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Soldier of Fortune: Payback

EMAIL PRINT pc

4.8 User Score:

Generally unfavorable reviews

Based on 13 critic reviews
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Based on 61 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Activision

Developer: Cauldron

Genre(s): First-Person Shooter

Players: Multi

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: November 13, 2007

Summary

Soldier of Fortune Payback evolves the signature gameplay of its predecessors with refined controls, tension-packed warzones, and an enemy damage system that may be shocking to even experienced FPS players. Boasting more weapons options than any previous Soldier of Fortune installment, Soldier of Fortune Payback's impressive arsenal includes an array of more than 30 weapons including sub-machine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, projectile explosives, weapon attachments and cutting-edge tactical weapons. The game features many of players' favorite online multiplayer modes including Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Elimination, Team Elimination, Capture the Flag, and Demolition. Additional online options include maps tuned specifically for multiplayer action, persistent stat-tracking throughout the gamer’s online career, and many server settings for custom online play. The storyline reflects the practice of "outsourcing" wars. When a routine escort mission goes horribly wrong, freelance mercenary Thomas Mason finds himself battling an insidious enemy that knows no boundaries. Traditional armies can not handle these extremists – only underground guns for hire can fight a war this dirty and get results. [Activision]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Pelit (Finland)

Sometimes gore just is not enough. [Feb 2008]

IGN

Soldier of Fortune: Payback has one thing going for it: excessive dismemberment. Everything else is standard stuff for a shooter. Yet, I must admit, that I get a guilty pleasure playing Payback. Though it's not a good game, it's still fun to see body parts fly.

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GameTrailers

Soldier of Fortune: Payback is a one-trick pony of blood and guts. And if that’s your thing, you might be able to overlook the generic shooting mechanic, enemy AI that’s cheap and stupid, and dull level design. But we just can’t.

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Cheat Code Central

Stock animation generates the same A.I. moves over and over again. This redundant theme is further exacerbated by the gameplay which, despite changing environments, doesn't differ from mission to mission. It's a matter of taking out the bad guys and moving on. The entire game can be played in a day.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

What we don’t understand is why someone allowed this to soil the reputation of one of the best FPS series of the last generation.

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Game Over Online

For some unknown reason Activision took a pretty respectable franchise (I still play SoF2 from time to time to this day, and it is still installed on my PC), and chucked it in the garbage.

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ActionTrip

If senseless, over-the-top violence can keep you entertained, you'll be done with the single-player portion in several hours, after which you might want to get into the multiplayer. Yet, this is just another mundane aspect of the game, featuring nothing beyond the traditional deathmatch, CTF and so on.

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GameSpot

This shooter is a painful exercise in pattern memorization plus frustrating trial-and-error gameplay.

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Edge Magazine

Soldier of Fortune’s damage model is probably its major selling point and, lamentably, the only thing that makes its combat entertaining. [Feb 2008, p.96]

PC Gamer

Payback is a disservice to the Soldier of Fortune franchise, and in no way captures the exciting action of its pedigree. [Feb 2008, p.86]

PC Zone UK

I honestly feel like I should donate some money to charity after having paid for such a nasty little swindle of a game. [Mar 2008, p.76]

Thunderbolt

While I make it a goal to play every game I review to completion, there’s just no way that I am going to waste more my life playing this game.

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PC Gamer UK

An utterly atrocious mess. [Feb 2008, p.78]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 4.8 (out of 10) based on 61 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

E gave it a0:
This gamne in no way resembles the SOF franchise before it. Terrible graphics, AI, gameplay and everything else you can think of. I will never get the couple of hours I wasted on this game back. Do yourself a favor and stay far away from this "game."

Chris gave it a4:
Why would this have NO MANUAL SAVE FEATURE? It's only checkpoints which gets incredibly irritating to hear voice actors over and over at the beginning of certain levels. Besides the bloody gameplay, this game is nothing interesting and makes an embarrassment of the SoF series.

Brett H. gave it a0:
One word for Activision, "FAIL". They have irrepairibly damaged the SOF name with this monstrositiy that is SoF: Payback.

[Anonymous] gave it a2:
Activision ruined this game. Not enough budget to the developers, and that resulted in this horrible game. Cauldron is more capable than this.

Jeff M. gave it a10:
I loved it! Last SOF was great but not as good as this one.

Danilo B. gave it a1:
One of the crappiest FPS I've ever seen, and I've seen plenty. Don't even THINK to buy this game.

Alan R gave it a7:
There aren't many good single player games out there- still if you enjoy the series for what it is.. violent.. then you should like this one too- acting is terrible but think of it as a sort of Duke Nukem bad and you'll get by. Multiplayer? Meh.. Buy CoD4 if you want good run and gun playing.

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Soldier of Fortune: Payback

Game Info

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What The Critics Said

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