Full Spectrum Warrior

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Release Date: March 22, 2005

Full Spectrum Warrior

Let's go, Alpha. Let's go, Bravo. Let's just go, go, go!

By tying the camera to the shoulder of a specific fire team member, Full Spectrum creates a very tight, suspenseful, Black Hawk Down-like feel. This simple decision helps escalate the action and simultaneously focuses the player's attention on critical areas and events. The view will bob and puff during a run or bound and will gently settle down when the team is suppressed. Because of this, we're forbidden from utilizing the ultimate god-like bird's eye view of the environment, and are thus forced to deal only with what we can see and hear. That's good and bad.

So, each of the game's fire teams can be directed around the world with the left analog stick, right? If you want to move, you push the stick around and a formation marker drops and floats wherever you point it to. If you opt to flatten your team against an obstruction, the layout will hug the wall and change in shape, allowing your boys to bunch or lineup at a corner evenly. Remember that the camera is always propped on a swivel that happens to be attached to one of your team members. The nature of the formation markers works off this and can make it a little tough to navigate the formation pattern around obstacles. When the game's encounters grow in intensity and quantity, simply moving can be a real pain in the ass.

"Why can't I get on top of those buildings?"

Crap! I'm getting shot.

"Why can't I get around that garbage can?"

Crap! I'm getting shot.

"Why can't I use that piece of equipment?"

Crap! I'm getting shot.

"Why can't I order Alpha to run to a place Bravo can see?"

Crap! I'm getting shot.

"Why can't I snipe more?"

Crap! I'm getting shot.

"Why can't I position my men on the other side of the car right in front of me without having to devote forty seconds of my stupid life to the attempt?"

Crap! I'm getting shot.

I already told you, shoot everyone!

Yup. Expect a good amount of trial and error. There's also a delay between telling your men to do something and them actually doing the bloody thing. This pause often means the difference between life and death when you're trying to reorganize, too. While Pandemic has provided a series of move while covering, disperse and cover, engage, grenade and snipe commands, the delays + camera + transforming layout marker create some aggravating situations. But then I suppose if you're familiar with the Xbox version, you'll have been familiar with all that already. On PS2, FSW is basically the same. It features the same mechanics, ideas and style. In general, that's still a pretty good thing.

In terms of visuals, it's clear that this was an Xbox game first and foremost, but FSW still manages to transfer over well enough thanks to the sparsely populated environments and abundance of bloom lighting. Don't expect the clarity and precision of the PC or Xbox versions, though. On PS2 we get fuzzier graphics, a stuttering framerate, poorly detailed models, stark environments and a "fog brick of war." We would have preferred a minimalist's approach to texturing to allow for some more polygonal detail, better particle effects and a smooth framerate, but it is what it is.

Then there's multiplayer, which is still a cooperative mode that focuses on two people playing through the campaign while in direct control of their own single fire team. We're up for coop play as much as the next guy, but we need more modes and this port is still lacking always essential competitive gameplay.

The Verdict

As a port, Full Spectrum has been weighed, measured, and found wanting. As an original title, Full Spectrum excels, but not without a few problems.


It's different, and certainly worthy of a look, but Full Spectrum will not appeal to everyone. Because of its presentational issues, it may not even appeal to all fans of squad-based strategies.

IGN Ratings for Full Spectrum Warrior (PS2)
A real story would have been nice. A few interface tweaks would have been great.
Fuzzy, choppy and somewhat bland, FSW's visuals are still not without a unique, gritty style.
Terrific effects and great audio compliment excited actors.
Dynamically switching between fire teams to get a good strategic advantage on your enemy is an awesome idea, but the movement marker needs a lot of work.
Lasting Appeal
Cooperative play is just another way of seeing the singleplayer campaign. Without any competitive modes, FSW gets pretty old pretty fast.
(out of 10, not an average)
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Game Details

Published by: THQ
Developed by: Mass Media, Pandemic Studios
Genre: Real-Time Strategy
Release Date:
United States: March 22, 2005
Japan: March 23, 2006
MSRP: 14.99 USD
M for Mature : Blood and Gore, Violence
Also Available On: PS3, Cell, PC, Xbox