Shooter Video Games

Originally known as Sniper Elite: Berlin 1945, this tense game of World War II intrigue from British developer Rebellion shoots across the Atlantic thanks to Namco. Players take the role of an American marksman working for the Office of Strategic Services, who is stationed in war-torn Berlin and must use surveillance, stealth, and sharp shooting skills to prevent the Nazis from developing atomic weapons. The game is designed to realistically simulate all the challenges of long-distance shooting, accounting for wind speed, elevation, and even breathing and heart rate. Sniper Elite offers 28 non-linear levels designed to challenge gamers to figure out the best way to accomplish their objectives. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Virtual Navy SEALs are deployed in another high-stakes adventure of clandestine operations and global intrigue, as Sony's SOCOM series returns for its third tour of duty. Like earlier editions, SOCOM 3 features squad-based assaults against well-protected, heavily armed targets. Multiplayer modes challenge teammates to work together, while solo players can give orders to squad members through a new "Team Command Actions" context-sensitive interface. Vehicles play a bigger role in this adventure, on land and in the water. Both human- and AI-controlled characters can pilot available Humvees and SOC-R Assault Boats. Also new in this edition is a weapon customization system that allows soldiers to equip various attachments to their weapons, for almost a thousand possible combinations. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

After two tours of duty in Desert Storm (2002 and 2003) and battles through the thick jungles in Vietnam (2004), Pivotal Games' Conflict series of military shooters looks to take its fight to the terrorists, with this modern warfare adventure. Veteran characters Bradley, Jones, Connors, and Foley have undergone intense counter-terrorist training for their missions in diverse, "hot spot" locations around the world, but nothing could fully prepare them for the challenges they face as the deadly organization known as March 33 begins to put its plans in motion. To prevent the terrorist plans from succeeding, single players once again take control of a small squad of soldiers, making use of each individual's skills as the situations require. Multiplayer modes are supported for online gamers. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

This fourth full release in the series that first brought the techno-thriller fiction of author Tom Clancy to the forefront of gamer consciousness, Rainbow Six: Lockdown deploys its counter-terrorism challenges on PC and all three 128-bit generation consoles. The Rainbow Six games are known for allowing players to target sophisticated objectives with surgical strike styled operations, and featuring characters and squads that become more skillful with successful missions. Lockdown turns the tables, challenging Team Rainbow with vengeful enemies who become more deadly as the game progresses. Gameplay follows the format of earlier Rainbow Six games, as players choose a three-soldier team from an international selection of crack operatives, then plan and execute their operation. A new single-player mode lets player take the role of Ding Chavez, returning leader of Team Rainbow, or Dieter Weber, a sniper who must provide cover from afar for his teammates, as they execute their orders in enemy installations. The PS2 version of Rainbow Six: Lockdown also offers online team-based competition for up to 16 connected gamers, as well as a 2-player split-screen cooperative mode. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Ever seen a vampire with a Stetson and a six-gun? Probably not, thanks to the vigilance of the ancient, secret organization called Darkwatch, which has existed since the dawn of history to protect us all from the evil undead. In this premier release from High Moon Studios, players take the role of Jericho Cross, a rookie Darkwatch agent in the Wild Western frontier. During a train robbery, the hero is bitten by a vampire. He gains some useful, supernatural powers, but he must vanquish the creature that infected him before he loses all his humanity and becomes a full-fledged vampire himself. Equipped with enhanced weaponry and a loyal, undead steed, Jericho sets out on a quest to find the vampire who bit him. Darkwatch boasts dynamic artificial intelligence that is affected by the player's in-game reputation, nonlinear storylines and mission progression, and precise first-person shooter gameplay featuring location-specific damage. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Based on the intense, 2003 PC version of the first-person shooter, the PlayStation 2 edition of Delta Force: Black Hawk Down offers real-world warfare and extensive support for online multiplayer gaming. The game represents Novalogic's thoroughly researched interpretation of Operation Restore Hope, casting players as fictional characters in the center of the real-world event that took place in Somalia in 1993.

As in previous Delta Force games, players must use intelligent tactics as they lead their squads through battles in large, outdoor environments. Through the PS2 Network Adaptor accessory, as many as 32 players can fight together online -- the highest number of single-session online players supported by any PS2 game at the time of release. Voice-over-IP communication is available, and matchmaking services are powered by GameSpy. An offline, split-screen co-op mode is also offered, for up to four players.

Single-player characters become more proficient as they progress through the 16-mission campaign, gradually improving in accuracy, reloading, movement speed, and other skills. Voice recognition technology allows single players to speak orders to their AI teammates in real-time.

