Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers

“There aren’t any new game concepts.” I hear that way too much. I reply by asking them if they’ve played a few specific, highly innovative games. One of the titles I mention is Full Spectrum Warrior, a real-time, on-the-ground-and-in-your-face strategy game that blew me away when it was released last year. I was so impressed that, at the end of my review, I said that the developers might as well have called it “Full Spectrum Brilliance.”

Awaiting a sequel but not thinking I’d get one (yet), I didn’t go into E3 with full spectrum anticipation.

Shortly before the show began it was confirmed that a new FSW game was on the way – Ten Hammers. I rejoiced but at the same time wondered: can they pull it off? Can they make a grand sequel that quickly?

My question was answered when I arrived at THQ’s booth, and that answer is yes.

Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers doubles the number of teams you can control. The new teams – the third and fourth teams – include new gameplay mechanics like controlling a special forces sniper team (!) and driving a jeep or tank (!!!).

No limits apply to when teams can be selected. Any can be chosen at any time with the press of a button. Each team member has his own weapon, his own strength, and his own way of attacking. These elements were present before, but now you have a legion of new, more sophisticated enemies to worry about. There are more places to hide, and more firepower on both sides of the war.

Tanks are awesome because of their versatility. Almost nothing can touch them. You can literally use it as a movable shield. Follow behind the tank and stay clear of oncoming bullets. Staying behind might also protect you from a well-targeted missile, but you’d better not be standing too close to the tank when it hits. Otherwise you’ll get to find out what it’s like to emulate the actions of your favorite Mortal Kombat fatality.

Ten Hammers’s graphics have not yet reached the level of realism that the original offered. The animations are in place, the camera is reliable, and the frame rate is solid, to say the least. Some of the new locales are narrower than the wide-open cities players are used to navigating, but the game held up well. New areas present new challenges, both to the players and the developers, and right now they’re very satisfying.

New to the series is the ability to infiltrate buildings and coordinate attacks from there. With a sniper team in place, have your other teams move toward the target. The sniper can keep watch over the area and take out anyone who poses a threat to your unguarded soldiers. This could end up creating the most exciting scenarios in the game, forcing players to frantically switch between teams, scan the area for danger, and make sure that everyone is covered at all times.

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