Activision has confirmed the upcoming release of the latest chapter in its Soldier of Fortune series, entitled Soldier of Fortune: Payback.
Scheduled for release in November, Soldier of Fortune: Payback will continue the story of “The Shop,” a mercenary organization that supplies professional soldiers-for-hire to do battle in the world’s most dangerous hotspots. This time around, the player will take on the role of Thomas Mason, who finds himself battling against the forces of extremism when a routine escort mission goes bad.
The game will feature an arsenal of over 30 weapons, and will carry on the locational damage system the franchise is famous for, which the company says “may be shocking to even experienced FPS players.” Online multiplayer game modes will include standard and team Deathmatch and Elimination games, Capture the Flag and Demolition, as well as persistent stat tracking and the inclusion of multiplayer-specific maps.
Originally developed by Raven Software and released in 2000 for the PC, Soldier of Fortune attracted controversy as a result of its graphic depiction of violence and gore. Raven’s GHOUL damage modelling engine, which divided enemy characters into 26 separate damage zones, enabled players to target individual body parts, resulting in unprecedented depictions of violent trauma and death.
Activision did not address previous rumors of the game being a value-priced release, or that original series creator Raven did not have a hand in its development. Soldier of Fortune: Payback is being developed for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
