Global Operations comes along at a time when the gaming public has been screaming for a true squad based FPS. Medal of Honor was Great, but lacked the control of a squad sized unit. Return to Castle Wolfenstein suffered from the same affliction, both are great FPS games but are based on the actions of a single soldier. G.O. (Global Operations) supplies the same level of great graphics and linear mission Gameplay, but based on a squad sized unit which you are but a single member of. The completion of the given mission does not hinge solely on your actions, but upon the actions of the entire squad. Let me explain further, the squad is composed of several specialized members. There is the Heavy Gunner (close to medium range contact with a heavy machine gun, useful for covering advance of the other squad members, and for suppressing enemy fire), Commando (close range, usually the first into a firefight, armed with rifles and submachine guns), Demo Man (responsible for destroying targets with high explosives, lightly armed and fast), Recon (responsible to scout ahead and locate enemy positions, armed with submachine gun and thermal or night vision opticals, fast), Medic (lightly armed and responsible for reaching downed and incapacitated members of the squad with medical aid), Sniper (armed with a high powered sniper rifle capable of taking out the enemy from a distance). Depending on the mission, each member of the squad has a role to play, covering the advance of the Demo man as he places charges on a target for example. If no one covers him and the charges do not reach the target then the mission is a failure. Interfaced commands to the other squad members helps keep everyone together and headed for the same objective, but covering each other is the key to a successful mission, you cannot go off on a "Rambo" style killing spree and expect to complete the mission, it doesn't work in real life and it doesn't work in G.O. either.

G.O. immerses the player in several real world locations that include Mexico, Chechnya, Sri Lanka, Beirut and the South China Seas. These locations are very realistic and full of rich textures and amazing details. They tend to set a specific mood for the mission. Players then will have to choose to play as a member of one of over 25 elite fighting forces based on authentic special forces, peace keepers, rebels and guerilla forces.

There are several innovative features to this game that were unexpected and not yet found in any other FPS game I have played to date. First, footsteps have different tones for different surfaces, for example, gravel, concrete, and wood floors all sound different. Second is the effects of explosives, if a flash grenade goes off close to you, you get a white screen, temporarily blinding you, then the sound goes dead except for a buzzing simulating the ringing in your ears. This is exactly the effect an actual flash grenade would have, temporarily stunning your senses and making near impossible for you to detect approaching enemy troops. Very nice! Also, being hit with a Gas grenade without a gas mask has a nice blinking, blurry effect that is similar to the effects of an actual CS gas, again making it very hard to effectively continue the fight.

Global Operations features 32 weapons and assorted equipment: handguns, shotguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, body armor, night and thermal vision goggles, knives, timed and remote C4 explosives, grenades (HE, Gas, Flash), LAW rocket launchers, scopes, suppressors, extra capacity magazines, laser sights, TAC lights, and more. With this kind of arsenal at your disposal, you can do some serious damage! They even give you the option of a selector switch for automatic weapons, giving you control over your rate of fire. You may select between single shot, burst, or full auto, this comes in handy when you want to conserve ammo, or control a weapon that jumps around a lot in full auto. Of course your primary weapons indictated by the specialty you select to play as. But if your primary weapon should run out of ammo, you may pick up any dropped weapon and continue the fight.

Multiplayer over the Internet is available and I have played it. Basically the play is the same as single player mode except that the other players are now real people. The missions and objectives are the same. This may be the weak point in the game, it plays well but we need to get some map builders out there working on this game. Multiplayer mode will only improve with time, keep in mind that this is a team game and communication is critical. The other thing I found, or rather didn't find was any kind of game lobby where a player could see what specialties the other players were playing as. This would be helpful, who wants to go in not knowing what his other team mates are doing or who he is supporting. Access to the map during play would be helpful too.

Is this game worth the $30.00 asking price? You bet, this game grabs you and drags you in. The graphics and sounds are all top rate. The varied missions keep your attention. This game gets four paws up from the Ovaldog!

Installation: Easy

Gameplay: 9.2
Gameplay is very intense. Use of team communications is critical to mission completion. The use of specialty skills within the squad makes for a very realistic team based game. Extensive arsenal, equipment, and accessories allow you to outfit your player to your liking. Some missions are difficult to complete....until you figure out the basics of team work, then they become much easier. You cannot "Rambo" this game, you have to work as a team.

Graphics: 9.2
Graphics in this game are top rate. Full of rich textures, great details, and very nice special effects. Lighting and shadows are very well done, and are totally believable.  The only effect I did not like was the grenade explosions, they seemed a little weak to me, but that is hardly a flaw worth noticing, the rest of the game looks great. Heck, even the bots have personalities, they scratch their faces, brush dirt from their uniforms, flex their hands, and of course they wither in pain on the ground after being shot, holding their wounds and reaching for help.

Sounds: 9.5
The sounds in this game are amazing, and try as I might, could find no weaknesses, everything sounded the way I felt it should sound. Footfalls on different surfaces had different tones, and the effects of explosives on your hearing are truly a step above the rest. Even the weapons had the correct sounds, right down to the reloading sequences. Sounds can make or break a game and in this case they really do help make this game believable and realistic.

Difficulty: 9
The hardest features in this game will be learning to use your team to complete the missions instead of trying to do it all yourself. Communication is very important, you have to keep in contact with your squad and issue orders to complete all the objectives. Proper weapon selection is also important depending on the mission and objectives you are given. You may need to have a surpressed weapon to avoid detection or a scoped weapon to give you accuracy at extended ranges, or both. Practice will make you better at these selections.

Concept: 9
The concept of team play has been around quite awhile, but not many games have accomplished it with as much success as Global Operations. The use of specialties within the team is also a very nice feature, and totally realistic. The combination of team play, the extended arsenal, and realistic locations, make a very attractive package that is fun to play.

Multiplayer: 8
This may be the games weakest point. The multiplayer is the same as single player. What is needed is for some map builders to get some new maps created, that will come in time, be patient. Also, we need a lobby, such as the one found in Mechwarrior 4, so that players can chat, set specialties, and change maps from within the server, again that may come at a later time. As it is right now, multiplayer Gameplay is still very good and playing against other humans is much better than playing against bots. Give it a try, you'll like it!

Overall: 9.4
I was very impressed with this game, many games are good, but few have what it takes to be great, Global Ops has what it takes. There is so much about this game that is good and so few flaws. The sounds are fantastic and the graphics are among the best of any game out there, and the Gameplay is smooth and can get very intense.

The gaming public has wanted a good team based game for a long time, now it has one. Look for good teams to start springing up in the on-line multiplayer games very soon. New maps are sure to start showing up, then look for some very intense battling to ensue.

This game is destined to stay in my personal collection for quite some time, I love playing it. You will too!