.

The Word: Incoming!

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Computer Gaming World.