With a handful of great war based FPS games on the market at the moment the question is whether or not Soldner will live up to its peers. To play the game is much like sitting down to watch Scarface and finding you've rented Gigli instead.

This may be an unfair comment of a game which isn't actually that bad to play. It is purely that given its first impressions it doesn't stand up against some of the other games of this genre currently on the market. As the play progresses it is apparent that the game has more depth in the single player mode than some of the other titles on the market at the moment, such as Battle field Vietnam which is very much online orientated. The missions have increasingly greater levels of depth and become more and more difficult as they progress. The added dimension to the single player separates it from the multiplayer, wherein the player is playing as part of a team of other online players. The player must also command a unit of troops by keyboard commands in the online status and if applicable voice units can be used to activate commands. This brings a dimension to the game that some other war based FPS games do not contain. Other titles such as Ghost Recon have used squad commands but have not had the online content.

Graphically, Soldner really hits its low points. The backgrounds and scenery are not up to the quality expected in games of this genre. None of the textures seem correct when playing and certain points on the map are not detailed and left quite bland. It fails to stand up against other games of this year and also some of the games from last year. The whole game experience is affected by the lack of detail as the atmosphere within the mission is lost. I personally have a PC more than capable of dealing with most of the new games on the market and was more than a bit frustrated to have to reduce some of the graphic qualities in order to enjoy the experience more. Even with the graphics on high quality the actual presentation of the surrounding area is poor. There is not enough realism in the territory to create a gaming environment worthy of a place in todays market. The only plus point that can be pulled from a graphical analysis of Soldner is the interactivity of the scenery: trees can be knocked down, albeit by somewhat lacklustre vehicles, and some sections of buildings can be destroyed, although I was upset to find an automatic rifle couldn't shoot through a window.

Game play wise Soldner brings a new level with its in depth single player missions and MMO status. It combines an approach to single player games that have made previous titles successful. Using challenging missions and a weapon bonus system with online content, Soldner allows the fast paced action of multiplayer gaming that has engulfed many a player. The servers will need to be strong to support a full multiplayer game as it can be graphically challenging to lesser systems and thus affect an online ping rate. The missions themselves have varying levels of difficulty and a large weapon selection depending on the status of the player and how many points have been accrued in previous missions. New weaponry that has been unlocked in previous missions immediately becomes available for the next, meaning that missions can be selected in a specific order to enable the player to have new helpful weapons for later missions.

The sound quality is good both in game and in mission, although the reoccurring 'ZOLDNER' can be irritating. The gun sounds differs depending on what you are using and the surrounding area has sounds effects such as rain and different terrain noises.

All in all Soldner is a disappointing effort but not completely pointless to try. The single player missions have varying depth and challenges, ranging from delivery to destruction. They can make the game enjoyable and last longer. However, to attempt to pass it off as something that will stand tall against titles such as Battlefield Vietnam and the Single player qualities of Far Cry would be unfair. If only for the single player mission depth Soldner is worth trying but the frustrating lack of graphical quality means it may be back on the shelf or in the cupboard before to long.