A pretty fun run and gun shooter
For anyone interested, this isn't like CoD. If you try to play it that way, you will have a bad time. This more akin to Quake or Doom, where you have to play more aggressively, which is accentuated by your guns not losing accuracy when moving. It took me some time to get used to, but after you understand the song and dance of the game, it does become enjoyable.
So yeah, Shadow Ops. Like the description says, it's a modern military shooter that tries to mimick action B-movies. You mow down dozens of enemies on your own, the enemy comes running at you guns blazing and you have your scripted events, like a guy knocking over a scaffolding after being shot or you dodging a rocket which opens up a new path.
The game also has a good variety of levels. You fight through your run of the mill middle east city, a war torn town, a downtown area and a Black Mesa like underground lab. The atmosphere is pretty well done. Depending on the level you have constant gunshots and explosion in the background, you hear emergency vehicles rushing to the scene or just the sound of regular traffic during a more low key mission. The soundtrack also fits the game. It's nothing special, but isn't bad either.
One thing that irked me though was the weapon damage. It's very inconsistent and seems to be based on range, meaning the closer you are to an enemy, the more damage you and they deal. Even the sniper rifles, who should be for long range, take at least 2 body shots to kill an enemy, but often even more. On the other spectrum, the pistols and the MP5 are some of the best weapons of the game. Especially the MP5 might as well be a laser gun with how accurate it is.
Another quirk, although not necessarily bad, is that you have fixed weapons for each level. You can't pick up enemy guns and the system leads to some weapons, like the G3 (?) being overrepresented, while other guns like the SPAS 12 only appear in one or two levels.
Another aspect is that the last few levels feel a bit rushed, because it feels like you move through the same areas over and over again (although it makes sense withing the story) while the games throws large groups of enemies at you.
Which wouldn't be so bad, if the game would have a checkpoint system. Yes, if you die, you have to replay a level from the start. I didn't mind it too much, since it does keep you on your toes if you get close to death, but there are a good amount of medikits scattered throughout the levels and the levels themselves are short enough to not become tedious, even when you die.
So yes, the game has some flaws, but all in all I think Shadow Ops is a fun, interactive B-movie flick. And since Call of Duty is the only modern military shooter currently on the market, it's nice to have some good alternatives from the past to scratch that itch.
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