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{{Infobox VG |title=Soldier of Fortune |image= Soldier of Fortune Coverart.png |caption=Cover art for ''Soldier of Fortune'' |developer=[[Raven Software]] |publisher=[[Activision]] |designer= |engine=[[id Tech 2|Quake II]] <small>(with Raven's custom SDK)</small> |version=1.07 |released=March 27, 2000 |genre=[[First-person shooter]] |modes=[[Single-player video game|Single-player]], [[multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] |ratings={{vgratings|BBFC=18|ESRB=M (Mature)|OFLC=MA15+}} |platforms=[[Microsoft Windows]], [[Linux]], [[PlayStation 2]], [[Dreamcast]] |media=[[CD-ROM]], [[DVD]], [[GD-ROM]] |requirements= |input= }} :''This article concerns the first-person shooter. For the SNES and Genesis game Soldiers of Fortune, see [[The Chaos Engine]]''. '''''Soldier of Fortune''''' (also known as '''''SoF''''') is a [[first-person shooter]] game created by [[Raven Software]] and published by [[Activision]] on March 27, 2000 for [[Microsoft Windows]]. It uses a modified [[id Tech 2]] [[game engine]]. It was later released on the [[PlayStation 2]] as well as the [[Dreamcast]], while [[Loki Software]] also made a port for [[Linux]]. Two [[sequel]]s were later made to the game as well. == Story== The story involves the theft of [[nuclear weapon]]s, and the main enemy turns out to be an [[Afrikaner]] [[Neo-Nazism|Neo-Nazi]] group based in [[Germany]], led by Sergei Dekker. At the beginning of the game, terrorists steal four nuclear weapons from a storage facility in [[Russia]], and proceed to sell them to various [[third world]] nations. This is a prelude to the acquisition of advanced [[weapons of mass destruction]] by this terrorist group. John Mullins, working for a U.S.-based [[mercenary]] ("soldier of fortune") organization known only as "The Shop", and his partner, Aaron "Hawk" Parsons, are assigned to prevent the nukes from falling into the wrong hands, and stop the terrorists in their plans. === Locations === *[[New York City]] ([[New York City Subway|NYC Subway]], back alleys and warehouses): fighting a [[white power skinhead]] gang led by Dekker's brother Wilhelm "Saber" Dekker. Missions ''Rescue and Kill'' (1) and ''Sabre'' (6). *[[Soroti]], [[Uganda]] (cargo train): fighting Ugandan rebels. Mission ''Nuke Retrieval'' (2). *[[Gračanica, Kosovo]] (sewers, city ruins, a former [[NATO]] airfield): fighting [[Serbs|Serb]] militants. Mission ''Queen Bee'' (3). *[[Uyedineniya Island]], [[Siberia]], [[Russia]] (canyon, military base and chemical plant): fighting Russian soldiers. Mission ''Nest Egg'' (4). *[[Baghdad]], [[Basra]], [[Iraq]] (town, military bunker, military airfield & cargo airplane, fortress, oil refinery): fighting soldiers of [[Saddam Hussein]] and General Amu. Missions ''Lightfoot'' (5) and ''White Rabbit'' (9). *[[Kordofan]], [[Sudan]] (train yard, slaughterhouse, missile factory): fighting Sudanese troops. Mission ''Dragonfire'' (7). *[[Tokyo]], [[Japan]] (backstreets, corporate HQ, penthouse): fighting [[yakuza]] thugs and ninja assassins. Mission ''Jessica Six'' (8). *[[Hamburg]], [[Germany]] (castle): fighting Sergei Dekker and his men. Mission ''Endgame'' (10). ==Graphics== ''Soldier of Fortune'' was built around a modified version of the ''[[Quake II]]'' engine at the time of its release.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/162/162287p1.html |title=Soldier of Fortune |work=IGN PC |publisher=[[IGN]] |last=Blevins|first=Tal |date=2000-04-03}}</ref> It was the first game to utilize the GHOUL damage model engine developed by Raven Software. This introduced the ability to dismember enemies in combat, adding to the realism of the game. Upgraded versions of the GHOUL system was later used in other Raven titles such as ''[[Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix]]'' and ''[[Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast]]''. ==Gameplay== [[File:Soldier-Of-Fortune-Violence.png|thumb|right|220px|Exploding an enemies head using the GHOUL engine]] A controversial video game, ''Soldier of Fortune'' was best known for its [[Graphic violence|graphic depictions]] of firearms dismembering the human body. This graphic violence is the game's main stylistic attraction, much like the [[destructible environment]]s of ''[[Red Faction]]'' or [[bullet time]] of ''[[Max Payne]]''. The GHOUL engine enables depiction of extreme graphic violence, in which character models are based on body parts that can each independently sustain damage ([[gore]] zones). There are 26 zones in total. A shot to the head with a powerful gun will often make the target's head explode, leaving nothing but the bloody stump of the neck remaining; a close-range shot to the stomach with a [[shotgun]] will leave an enemy's bowels in a bloody mess, and a shot to the nether regions will cause the victims to clutch their groin in agony for a few seconds before keeling over dead. It is possible to shoot off an enemy's limbs (head, arms, legs) leaving nothing left but a bloody torso. In the last mission there is also a fictional [[Directed-energy weapon#Microwaves|microwave weapon]], causing the enemies to fry or explode, depending on the firing mode. However, [[nonviolence]] is a possibility, if the player is a good shot it is possible to shoot an enemy's weapon out of their hand, causing them to cower on the floor to surrender. The game also came with options to disable all gore and there is even a version of the game with the extreme violence permanently locked-out, called '''''Soldier of Fortune: Tactical Low-Violence Version'''''.