Publisher Novalogic has pledged a portion of the proceeds from the PlayStation 2 version of Delta Force: Black Hawk Down to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a charitable organization that provides financial aid, educational counseling, and scholarship grants to the children of Special Operations personnel who were killed in the line of duty. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

EA Games' Medal of Honor series once again deploys first-person shooter fans to some of the most heated battles of World War II, in European Assault. Players take command of a squad of specialist operatives and engage in critical missions in the European Theater. As they move through the storyline, players become acquainted with powerful, recurring characters that represent the most ruthless officers to ever serve in Hitler's armed forces. Actions taken in the field affect future missions, and the success of Allied effort overall.

The single-player campaign has gamers taking the role of U.S. Army Lieutenant William Holt, who has the honor of being chosen as the first field agent to serve under the newly formed Office of Strategic Services. Holt embarks on a number of secretive, commando-style missions, such as gathering intelligence about Nazi troop movements and sabotaging the Axis' development of atomic weapons. In addition to these clandestine operations, Lieutenant Holt faces plenty of historical shooter action, as his missions lead him to vital engagements across Europe, including Stalingrad and the Battle of the Bulge.

Like earlier games in the series, European Assault boosts detailed historical accuracy in both its mission locations and available equipment. The storyline of European Assault was written by accomplished screenplay author and movie director John Milius, who is known for his creative contributions to films such as Dirty Harry, Jaws, and Apocalypse Now. The counsel of other experts was recruited as well, including Captain Dale Dye, USMC (ret.), who has served as the series' Military Technical Advisor since it launched in 1999. Once again, developers also consulted with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Cold Winter is a first-person shooter that has players exploring the far corners of the globe as a disavowed British spy captured in the line of duty. After being rescued from the cold confines of a Chinese prison, players will journey to the bustling streets of Hong Kong, the warm climate of Cairo, and other destinations around the world. A total of eight locales are featured, with the single-player game composed of 13 missions. Instead of following one main narrative, Cold Winter weaves together three separate storylines that touch upon the harsh realities of international espionage and politics. Each storyline has a beginning, middle, and end, and features an estimated 6 to 8 hours of play.

Players will be able to find approximately 30 weapons for use against the soldiers and guards looking to do them harm. Enemies won't stand idly by, however, and will seek cover whenever possible, whether it's kicking down a table or spinning behind a corner to avoid getting hit. Groups will also coordinate attacks and provide cover fire while other units close in. A spy title wouldn't be complete without a variety of gadgets to use, but in Cold Winter, they must first be created: poison can be applied to innocuous items, Molotov cocktails are made by mixing oil rags with bottles of alcohol, and so forth. Cold Winter also allows would-be agents to don various disguises to help them sneak past the enemy when force is not a viable option. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Inspired by the 1995 coin-op by Atari Games, which featured alien-blasting action with a light gun peripheral, Area 51 on PlayStation 2 once again finds players deep within the mysterious military base. Players assume the role of Lt. Nick Cross, a biohazard expert sent to investigate the strange happenings inside the famed research center. Cross soon resents his assignment, however, after being infected by a virus of alien origin. Now he finds himself slowly developing new abilities as a result of the alien DNA strands bonding with his own. Area 51 has been redesigned as a first-person shooter without the weapon peripheral, meaning players are free to explore the top-secret installation on their own without following a scripted path.

Of course, players will be armed to the hilt with high-powered rifles, infrared sights, grenades, and various other tools of the trade. Along the way, secrets will be revealed in the areas of alien autopsies, cover-ups involving lunar landings, and experimental work on advanced technology like cloaking devices. With newfound superhuman strength and other biological enhancements courtesy of the virus, Nick Cross must battle aliens, soldiers, and other surprises while also solving puzzles. Area 51's creatures were designed by Stan Winston Studio, the effects team behind such films as Aliens, Predator, and Jurassic Park. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

In this prequel to Namco's 2002 urban third-person shooter, player's resume the role of the versatile anti-hero Jack Slate, who is rejoined by his faithful canine companion Shadow. Dead to Rights II is designed to accent the features fans enjoyed in the original, including the fast melee, dangerous gunfights, and -- more than anything else -- the chance to conquer challenges a number of different ways by selecting wisely from the hero's wide assortment of special moves and shooting skills. Slate can now attack enemies in all directions, even those standing behind him, and the revamped slow-motion "bullet-time" mode offers greater control and more cinematic sequences. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide