• Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Release Date: May 30, 2002
Metascore
72 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 19 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 19
  2. Negative: 1 out of 19
  1. 87
    With a great engine, a merciless damage model and AI and the cool Clancy atmosphere, Sum of All Fears is definitely enjoyable.
  2. Both fun and challenging, and very nicely walks the fine line between realism and playability.
  3. If you’ve been curious about more realistic tactical shooters but reluctant to try one, this is a great introduction.
  4. The hit and miss AI and relaxed realism will not appeal to hardcore veterans that are still playing Rogue Spear. Its aids and features is an olive branch to the mass gaming audience not hooked on tactical first person shooters.
  5. Represents all that is Tom Clancy; a good plot, a good simulation, and quality.
  6. Intense action wrapped around an evolving storyline.
  7. Although the game plays similarly to previous Red Storm games, The Sum of All Fears is much easier, and it lacks both preplanning and character advancement elements.
  8. Here we have a tactical shooter that has all the thrills in all of the right places. [July 2002, p.91]
  9. I like the fact that it's a lot more action-oriented and that the controls are dumbed down, because you can just sit down, relax and play a mission or two.
  10. While it seems pretty clear that some parts of the game were rushed to get it onto store shelves in time for the movie's release, The Sum of All Fears is still a solid team-based shooter that's surprisingly accessible, even for new players.
  11. All these practical problems obscure Sum's flat-out brilliant mission design. [August 2002, p.70]
  12. Graphically, SOAF walks a narrow line between ultra-realistic settings and way-too-sparse texture mapping.
  13. 65
    The biggest complaint I have with The Sum of All Fears is the mission design. In a word, it's dull. For a game so short, I found myself playing 45 minutes at a time and stopping because the game couldn't hold my interest.
  14. It's simply too easy, even on higher difficulty levels, and suffers from a "thrown-together" feeling of being rushed to meet a movie deadline.
  15. 60
    Think of The Sum of All Fears as the horribly ill-conceived marriage of "Rainbow Six" and your basic arcade first person shooter.
  16. There's nothing in TSOAF you haven't already seen; in fact, there's a lot less here than what I expected. [Sept 2002, p.73]
  17. It is the exact same thing [as "Rainbow Six" and "Ghost Recon"], except for the planning, the intricacy, the strategy, the coordination, and most importantly, the fun.
User Score
tbd

No user score yet- Awaiting 1 more rating

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. BobM.
    9
    Awesome - easy to pick up and overall very fun. Perfect for first time tactical shooter fans, and still fun for experienced players with the scalable difficulty. Full Review »