Soldier of Fortune wants you

Oct 25, 2007

"Blood and Gore", "Drug Reference", "Intense Violence", "Sexual Themes", "Strong Language". When a video blares these 'rating watchwords' before kicking off, you know you're about to watch something worth your while. And such is the case with thisnew Soldier of Fortune: Payback trailer.

It plays out like a recruitment advert, showing a burly fellow hurdling artillery bombardments and gunning down 'locals' in a vague Middle-Eastern location. Itbellows that mercenaries are wanted for a "full time position", when we'd expect your average gun-for-hire contract to be more 'flexible', given the high potential of returning from said contract clad in a body bag.

Apparently, mercs are also requested to possess "strong negotiation skills". Yet, on the evidence of this trailer, your negotiations seem to run more along the lines of balancing your inner pyschopath's urges to shoot every target plumb in the, well, plums. But, hey, that's why we love Soldier of Fortune!

If you have a "can-do attitude", if you can wait until November until Soldier of Fortune: Payback releases, and if you see yourself revelling in the inevitably over-the-top but guiltily entertaining carnage, then maybe you can enlist with Activision's blastfest. *Duh duh duh duh, duh duh duhhhhhh*

"Blood and Gore", "Drug Reference", "Intense Violence", "Sexual Themes", "Strong Language". When a video blares these 'rating watchwords' before kicking off, you know you're about to watch something worth your while. And such is the case with thisnew Soldier of Fortune: Payback trailer.

It plays out like a recruitment advert, showing a burly fellow hurdling artillery bombardments and gunning down 'locals' in a vague Middle-Eastern location. Itbellows that mercenaries are wanted for a "full time position", when we'd expect your average gun-for-hire contract to be more 'flexible', given the high potential of returning from said contract clad in a body bag.

Apparently, mercs are also requested to possess "strong negotiation skills". Yet, on the evidence of this trailer, your negotiations seem to run more along the lines of balancing your inner pyschopath's urges to shoot every target plumb in the, well, plums. But, hey, that's why we love Soldier of Fortune!

If you have a "can-do attitude", if you can wait until November until Soldier of Fortune: Payback releases, and if you see yourself revelling in the inevitably over-the-top but guiltily entertaining carnage, then maybe you can enlist with Activision's blastfest. *Duh duh duh duh, duh duh duhhhhhh*

Ben Richardson is a former Staff Writer for Official PlayStation 2 magazine and a former Content Editor of GamesRadar+. In the years since Ben left GR, he has worked as a columnist, communications officer, charity coach, and podcast host – but we still look back to his news stories from time to time, they are a window into a different era of video games.