Delta Force Reviews

Despite how it aged I can't say how bad the controls is but I bought it for nostalgia one problem is the controls thats it. Got this game with the Novalogic Attack pack on the disc but I think my nostalgia has passed on this one. Max Res is 800 x 600 very very old I would rather pick another like Typhoon Rising

Problematic download, plays with black and white, altered graphics. Unable to see well enough to use the terrible controls. Failed attempt at a nostalgic game

Delta Force 1, originally released in 1998, is a first-person tactical shooter based on a graphics technology which has always been a niche one: Voxels. The looks of the game are much different than pixel-based renderings. At the time “Voxel Space” created by Nova Logic was the only game engine that could create huge maps (at least the landscape) with long-range visibility, coming at big disadvantages for close-up renderings e.g. inside buildings. Hence, anyone interested in game graphics technology might have some history lesson to look forward to. For the average gamer it could be a look back to how the Delta Force franchise has developed over the years or some nostalgia, if you’re willing to look past some shortcomings of game from that time. You’ll also need some extra tweaks in place to get it running normally (in the Steam community you’ll find corresponding guides). In total the game has 5 fictious campaigns taking place in Peru, Chad, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, and Russian Novaya Zemlya, each region containing 6-10 missions, making it a total of 40 missions. Each campaign has a main topic such as subduing terrorist hunt or supporting a local government. Otherwise, they are rather loosely connected and could be played individually. Although being one of the first real tactical FPS, its AI and mechanics hindered Delta Force (btw in my opinion all parts up to the fourth instalment “Task Force Dagger” from 2002) from actually living up to that category. After about 12 hours play time, here’s my pros / cons list: Pros: + nice nostalgia or game graphics engine history lesson + gameplay in each level enjoyably stripped down to the basics: a map, environment sounds, enemy sounds, gunshot / bullet sounds, your weapons, teammates, without music, graphics effects or icon overload + mission preparation equally minimalistic: read the mission background, objectives, study the map and waypoints, your as well as your teammate’s tasks, choose your equipment, head into battle + minimalistic HUD + feeling of satisfaction when finishing a mission + game can be casually played due to separate mission selection + generally speaking, mission preparation somewhat close to reality of special units: read, familiarise, plan, memorise, equip, execute, debrief + varied missions (at least initially) + varied maps + a basic tactical approach possible + long distance view + 2 shots death being somewhat realistic + changing equipment possible + basic ballistics in each shot + directional sounds, although static once they are played by the game + option to switch to 3rd-person view, although actually a disadvantage + generally speaking, most mechanics which work are still up to date Cons: - Strange look of voxel rendering - Missions and their objectives become very repetitive after finishing the first region - Comprehensive tactical approach is being destroyed nearly always about 2-5 minutes into each mission due to the super stupid teammate AI - Strange waypoint layout many times leads player directly looking into the enemy’s gun barrel - Missing options to command friendly AI, they only react upon reaching certain waypoints - Static directional sounds make it very hard to localise enemies while moving or turning your view - Hard to move within buildings, lots of invisible boundaries / clipping errors and disappearing textures - Enemies see and try (frequently actually succeed in) shooting through walls or terrain - Enemies detect players quickly, equally during day and night - NPCs often get stuck on buildings or plants - Graphic issues where the bottom of buildings frequently disappears when being close or in them - Mission progress and ending bugs (restarting over and over again or missing detection of achieved objectives) - Missing pause during mission - Remote detonator bug (not working at all) throughout the whole game - The whole map gets alerted with only 1 shot or because enemies detect you from kilometres away - Basically useless friendly NPCs when it comes to clearing more than 1 enemy - Game engine can only handle 1 designated laser air strike target at a time, you’ll need to wait for impact before pinpointing the next target - Default weapon loadout often unsuitable for mission objectives and approach - Due to bad AI, many missions become a one-person show and spike in difficulty quickly because of the whole map being alerted by friendly NPC shots etc., additionally, enemies frequently spawn a short distance behind you Conclusion: Although I like the minimalistic mission preparation and execution as well as the option to select and play each mission casually as you choose, Delta Force 1 (1998) has various major flaws mentioned above which prevent it from becoming a much better tactical FPS experience, thus losing 2 points in my rating. It’s nevertheless a fun and a nice look into gaming history but you’ll need some tolerance for frustration caused by design errors as well as some outdated game mechanics. Rating: 5 / 10 points