This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Matthew Call.

2006 seems to be getting off to a slow start in the first-person-shooter genre and UberSoldier unfortunately won’t satisfy the shooter itch many gamers are longing to scratch. Developed by the Russian firm Burut CT and published by Germany’s CDV, UberSoldier is a highly conventional shooter set during World War II. The protagonist is Karl Stolz, a German officer killed toward the tail end of the war. Thanks to Germany’s delving into occult resurrection technology, Stolz is brought back to life by Ernst Schafer, a run-of-the-mill Nazi mad scientist. Under Schafer’s direction the Germans are bringing their best soldiers back to life to create an army of UberSoldiers, who conveniently follow the commands of the first person who speaks to them after they reawaken. Unfortunately for the Germans, Karl’s first encounter upon reawakening is with a member of the resistance movement and Karl begins a journey that will eventually cripple Germany’s UberSoldier program. 

The gameplay is similar to other shooters, and consists primarily of run-and-gun action with a respectable variety of weaponry ranging from pistols, rifles, machine guns, and rocket launchers. The one unique feature that helps set UberSoldier apart from other games in the genre is Karl’s ability to stop bullets. This Matrix-like effect produces a blow glow around Karl that stops bullets in midair. The player is them able to shoot the bullets back where they came from, which is convenient when trying to cross a large room without much cover. However, overall UberSoldier feels like a recap of other games, Return to Castle Wolfenstein springs instantly to mind, and does little to set itself apart from games created by more experienced developers. 

UberSoldier is a good-looking game, especially for a first-person-shooter developed by a previously unknown and foreign development team. Shooters are typically the most visually ambitious titles out there and bad graphics can sink an otherwise decent game almost instantly. In the visual department UberSoldier shines. It doesn’t raise the bar by any means, but it makes good use of shaders, textures, and lighting techniques. Flames and smoke seem fairly realistic as well. The only visuals that seem slightly sub-par are the character models, especially when they are speaking. But aside from that, UberSoldier’s graphics deliver a solid performance.

The game also nails the atmosphere of occult themed, World War II shooters. The environments are heavily industrial and have a gritty, dirty look to them. UberSoldier uses a grainy filter as well which adds to the grim atmosphere of the game. Levels are full of furniture and boxes and other objects that add ambience and are also destructible or moveable when hit by bullets, concussive blasts, or the player. A nice physics effect occurs when grenades are detonated close to the player; in addition to the typical screen blur and sound distortion, the player is actually swept off his feet and it takes him a few seconds to recover. 

The last, and possibly best, thing UberSoldier has going for it is the price. Budget priced at $29.99, UberSoldier is easy on the wallet and its flaws are a little more forgivable considering the overall price of the game. The price will probably fall quickly, making it easy for budget-minded gamers to pick up without feeling guilty.

The biggest flaw in the game is the low quality of voice-acting. The German accents the in-game characters try to portray sound ridiculously cheesy, not even worthy of a World War II B-movie. The lines sound like they are being delivered by people the developer dragged in from off the street, and the terrible acting severs any immersion the game was trying to create. While the game was probably not developed primarily for an English speaking audience, the game’s voiceovers border on the horrifically terrible, and a few more dollars to hire better actors would have been money well spent. 

The game is also rather unforgiving. After a few potshots, and certainly after a headshot, Karl is out of action. The quicksave button is the player’s friend in UberSoldier, and without it the game would be so unbelievably frustrating gamers would give up before making it past the second level. Unfortunately, the game’s load time is lengthy, even when loading a quicksave, and repeat deaths in the same area coupled with the long load times make the game almost unplayable at times.

Last, but not least, UberSoldier lacks any form of multiplayer. The low retail price for the game helps make up for the lack of replayability caused by the absence of multiplayer, but UberSoldier still suffers slightly without it. At best, UberSoldier will occupy gamers for a few days and will then gather dust on closet shelves. 

While my review has been harsh, UberSoldier is a decent game. It simply doesn’t break any new ground and games of its type have already been done better by more experienced developers. The fact that a little-known developer from Russia was able to make a game that looks and plays as well as UberSoldier is encouraging, and perhaps other small developers will soon be creating games that rival the big name companies out there. With a $29.99 MSRP, UberSoldier may be worth picking up for gamers who are desperate for a shooter they haven’t already beaten. It isn’t the next Quake, or Call of Duty, but UberSoldier does provide an entertaining ride while it lasts.

The same run-and-gun action seen in countless FPS games.

Looks great, which is encouraging from an unfamiliar developer.

Weapons lack some punch, audio is standard WW2 fare.

The game is unforgiving, action has already been done better by other developers.

No multiplayer and no reason to pick it up again once you’ve beaten it.