Delta Force Xtreme 2 BETA - Preview

Sorry, I can’t really call this a preview, well not in the fullest sense of the word anyway.  You see, while this game is basically going to be a multiplayer-soldiers-running-about-shooting type game and it would appear that the servers were refusing new players.  (I was advised in-game to upgrade – but the link just crashed the computer).  There is no doubt of course that this is purely a beta problem, and there should be no need to worry about this sort of thing happening once the game is finalised, of course.

The non internet connected are catered for with a single player campaign, although there will have to be substantial improvements in the artificial inrelligence (AI) “comrades” for it to become a remotely satisfying experience, but more on that later.

Having decided to see what the UK promotions team for the game were saying about the non working multiplayer aspect of the game, I visited their web site.  Alas, there was nothing about the game anywhere – certainly not in the link they provided, although with some perseverence it was discovered that they were very proud of their innovative technique of advertising on dogs – ‘dogverts’ as you will.  Indeed they say, “It's a well known fact that a dog is man's best friend. They're loyal, obedient, attentive, and perfect for advertising on.” Hmmm… Well it’s an idea isn’t it?

Anyway, dogverts aside, Let's see what the beta of the single player campaign is like.

The level started off reasonably well, with lots of trees and grass and soldiers running about, as helicopters dropped off troops. It was obvious that this is the same old game engine from the previous Joint Ops – but never mind, they do state that it “features improved game play, better weapons, realistic vehicle balancing and tons of new content making it the most complete Delta Force experience yet.”

Which may well be so, unfortunately there was a fairly major stumbling block preventing an extensive look at this campaign.  The gameplay balance is such that it is a basic requirement for the player to have the assistance of their battle hardened AI comrades (or online real people, if that worked) to help kill the bad guys. 

The problem was, and this is after many different attempts, my team of commandos decided to stay in a tent which was discovered a mere fraction of the way into the game - and there didn't appear any way to entice them back out into the fray!

Now maybe NovaLogic have improved AI to such an advanced state that my computer driven buddies decided I was such a crap commander that they’d stay in the tent scoffing rations and telling dirty jokes rather than risking their necks trying to bring down whatever evil warlord we were supposed to be hunting, maybe...

All I do know is that I kept getting killed without them.  We once got as far as a fence in the next field, but they all soon hunkered down and refused to go any further – I could swear I heard one of them snigger at me, although maybe he’d just dreamed up the idea for dogverts…

While Delta Force is a hugely successful gaming series, and therefore there is little reason to think that the final version won't keep their fans happy when it comes out.  So long as they tweak the AI so that the soldiers stop planning terrible advertising strategy, and start shooting.