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| By Chris McVeigh It is a dismal night. A heavy shower breaks through the jungle canopy, generating a thunderous patter as it strikes the leafy underbrush. The only light you see comes from a small outpost in the distance where a lone commando stands guard. His gun is thrown over his back, and his arms are folded close to his body. He’s cold. You watch with amusement as he moves from side to side in a hopeless attempt to escape the rain. |
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Watch your step. Enemy commandos lie hidden
in the grass, ready to pounce.
in the grass, ready to pounce.
MacPlay’s Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix is an exhilarating new Mac OS X-only game that allows you to step into the shoes of a mercenary. A bio-terrorist organization is threatening to unleash a mysterious virus on the world unless their lofty demands are met. Your mission is to root out these madmen, uncover their horrific plans, and destroy the virus before it can infect all of humanity.
“Adrenaline completely drives you in Soldier of Fortune II,” says Mark Cottam, president of MacPlay. “[and] only Mac OS X can keep up the unbelievable pace.”
Mercenary For Hire
Soldier of Fortune II places you in the role of John Mullins, a professional mercenary with a distinguished career in the Army’s Special Forces. He’s a highly decorated veteran who served three tours in Vietnam and earned three Purple Hearts. Mullins retired from the military twelve years ago, and now tackles missions for a secret organization known only as “The Shop.” He boasts strength and speed that few men possess, and has built a reputation for getting the job done when no one else can.
The game is so visually stunning that it’s sometimes hard to keep your eyes on your target.
The character of John Mullins is not a composite of Hollywood’s catchphrase-spouting action heroes, however. The game’s central character is actually patterned on his flesh and blood counterpart (read the bio on page two).
“I think what appeals to people about Soldier of Fortune II is [that] the game is based on the life experiences of Major John F. Mullins,” says Henry Price, Director of Sales and Marketing at MacPlay. “John served three tours in Vietnam, where he led many top-secret missions, so the game has a real-world feel to it.” The real-life John F. Mullins served as a consultant during the development of the game and helped fine-tune both his character and many of the game’s scenarios.
Adrenaline RushThe game features ten intensive missions that span 70 levels, from the European countryside to the jungles of Colombia. In some missions, you must use extreme stealth. Choose your path carefully, or you will certainly be discovered. In other missions, you’ll engage in full frontal assaults in an effort to overcome the enemy with quick thinking and even quicker action.
Price is enthusiastic about the game’s highly varied game play. “Soldier of Fortune II has an incredible amount of different locations and scenarios,” he explains. “One minute you’re in the jungle and a helicopter starts chasing you. You end up on the back of a speeding truck trying to shoot down the helicopter, and soon, you get to a point where you’re on a ship!”
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A wide variety of weapons (see the sidebar on page 2) are available to you in this first-person-shooter, including submachine guns, assault rifles, and grenades. You’ll even get to use both night- and thermal-vision goggles, allowing you to see deep into the darkness or spot warm bodies in nearby rooms.
Replicating Reality
Solider of Fortune II uses an enhanced version of the Quake III graphics engine to create stunningly realistic environments. The jungles are lush and wet. Grass and trees sway gently in the wind, which alters the course of raindrops as they plummet to the ground. Fog slowly swells on city streets and clouds your vision. Homes and other buildings are filled with decorative objects and wonderfully detailed furniture. And everything from your jacket sleeve to the notes on office bulletin boards are beautifully textured.
The gorgeous graphics are complemented by outstanding motion-captured animation, too. The way the game’s characters walk, talk, and wince in pain is unmistakably human. Price notes that the characters are “fully skeletal, soft-skinned models with an amazing facial animation system. The enemies in Soldier of Fortune II are the most realistic characters you will ever see [in a computer game].”
Weather effects such as fog and rain
help set the game’s somber tone.
help set the game’s somber tone.
Realism is further enhanced through a new combat damage technology that allows for more accurate enemy reactions. Shoot a terrorist in the leg or foot, and he will stumble and fall over. Strike him in the arm, and he may drop his gun. “It is pure genius,” says Price. “[The technology] allows for more animations, more damage, and a lot more action.” And for many gamers, that means a lot more fun.
Mac OS X Only
"Soldier of Fortune II is simply brilliant under Mac OS X," boasts Mark
Cottam. It will be MacPlay’s second game released for Mac OS X only,
with many to follow.
Price cites several important reasons for the decision to develop games only for Mac OS X, including the reliability, quality, and efficiency. He points out that “Mac OS X is a far more reliable operating system. Gaming on the platform will mean fewer crashes and fewer reboots.”
Night missions will keep you on the edge of your seat.
What you don’t know — and don’t see — might just kill you.
What you don’t know — and don’t see — might just kill you.
He also notes that by focusing on only one platform, MacPlay can deliver an optimized product that gives the gamer the best possible gaming experience. This singular focus also increases the company’s efficiency and greatly reduces the time it takes for the product to hit the shelves. Embracing Mac OS X allows MacPlay to “develop more games in a shorter period of time,” explains Price.
Strap Yourself In
The world is in desperate need of a few good mercenaries. To sign up for this daring mission, pick up a copy of Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix at the online Apple Store, your local Apple retail store, or a certified Apple reseller near you. The fate of humanity rests on your shoulders.
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Get disclosed on your contacts/enemies and the weaponry that will be at your disposal.     
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