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Return to Castle Wolfenstein is a well-executed update to id's Wolfenstein 3d from 1991. While the storyline is original (though it obviously rips from Raiders of the Lost Ark), there are a few technical issues that my anal-retentive brain just can't leave alone. Fortunately, I won't go into them here.

Once again placing the player into the well-worn boots of BJ Blazkowicz, the game starts you off just as the original did; you were captured and tossed into the dungeon of Castle Wolfenstein, and you just killed your guard. The start even looks about the same; You're looking at the door to your cell, the body of your guard in front of you. However, the original started you with his gun and 8 rounds. Here, you start with your knife (which looks like a Fairbairn-Sykes model), but you don't have to go very far for your first pistol (it's in the doorframe).

As the game travels through the Balkans, occupied Norway, and, of course, Germany itself, you almost feel like those are your hands holding that "borrowed" MP40. In one mission where you must escort a "liberated" Panzer through a town, you feel as though you're walking through a bombed-out city; piles of rubble line the roads, buildings look unsteady, and many of the NPC's you encounter have bandages applied.

My main gripe is that the members of the Wehrmacht you encounter speak in accented English. Sometimes, they'll say something in German (like when they're muttering to themselves, or when it'd be very easy to figure out what they mean), but when it's a miniature cutscene (the second and third people encountered on the Norway mission come readily to mind), the conversation is mostly in English.

Soldier of Fortune 2 is one of the best games I've played. A storyline you can actually follow, good graphics, and even (relatively) realistic graphics and effects. The physics system, while not the best in the world, is quite realistic, as are the baddie's reactions when you hit them (well, kinda; sometimes, they don't react at all, which is somewhat annoying, but you get used to it) It's theme of one man against half the Soviet army in the late 80's, a Colombian rebel group, a drug lord/arms dealer from the same country, and a good-sized terrorist group, (wait'll you find out who runs it) all of it centering around a genetically engineered uber-virus, is both intriguing and thought-provoking. (Could this actually happen? Would anyone know about it?) While many people bash the game, and others of its genre, (first-person shooters) due to it's realistic portrayal of violence (for instance, shooting a guy in the head with a shotgun stands a good chance of removing the head entirely), few laud its well-thought-out storyline (for which we can thank the real John F. Mullins, who was a consultant to the developers). I'd like to see this game converted into a movie, but one that actually FOLLOWS THE PLOT OF THE GAME (subtle hint, movie makers!), instead of making up a whole new plot just for the movie.

For the uninitiated, read the book and/or watch the movie. Then rent/buy/check out the first season (DVD format) and review it. If you don't have a DVD player, then just watch FX. If you don't have a TV, get one. If you're reading this because you can't afford your own computer, get a job.

And yes, that little bit of humor was inspired by the show. The thing went on almost four times as long as the real Korean war (that works out to about 4 seasons a year, for those of you who have no math skills whatsoever), so you know it's a good show.