Delta Force (video game)

Last updated
Delta Force
DF1-game.JPG
Developer(s) NovaLogic
Publisher(s) NovaLogic
Producer(s) Wes Eckhart
Designer(s) Mat Jennings
Programmer(s) Daniele Gaetano
Artist(s) Keith Rust
Composer(s) Tom Hays
Alan Koshiyama
Series Delta Force
Engine Voxel Space
Platform(s) Windows
Release
  • NA: October 21, 1998 [1]
  • EU: February 12, 1999 [2]
Genre(s) Tactical first-person shooter
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer

Delta Force is a tactical first-person shooter developed and published by NovaLogic. [3] It was released for the Windows in October 1998. Delta Force was designed to be a military simulation loosely based on the United States' Delta Force special operations army unit.

Contents

The game was a critical and commercial success and it, along with a number of other high profile FPS games at the time, helped to popularize and define the tactical shooter genre.

Gameplay

The player wielding an M4 carbine Delta Force screenshot.jpg
The player wielding an M4 carbine

The player assumes the role of a Delta Force operator who takes part in military operations in various theatres, and may customize their in-game avatar during the game's menu screen, selecting from various faces, as well as selecting a male or female operator. Objectives typically involve the elimination of a hostile presence in a region, assassinating a high-profile target, destroying military equipment or escorting POWs or civilians to an extraction point. Depending on the mission the player also needs to make it to an extraction point himself after fulfilling all other objectives. All five campaigns are available from the start and additional missions are unlocked as previous ones are completed. Sometimes multiple missions are unlocked at once and it is up to the player which order to play them in. The game features 40 missions in total, specifically taking place in Peru, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, and Novaya Zemlya.

The AI in the game varies depending on the difficulty you choose, as well as varying in spawn location from play-through to play-through. The lower the difficulty, the worse their aim is and the less they react and move around relative to the player. The higher the difficulty, the better their aim is, the faster they lock on to the player's location, and they use more advanced tactics, such as moving in small groups and providing cover fire while the others advance.

Equipment

Before each mission the player is able to choose his equipment. Default loadouts differ from mission to mission but the player can exchange it without any restrictions. The inventory is based on three slots: one for the main weapon, one for extra equipment and one for a sidearm. Unlike many other shooters of the era, bullets are actual objects in the game with simulated ballistics which account for drop and time to reach targets, requiring the player to lead targets that are far enough away.

On all of the maps, there are also scattered pickups that the player can use to their advantage. The player can decide whether to turn these on or off in the settings menu. Ammo pickups refill ammo, while medical pickups restore player health (despite player health not being visible through the HUD).

Multiplayer

Delta Force also features LAN and online multiplayer for up to 32 players. All missions from the singleplayer campaign can be played cooperatively with additional players replacing the AI-controlled Delta Force operatives. Additionally deathmatch, king of the hill and capture the flag are available, along with team variations.

Development

Delta Force uses NovaLogic's own proprietary Voxel Space engine, known from their earlier games such as the Comanche series, which uses voxels to visualise terrain while polygons are used for rendering characters, vehicles, buildings and other details. [4] This method allowed for draw distances and terrain detail unseen in first person shooters at the time and supported the game's attempt to simulate realistic outdoor combat at distances of up to several hundred meters. A limitation of the engine was that it did not support any form of 3D acceleration.

Reception

The game received "favorable" reviews according to video game review aggregator GameRankings. [5] GameSpot 's Michael Ryan called it "a very impressive game overall", particularly praising the game's mission and sound design, albeit pointing out its outdated visuals. [13] He also drew comparisons to Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, released earlier the same year, but noted Delta Force's limited preparation options compared to the latter. He also praised the multiplayer mode but noted that technical problems made it hard to play. [13] PC Gamer 's Todd Vaughn also drew comparisons to Rainbow Six but noted Delta Force's focus on long-distance fights and lower level of realism. He concluded: "Overall, Delta Force is a surprising and welcome addition to the genre that uses just the right mix [of] action and tactics to set itself apart from the crowd." [17] Next Generation wrote, "Though Delta Force's standalone play is often uninspired, the multiplayer is one of the most satisfying gaming experiences available today." [15]

Sequels

The game was successful enough to receive a direct sequel, Delta Force 2 , the following year and spawn a long-running series. The last game in the series was Delta Force: Xtreme 2 , released in 2009. Another game titled Delta Force: Angel Falls was announced but never released due to NovaLogic's closure in 2016.

Inspired by the popularity of Ridley Scott's war film Black Hawk Down , chronicling the Battle of Mogadishu, NovaLogic developed a Delta Force game with the same theme titled Delta Force: Black Hawk Down , which was released in 2003. Due to the rise in popularity of military-themed multiplayer shooters with vehicular combat, most notably DICE's Battlefield series, NovaLogic also developed a multiplayer focused spin-off of the Delta Force series titled Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising , released in 2004. In 2023, a Delta Force reboot (previously known as Delta Force: Hawk Ops) was announced.

Related Research Articles

<i>Sin</i> (video game) 1998 video game

Sin is a first-person shooter video game developed by Ritual Entertainment and published by Activision in 1998. It uses a modified version of the Quake II engine. Sin is set in the dystopian future of 2037, where John Blade, a commander in a security force named HardCorps in the megacity of Freeport, is tasked to rid the city of a recreational drug that may be tied to the rival biotechnology megacorporation, SinTek.

<i>Starsiege: Tribes</i> 1998 video game

Starsiege: Tribes is a first-person shooter video game. It is the first of the Tribes video game series and follows the story from Metaltech: Earthsiege and Starsiege. It was developed by Dynamix and published by Sierra On-Line in 1998. An expansion pack, Tribes Extreme, was cancelled; it was supposed to add single-player missions, multiplayer maps, and bot AI.

