For being the third in the series, you think the graphics would be up to par of many modern games. I should have known a bit better when I saw Activision Value pop up on the screen. Graphics are one place they skimped.

While the player models aren't bad, they are a bit dated looking. The animations are also a bit dated. This game would have looked a lot better if it was released a couple of years ago.

The level design, as I stated, gets stale quick. It's not that you find yourself in the same room over and over again, or walking down the same street 1000 times. It's how the graphics are delivered.

The textures on buildings and other scenery looks just as dated as the rest of the game. I suppose you have to stay within an engine's limitations, though. If one part of the game is sub par looking, the rest will probably follow.

The plants and such don't look so great either. This is a shame considering there are jungle levels you have to run around. The enemies seem to be able to see through plant life as well, even though you cannot.

As far as DirectX 9 games go, the explosions look alright. They are probably one of the best looking parts of the game, considering the gore models got skimped on. After the previous games, that is a shame.

One of the things gamers know Soldier of Fortune for is its extreme gore when you kill an enemy. Not Manhunt style, just more excessive than a normal shooter. This does not hold up as well in Soldier of Fortune Payback.

In this game, yeah, there are the gore models, but are they as good as before? I'm going to have to say no to this question. You can take off limbs still, but it just isn't as satisfying as it has been in the past.

We know how the game looks, but does it sound any better? Sadly, for the most part, the answer is no. The sounds don't seem to draw you in any more than the graphics do.

The sounds in combat are decent, but nothing like other modern shooters like Call of Duty 4, or Crysis. The guns all sound pretty much the same as one another, from a pistol all the way to the biggest machine gun.

The voice acting is, to put it nicely, uninspired. The actors and actresses hired just didn't seem to get into their roles at all. Some games have superb voice acting, this one sounds like a poorly written TV show.

The main characters talking back and forth have little to no emotion, although you can tell they tried. They just weren't very good at their roles. Perhaps a bit more time with the script could have helped.

When you fight people of other nationalities, the accents are very poorly done. It is obviously an American trying to sound like someone of another culture, and failing miserably.

All things considered with the poor sound and voice acting, the script is just as bad. You'll find yourself not really caring much about the single player modes, and instead playing mostly multiplayer, as it delivers more action based fun.