The biggest issue with the single player campaign is that the AI of the computer-controlled bots (both your teammates and the enemy) is weak and inconsistent.  Enemies will often single-mindedly come charging straight at the player one by one, even as their comrades are mowed down one by one.  Sometimes your teammates will follow you around like a lonely puppy, and at other times they will run off in strange directions oblivious to the mission's objectives.  Apparently the game's programmers spent most of their time on the game's multiplayer aspects and assumed that no one would buy the game for just single player play.  Look at the single player campaign as an opportunity to try out the weapons and learn the lay of the maps before heading online.

The maps themselves are well-designed, and provide for some interesting gameplay.  The maps feature numerous strategic locations with multiple access points, good sniping spots, and tactical chokepoints.  Teams that cooperate will win out over individualistically-minded squads just about every time, as coordination is vital to controlling a map and accomplishing a mission's objectives.  This is when Global Operations is at its best - when played online with players interested in working together.  The game is compelling and almost addicting when you are lucky enough to join a server with a group of good players.

The game's graphics are a mix of good and bad.  Some of the textures used appear grainy and blocky, while others look great, particularly the weapons appearing in the game.  The game also experiences some clipping issues, so don't be surprised if you occasionally see a character floating above the ground or if you get permanently cemented into place next to a wall.  Also of a minor annoyance is the lack of a brightness option, as some parts of some of the maps are so dark it can be frustrating trying to make your way through them and trying to spot the enemy. 

Spotting the enemy, or rather telling friend from foe, can be an issue itself.  It is often hard to tell your teammates apart from you enemies, despite the little name and health bar which appear at the bottom of the screen when you are aiming at a friendly.  It might be more realistic to make it difficult to identify the enemy, but in a game situation it can be frustrating to watch your team rack up kills by friendly fire.

I'm going to wrap up this review with a complaint and a caveat.  First, there is no way to update the game automatically when online.  The game lets you get so far as to try to try to join a multiplayer game before telling you that you have an out of date version of the game.  At this point the only option is to exit the game and then go out on the internet looking for the latest patch.  Games geared to online play need to be friendlier than this.

As for the caveat, treat the game's recommended configuration as the minimum.  Machines near the game's minimum system requirements will experience choppy and uneven frame rates which can make the game almost unplayable at times.  Higher end machines will have no troubles, though, as the game runs quite nicely given enough horsepower.

In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated: 79%. If you're primarily interested in multiplayer play, you'll find a lot to like in Global Operations, just be sure that you have the hardware horsepower to run it.  If you're interested in a game which stands well on its own as a single player experience, though, you might be disappointed in this game.

System Requirements:  500 MHz Pentium III CPU; 128 MB RAM; 16 MB Video RAM; 4x CD-ROM; 800 MB Hard Drive Space; Mouse.

« Page 1