Soldier of Fortune: Payback
Encyclopedia
Soldier of Fortune: Payback is the third installment of the Soldier of Fortune game series. Unlike the previous two Soldier of Fortune games, which were developed by Raven Software
utilizing the Quake 2 and Quake 3 engines, Payback was developed by Cauldron HQ
, developed with Cauldron's in-house CloakNT engine, used in their previous First Person Shooter game, Chaser
. This game is the first game of the series released for the Xbox 360
and PlayStation 3
. The game was released on 14 November 2007.
has been completely removed.
Activision released the modified game in Australia on February 28, 2008.
Multiplayer has only five maps and game modes available, such as Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Demolition and Elimination.
Jason Ocampo of gamespot.com scored it a 4.5/10. He claimed that "This shooter is a painful exercise in pattern memorization plus frustrating trial-and-error gameplay." Ocampo complained that the game suffered from "Terrible, frustrating, painful gameplay," that it "Falls well below standard set by previous two games" and had "Lousy artificial intelligence and gunplay." On the positive side, he said it "looks pretty."
Jay Frechette of 1up.com
comically quipped that the game was more like "Soldier of Welfare." He scored the game a 5.5/10. Frechette said "Soldier of Fortune doesn't cross the line of being a bad game, but it hardly ever breaks the surface of mediocrity either."
Raven Software
Raven Software is an American video game developer. The company was founded in 1990 by brothers Brian and Steve Raffel. In 1997, Raven made an exclusive publishing deal with Activision and was subsequently acquired by them...
utilizing the Quake 2 and Quake 3 engines, Payback was developed by Cauldron HQ
Cauldron HQ
Cauldron is a game developer located in Bratislava, in Slovakia. The studio was founded in 1996 with their first project, Quadrax being released in the same year. According to the official website, Cauldron currently has 64 employees divided into 2 separate teams...
, developed with Cauldron's in-house CloakNT engine, used in their previous First Person Shooter game, Chaser
Chaser (video game)
Chaser is a first-person shooter action video game developed by Cauldron. The game is built on the CloakNT 3D engine. Unlike many contemporary science fiction first-person shooters like Halo: Combat Evolved, Pariah, WarPath, and Unreal Tournament 2004, Chasers weapons fire modern day projectiles.It...
. This game is the first game of the series released for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. The game was released on 14 November 2007.
Australia
On the October 16, 2007, the game was refused classification by Australia's federal classification board, the Office of Film & Literature Classification(OFLC). This effectively banned the game throughout Australia as video games which have been refused OFLC classification cannot be sold, advertised or imported. Activision modified the game to meet OFLC standards and it was re-classified with an MA15+ rating. This version does not include radical violence; dismembermentDismemberment
Dismemberment is the act of cutting, tearing, pulling, wrenching or otherwise removing, the limbs of a living thing. It may be practiced upon human beings as a form of capital punishment, as a result of a traumatic accident, or in connection with murder, suicide, or cannibalism...
has been completely removed.
Activision released the modified game in Australia on February 28, 2008.
Germany
Soldier of Fortune: Payback was banned in Germany, due to its high amount of violence.Multiplayer
Up to 12 players can play online for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.Multiplayer has only five maps and game modes available, such as Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Demolition and Elimination.
Reception
The game was met with mixed to negative reviews.Jason Ocampo of gamespot.com scored it a 4.5/10. He claimed that "This shooter is a painful exercise in pattern memorization plus frustrating trial-and-error gameplay." Ocampo complained that the game suffered from "Terrible, frustrating, painful gameplay," that it "Falls well below standard set by previous two games" and had "Lousy artificial intelligence and gunplay." On the positive side, he said it "looks pretty."
Jay Frechette of 1up.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
comically quipped that the game was more like "Soldier of Welfare." He scored the game a 5.5/10. Frechette said "Soldier of Fortune doesn't cross the line of being a bad game, but it hardly ever breaks the surface of mediocrity either."