SOLDAT Review

Soldat is as simple of a side view shooting game as you'll find. This game which takes elements from games like Worms and Quake gives you fast action gameplay with tons of fighting, blood, and flesh, presented in an easy to play manner. Though it's much less advanced than other FPS games available, this shooter is bound to keep you entertained, if only for a short time.

Soldat Basics

In Soldat you control a character that fights either online or against computer Bots in a 2D side view game. The game has 7 modes including deathmatch and capture the flag, and has five difficulty settings, making it available for more players.

As the game opens you are given a choice of both primary and secondary weapons. There are 10 primary weapons ranging from a rapid firing chain gun to a spiz-12 shotgun to even a chainsaw as an interesting secondary weapon. The weapons are all relatively similar and have their own ups and downs. Each time you die you are presented with a choice of both primary and secondary weapons.

Controls

As you play you'll find out that the gameplay in Soldat is really simple. Though at times the jumping is hard to control, most everything is pretty simple due to the 2-D vantage point and side view. You can move left and right with the A and D keys and jump with the W. These are the only movements besides “flying” and crouching that are solely for your body's moving.

The mouse, like in almost all shooting based games, controls your firing and your aiming. The right click also controls your shoes' jet boost that propels you into the air. This boost can be difficult to manage, however, it recharges quickly so you will be able to try it frequently and master it. Other actions you have control of in this game are the launching of grenades and reloading your weapons.

Be Aware of Your Environment

You will quickly realize the importance of scanning your environment and paying attention to your vitals while you play. With the mouse you can view your immediate surrounding area. This proves to be helpful when trying to figure out whether or not the coast is clear or if enemies are attacking. Knowing where the attack is coming from helps with preparing a defense and taking down your opponents. Scanning your environment also helps for locating bonuses which can increase your health, give your more grenades, and other perks.

The status bar at the bottom of the screen is also an important thing to note while playing. This bar gives your health, boost, and ammunition levels. Keeping all of these levels high is important, especially when you are getting ready to take on one of your opponents.

Perspective Difficulties

As far as overall quality is concerned Soldat is lacking at best. Things in the game are not aesthetically pleasing and maneuvering the menu is difficult and poses quite a struggle. There is little to no effort on the game's graphics and the aural qualities are also bad. The 2-D graphics take away from a lot of the potential fun and the side view perspective is rather poorly done. Yes, side view games can be great (Super-Smash Bros is one of N64's best games), however this game is less than impressive.

The movements are difficult to execute and the gun fighting is hard to engage in and win. The overall quality from graphics to gameplay is not on the level as many other FPS or shooter downloads, free or not.

Conclusion - Decent But a Few Difficulties Drag It Down

All in all Soldat is an unimpressive game that might provide you with some type of gaming pleasure. The graphics and 2-D side view camera angle make this a game that is less than perfect, however, there are still elements that are surprisingly fun. Since this is a free download give it a try and determine for yourself if you actually like it. It's not on par with most FPS games, yet it's not bad and can be engaging.