Metascore
43 out of 100

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 23 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 23
  2. Negative: 12 out of 23
  1. Out of the box, Söldner is bug-ridden and weak, but in its current patched state the game is a worthy contender in the recent crop of online war game titles. It’s fun, and in my opinion more fun than Joint Ops and even the Battlefield games.
  2. 60
    You'll have to deal with a clunky interface and menu, silly single-player missions, brain-dead A.I., bizarre vehicle physics, horrible net code, dull graphics and sound, and more bugs than a Georgia swamp in June.
  3. The combination of vehicles, weapons, and frontier features could make Soldner a hit series over the next few years. If you are a casual gamer looking for instant action, then this title may not be the best investment.
  4. It's just a deeply undeveloped game. [Aug 2004, p.90]
  5. The finished product really let me down due to tons of problems - bad AI, sloppy controls, and slow gameplay.
  6. 50
    A buggy, incomplete, disappointment.
  7. Soldner does feature some neat innovations...Unfortunately, though, these original elements can't compensate for Soldner's fundamental stability, control, and gameplay problems.
  8. What Soldner really needs is a unit of highly trained, high tech, programmers to overhaul this game and get all of the bugs out of it before it sends you off to war. Until that time there are better team-based, military shooters out there to occupy your time with.
  9. The development team has some good ideas but the delivery is shameful.
  10. The game is a mess of great touches and attention to detail that's hopelessly mired in critical flaws. One example immediately springs to mind: expect to download and install a patch before you can even begin playing online.
  11. Fundamentally, the problem with Soldner is that it is unresponsive. Even if the game were much less ambitious in scope, it simply doesn't work well.
  12. All the gameplay ingredients are here, but a complete lack of seasoning makes this one dish that should be tossed down the disposal. [Oct 2004, p.98]
  13. A good concept ruined by shoddy programming and pathetic design, technical flaws all over the place (choppy framerate, lag issues), terrible Bot AI, dated visuals, some of the worst voiceovers and sound effects ever.
  14. 40
    This game attempts to combine the best aspects of serious tactical shooters like Flashpoint with the run-and-gun action of the Battlefield series, but does neither very well. [40 = original score]
  15. While the concept of Soldner: Secret Wars is valid, the execution ends up coming horribly short.
  16. 40
    There is a single-player dynamic campaign that you should stay far, far away from. The campaign appears to be an afterthought, as does the AI, which does a fantastic job killing itself.
  17. The weapons are interesting, the settings dull and the graphics excellent (although Soldner is a real system hog — don’t choose this game if your PC is beginning to creak). But in a market crowded with similar titles do we need another war shooter?
  18. Unfortunately, the network code controlling everything is poor. Players and vehicles warp all over the place, making it next to impossible to hit anything.
  19. It’s crippled by horrendous A.I., murky movement speeds, agonizing loading times, dated graphics, quirky controls and poor network code.
  20. You never quite get past the feeling that there are a half-dozen better shooters you could be playing...There's just no reason to play a shooter with this many problems. [Oct 2004, p.80]
  21. Why bother wasting your money on this incomplete, ill-conceived, and poorly designed mess when the developers couldn’t be bothered to release a playable game?
  22. One of the worst games you'll ever play. [Sept 2004, p.72]
  23. A train wreck from start to finish. There is no balance. There is no stability. If the engine was an automobile, it would be a Yugo. Truly the only benefit of its existence is as a reminder that we are lucky to have such excellent alternatives.
User Score

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 20 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 12
  2. Negative: 7 out of 12
  1. Jack
    9
    I think that this game was under rated, if people will try using the online patches then they will think "hey look Söldner isn't buggy", instead of thinking "buggy piece of s***" Full Review »
  2. SeanG.
    0
    I bought this game, despite reading the bad reviews, for three reasons: 1. it was only $5.00, and 2. I liked the idea that there were tons of different weapons you could buy and use, 3. how bad can it be, especially for five bucks?! Well, I thought Navy SEALS: Weapons of Mass Destruction was the worst game in existence - I was dead wrong - Soldner is the worst game in existence. The game is completely unplayable. The battlefields are empty, the graphics are horrendous, the framerate makes the game feel like a slideshow (and I have a pretty hefty computer), and, worst of all, the vehicles are completely undrivable. I literally could not get past the first single player mission, and frankly, this game is so bad that I don't even want to give the developers the courtesy of even attempting to play this mess any further. I have to believe that the developers released this game as a joke, it's so bad. Has anyone actually completed the single player mode, and if so, does it get any better? Full Review »
  3. IlanK.
    2
    The game has a very good potential but it feels like the development team stoped developing it and left all the bugs and graphics problems you won't have fun with this game you will be annoyed as hell becuse of all the bugs and lack of control. Full Review »