Product: Delta Force 2
Company: Novalogic
Website: http://www.novalogic.com
Estimated Street Price: £29.99/$29.99
Review By: Byron Hinson

The Features

I didn't expect too much from Delta Force 2 as I found the first release both dull and slow and when I heard that Delta Force 2 was yet again going to be using a new version of the Voxel graphics system the first thing that came into my mind was just how slow it was likely to be again, will I be proved wrong? Here is the feature set:

• Execute day and night operations and make your way through fog, rain and snow
• Approach the objective via land, sea or air - use tall grass, water and rolling terrain to move undetected
• Terrorize the terrorists with new weapons and equipment
• Battle your way through 40 missions and challenging new multiplayer games
• Take charge with the new commander's screen - direct your teammates in single and multiplayer action
• Create your own single or multiplayer battles with the Mission Editor
• Next generation Voxel Space 32 engine supports 32-bit graphic cards* (see system requirements)
• Free Large-Scale Internet Multiplayer combat with support for up to 50 players via NovaWorld
• Free push to talk Voice-Over-Net™ (VON) technology allows communication with your teammates with the push of a button
• New multiplayer game types including Attack & Defend, Search & Destroy and Flag Ball
• Commander's screen allows teams to coordinate and plan strategies
• Additional fixed weaponry positions including machine gun and grenade launcher emplacements
• Armory buildings allow players to change and reload weapons during multiplayer action

Installation And Settings

Delta Force 2 comes on the single CD and doesn't take too long to install. It is the usual fair in that autoplay kicks in then you just follow the instructions through to the end. Once the game has installed it is on to the main menu that is in the game itself. From here you can various bits and pieces from the game such as the resolution, music/sound volumes etc.

My first task was to make sure that the resolution I chose would be good enough to play with (an important point in Delta Force 2) and my view was that I should stick with the default software 640x480 mode. I left everything else as it was as the G400 card I am using with the review is not one of the 3D cards on the Novalogic list supported with Delta Force 2's 3D acceleration options.

The Gameplay

I'll begin with the single player game mode it is probably as straightforward as they come. You are a member of a small team usually you are joined by two or three other soldiers on each mission, but success is always dependant on you not the others, if you die that is it - you will have to start the mission again as you cannot take control of any of the soldiers on the team other than the one you begin with.

The first thing that I have noticed is that the level designs are far better than in the original game, enemy soldiers tend to help you figure out the root to your objective, be it blowing up a train or killing off all of the enemy. It is great to be able to use the terrain to stealth around in, being able to creep up on your enemy and then take them out with the sniper rifle gives off a great buzz. The AI has also improved over the original game although there are still a number of problem here in terms of the way the enemy reacts to you, once I walked into a building and stood face to face with an enemy soldier for about 5-7 seconds before he bothered to do anything, not exactly the most realistic of situations is it.

This time around each mission does tend to have variety, you could be diving into water to take out the enemy, planting satchel charges on a train track to bring a train to a halt or have to snipe around in the snow/fog taking out the enemy one by one. I was surprised at home much I enjoyed the gameplay side of Delta Force 2, it has a lot going for it and it can be thrilling to play at times, but I don't feel that a major improvement has been made over the original.

Graphics, Sound & Music

Graphically Delta Force 2 can be excellent at times, the voxel graphics engine is wonderful for showing distances so using the sniper rifle etc is always going to be rewarding, but as per usual with Voxel graphics the game can be dead slow in anything above the low range 640x480 mode. This is the one major letdown in the game in my opinion, but if all of you people out there who play at 1024x768 all the time with high frame rates can give Delta Force 2 a try in 640x480 then I recommend it on the gameplay alone. There are some impressive weather effects such as snow and rain which add little to the way things are played in the game they are just there to look fancy and to slow the voxels down even more.

Sound is used very well, you can hear gunshots fizzing past your ears, wind in the trees and helicopters flying overhead. The voice acting isn't too bad either and it doesn't repeat itself enough to get annoying like in many games these days.

Final Comments

How It Grades
		Originality: 80% Gameplay: 86% Story: 80% Graphics: 80% Cutscenes: 75% Sound: 91% Music: 76% Manual: 77% Interface: 81% Multiplayer: 80% Overall: 80%

I certainly enjoyed Delta Force 2 more than I expected I would, it has some great level designs and a really good atmosphere going for it, unfortunately it is a little let down by the slowness of the graphics engine which, although it can display great distances it can be a right dog to play with.