Review by: Jim Richmond
Published: July 17, 2004

There are those who say there won’t be any more global wars. If Tom Clancy’s idea of the future is to be believed, we’ll always be on the brink of utter annihilation, but by using small groups of highly trained soldiers in secret operations, world powers will avoid another all-out conflict. Pulling on this idea, developer Wings Simulations brings us Soldner: Secret Wars.

Taking a page out of a Clancy novel, Soldner puts you in control of a small group of mercenaries that fights in battles around the world. In the year 2010, superpowers no longer wage public war on each other, but hire specialists to lead surgical hostilities against their foes. If you’re killed in action, your employer will disavow any knowledge of your existence, but if you complete your assignments, the world changes as a result.

The first thing you do in Soldner is pick out the look for your persona. The game supplies a selection of hats, vests, pants, gloves, sunglasses, backpacks and boots that can be mixed and matched. There are the requisite camouflage assortments, of course, but Soldner also offers a selection of jackets that look like the old German S.S. uniforms and flannel shirts. After selecting your attire, you can alter the color or pattern of your garb to further customize your appearance.

Soldner contains a vast array of armaments to go into that new backpack of yours. Everything from knives to handguns to rocket launchers are available at Tribes-style kiosks positioned at bases around the map. Real-world weapons like Desert Eagle handguns, Stinger missile launchers and M4 Carbine rifles are available for use in the field. While you’re shopping for portable armaments, you can also select vehicles from the base’s kiosks. Everything from jeeps to tanks to Blackhawk helicopters can be acquired to help move you and your buddies around.