Shadow Ops: Red Mercury [Xbox]

Much of Shadow Ops: Red Mercury's plot, gameplay, and cinematic flair seem cobbled up from elements of Black Hawk Down, Saving Private Ryan, any random Tom Clancy novel-turned-film, and other assorted bits of war-by-Hollywood. And why not? It was developer Zombie's intention to deliver an interactive war-movie experience, with a focus on drama and gripping gameplay over pure realism -- and with Hollywood production values to boot. They've largely succeeded, although the total package isn't without some issues.

In this cinematic first-person shooter, players take the role of spec-ops captain Hayden. He's on a worldwide tour of duty to hunt down a threat called Red Mercury, which is basically a loose (and all-too-transportable) suitcase-style nuke weapon of mass destruction. It's already fallen into the wrong hands at least once, and it's your job to prevent the situation from getting any, er, wronger.

For solo players, Shadow Ops offers a 25-mission campaign set in meticulously recreated environments, including post-collapse Soviet republics, the Congo, and a number of Middle East hotspots like Syria and Iran. Shadow Ops walks an unusual line between realism and playability.

On the one hand, the raw mechanics are as basic and arcadey as they come (ammo acquired by running over it, instant heal from snapping up a medkit, etc.). However, the sheer lethality and chaos of the combat requires players to use some real battlefield common sense and military tactics. This includes using providing squad support fire, utilizing cover at most opportunities, and always keeping one paranoid eye open for the guard in the interior hallway.

There's something that feels awfully real about suddenly getting smoked by some hidden assassin, just because you charged blindly out of cover. The enemies aren't the brightest, but they are good shots, and there are a lot of them in tricky places. Rambo moments usually won't pay off in this game.

You've got squad-mates with you, and they'll provide story-driving chatter as well as useful commands to guide each mission. For the first few missions they appear pretty useless, always expecting you to do the point-man dirty work. But before long, you'll learn it really is an equal partnership; if you're willing to blaze the trail just a little bit ahead, the idea is that they'll usually move forward and attack all comers aggressively. They're particularly handy when you've depleted your ammo, and need a path ahead cleared until you restock.

The Zombie designers really went nuts on the environmental immersion here -- the visual quality of the textures isn't a show-stopper, but the environments have convincing arrangements and geometries that make them feel like real places. The audio work is first-rate. The excellent environmental ambience includes the din of explosions, the deep-jungle thrum of the Congo, the post-traumatic whine of a concussive tank-shell strike, and the authentic chatter of dying enemies.

Meanwhile, the musical score nicely fuses traditional, regional music with rock and other types of driving scores.The cinematic missions/levels are also broken up with dramatic cutscenes that move the story along -- military caution and procedures aside, it's all about living the story.

Of course, some players may find the game's primary downside here, too. Shadow Ops has many startlingly dramatic, scripted moments, but the whole game is just that -- scripted. While this doesn't take away from the undeniable challenge, it's a linear game of pre-determined ambushes and surprises. Also, it's brutally stingy with the saves, and you may fight your way nine-tenths of the way through a vicious firefight only to stumble at the very end.

Mechanically, the game is very easy to get into, especially for anyone familiar with first-person shooters. The single-player campaign immediately drops you into the thick of combat (no boot camp or training mode, oddly enough). The standard dual analog stick controls are user-friendly, and include alt-fire modes, and a "through the scope" view that's available with a quick pull of the left trigger. There is also a lean-out function, allowing cautious players to crank off shots from behind cover instead of charging into danger.

Shadow Ops also offers 10 maps designed for cooperative play (in addition to those for the solo game), plus another 10 purely competitive maps for old-standby modes like deathmatch, capture the flag, and VIP escort missions. Unfortunately, co-op is split-screen only, but the competitive multiplayer is good and solid, and the game's controls work well.

Enemies are sometimes stupid and sometimes shrewd. It's neat to see the behavior variation between enemy types -- less-disciplined militia or conscripts will still do that silly, ineffective "blind-fire" stuff you see in the movies, while those better trained use combined advances and flush-out tactics. Sadly, they're always the same flush-out tactics. And in true video game fashion, there's often that one barrel of particularly volatile material, just sitting suspiciously close to the hiding enemy who's taking potshots at you. You know what to do.

Shadow Ops: Red Mercury is a mostly popcorn-minded cinematic shooter, but it does make you work admirably hard for your entertainment. You will die multiple times before you get into the rhythm of working with your squad mates. And once the scripted single-player campaign becomes as familiar as a favorite old movie, it's time to bring in some friends who, ahem, haven't seen this particular feature yet. A little frustrating, a little predictable, but like many a Hollywood blockbuster, it's a thrill ride worth taking.