<ref>[http://www.mobygames.com/game/soldier-of-fortune-tactical-low-violence-version Soldier of Fortune: Tactical Low-Violence Version] ([[MobyGames]])</ref> ==Reception== ''Soldier of Fortune'' was praised as being a solid and entertaining shooter, with one of the game's greatest praises being its graphic depiction of gore and violence, which both proponents and detractors consider to be more realistic than most first-person shooter games. {{cquote|Shoot someone in the foot, they hop around for a moment yelping in pain. Shoot someone in the throat, they grasp at their throat, gurgle, and fall to the floor. They don't always die, however. I walked around one room for five minutes trying to figure out where a soft slurping sound was coming from only to find that one of my targets was on the floor, alive, yet gurgling softly through a hole in his throat. Nice touch. You can even shoot the gun from someone's hands if your aim is good enough.”|30px|| J. Neil Doane|Linux Journal<ref>[http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/4381 Soldier of Fortune for Linux] ([[Linux Journal]])</ref>}} Critical reaction was positive, with the 82.30% average rating based on 32 reviews of the PC version. However, the Dreamcast version's reception was less enthusiastic, with the 71.06% average rating (reviewers criticized the loading times, which were both frequent and extremely lengthy).<ref>[http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/198689-soldier-of-fortune/index.html Soldier of Fortune PC] ([[GameRankings]])</ref> === Violence controversy === In 2000, after receiving a complaint from a member of the public about the explicit content of the game, the [[British Columbia Film Classification Office]] investigated and decided the violence, gore and acts of torture were not suitable for persons under 18 years of age. In a controversial decision, the game was labeled an "adult motion picture" and was rated Restricted. In Germany, the game was placed on the [[Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien|Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons index]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thefreeradical.ca/ministry_of_attorney_general_bc_.htm |title=B.C. Film Classification Soldier of Fortune Decision |publisher=The Free Radical |author=McCausland, Mary-Louise |date=2000-07-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thefreeradical.ca/bc_labels_brutal_video_game_as_a.htm |title=B.C. Labels 'Brutal' Video Game as Adult Film |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |last=Lunman |first=Kim |date=2000-07-12 |page=A1}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thefreeradical.ca/company_to_appeal_games_x.htm |title=Company to Appeal Game's X-Rating|work=The Globe and Mail |last=Lunman |first=Kim |date=2000-08-12 |page=A3}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/articles/violence/video_restrict.cfm |title=Soldier of Gore: Excessively Violent Video Game restricted by B.C. Film Commissioner |work=The Globe and Mail |date=2000-06-12}}</ref> ==Legacy== Signs of ''Soldier of Fortune''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s success are still evident today with still many thousands of active players.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} To this date many stores still sell ''Soldier of Fortune'', though it's usually found via online download stores. ===Sequels=== Based on its success, Raven Software and Activision later published ''[[Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix]]'' in 2002, based on the [[id Tech 3|''Quake III: Team Arena'' engine]]. Initially released for Windows, the sequel was later [[porting|ported]] to the [[Xbox]]. A third game in the series, ''[[Soldier of Fortune: Payback]]'' was made by [[Cauldron HQ]] and released on November 14, 2007. A MMOFPS based on the series, ''Soldier of Fortune Online'' was published in Korea by Dragonfly and went in Closed Beta on August 12, 2010 and ended on August 16, 2010. ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.ravensoft.com/GamesDetail/tabid/76/XMID/16/Default.aspx Raven's Soldier of Fortune page] *{{MobyGames|id=/soldier-of-fortune|name=''Soldier of Fortune''}} {{Soldier of Fortune series}} {{Raven Software}} {{Loki Software}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Soldier Of Fortune (Video Game)}} [[Category:2000 video games]] [[Category:Activision games]] [[Category:Dreamcast games]] [[Category:First-person shooters]] [[Category:Linux games]] [[Category:Multiplayers games]] [[Category:PlayStation 2 games]] [[Category:Raven Software games]] [[Category:Windows games]] [[Category:Video game censorship]] [[Category:Video game controversies]] [[Category:Video games set in Africa]] [[Category:Video games set in Germany]] [[Category:Video games set in Iraq]] [[Category:Video games set in Japan]] [[Category:Video games set in New York City]] [[Category:Video games set in Russia]] [[de:Soldier of Fortune]] [[fr:Soldier of Fortune]] [[it:Soldier of Fortune (videogioco)]] [[nl:Soldier of Fortune]] [[ja:Soldier of Fortune]] [[pl:Soldier of Fortune]] [[pt:Soldier of Fortune Platinum]] [[ru:Soldier of Fortune]] [[sk:Soldier of Fortune (počítačová hra)]] [[sv:Soldier of Fortune]] [[zh:命运战士]] [[Category:Single player games]] [[Category:Multiplayer online games]]
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