<i>Starsiege</i> 1999 video game

Starsiege is a mecha-style vehicle simulation game developed by Dynamix and released in 1999. Starsiege is set in the Metaltech/Earthsiege universe, which contains its predecessors Earthsiege (1994), Battledrome (1994), and Earthsiege 2 (1996). This universe also includes action game Hunter Hunted (1996), strategy games Mission Force: Cyberstorm (1996) and Cyberstorm 2: Corporate Wars (1998). It also includes the sequelsStarsiege: Tribes and all subsequent Tribes titles. In 2015, this game and the rest of the Metaltech/Tribes series were released as freeware by Hi-Rez Studios, but Battledrome and the Cyberstorm series were not.

<i>Comanche</i> (video game series) Video game series

Comanche is a series of simulation games published by NovaLogic, later THQ Nordic after their acquisition. The goal of each of these games is to fly military missions in a RAH-66 Comanche attack helicopter, which was in development and prototyping at the time of release.

NovaLogic, Inc. was a software developer and publisher established in 1985 and based in Calabasas, California. The company was founded by CEO John A. Garcia. Garcia's background in computer software started in Southern California in the early 1980s, when he worked at Datasoft. The company was known for their Voxel Space engine, which was utilized in franchises such as the Comanche and Delta Force series. In October 2016, NovaLogic's assets were bought out by THQ Nordic who are not currently using the label.

<i>SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle</i> 1999 tactical shooter video game

SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle is a 1999 tactical first-person shooter video game developed by Sierra Northwest and published by Sierra Entertainment exclusively for Microsoft Windows. It is the seventh installment of the Police Quest series and the third installment in the SWAT subseries. Set in the then-future year of 2005, the game follows the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Metropolitan Division SWAT unit as they combat a wave of violent crime and terrorism in Los Angeles in the lead-up to a nuclear disarmament treaty signing.

<i>Red Baron II</i> 1997 video game

Red Baron II is a video game for the PC, developed by Dynamix and published by Sierra On-Line. It is the follow-up to the flight simulation Red Baron, released in 1990. Red Baron II was released in December 1997. A patch was released in 1998 that added support for 3D acceleration and renamed the game to Red Baron 3D. Red Baron 3D was also released as a retail product.

<i>Delta Force 2</i> 1999 video game

Delta Force 2 is a tactical first-person shooter video game developed by NovaLogic and released in 1999. It is the second game in the Delta Force series and was followed by Delta Force: Land Warrior one year later. The game was re-released in 2009 on Steam.

<i>Delta Force: Black Hawk Down</i> 2003 video game

Delta Force: Black Hawk Down is a first-person shooter video game developed by NovaLogic. It was released for Microsoft Windows on March 25, 2003; for Mac OS X in July 2004; and for PlayStation 2 and Xbox on July 26, 2005. It is the 6th game of the Delta Force series. It is set in the early 1990s, during the Unified Task Force peacekeeping operation in Somalia. The missions take place primarily in the southern Jubba Valley and the capital Mogadishu. The game also features a mission editor with which players can make custom missions. The game is based on the book of the same name, not the Sony film.

<i>Delta Force: Task Force Dagger</i> 2002 video game

Delta Force: Task Force Dagger is a first-person shooter video game developed by Zombie Studios and published by NovaLogic. It's a stand-alone expansion pack to Delta Force: Land Warrior. It is set in Afghanistan in 2002 after United States invasion of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in 2001.

<i>X-COM: Interceptor</i> 1998 video game

X-COM: Interceptor is the fourth main game in the X-COM series, developed by MicroProse's Chapel Hill development studio and released in 1998. The game is a combination of many genres, including space flight simulation, business simulation game and strategy game elements. More specifically, the player's role includes managing a number of X-COM space stations, piloting starfighters during hostile encounters whilst co-ordinating wingmen, and managing resources and research. X-COM Interceptor, although released as the fourth game, is actually set before X-COM: Apocalypse, thus making it the third game in the chronological order. The game was re-released in 2008 for Steam and GamersGate, and again in 2016 on GOG.com.

<i>Wing Commander: Prophecy</i> 1997 video game

Wing Commander: Prophecy is the fifth installment in the Wing Commander science fiction space combat simulator franchise of computer games. The game was released in 1997 for Windows, produced by Origin Systems and distributed by Electronic Arts. In 2003, a Game Boy Advance conversion with added multiplayer was produced by Italy-based Raylight Studios and distributed by Destination Software.

<i>Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit</i> 1998 racing video game

Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit is a 1998 racing video game developed for PlayStation by EA Canada and Microsoft Windows by EA Seattle, and published by Electronic Arts. It is the third major installment in the Need for Speed franchise, incorporating police pursuits as a major part of gameplay. Hot Pursuit remains focused on racing using exotic sports cars, but features races that primarily take place in locations within North America, including varied settings and climates. Police AI is improved over the first game, utilizing several tactics to stop both the player and opponent. The PlayStation version was released on March 24, 1998, while the Windows version was released on October 12 the same year. The game received critical success, with praise for its graphics and customization options. It received a direct sequel in 2002 and a reboot in 2010.

<i>Star Trek: The Next Generation: Klingon Honor Guard</i> 1998 video game

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Klingon Honor Guard is a first-person shooter set in the universe of Star Trek during the time of The Next Generation. The game was developed by MicroProse in 1998, using the Unreal game engine. The critical response to the title was generally positive with praise for the graphics, but mixed opinions of the level design.

<i>Hexplore</i> 1998 video game

Hexplore is a 1998 role-playing video game developed by Heliovisions Productions and published by Infogrames Multimedia. It was released digitally on December 20, 2019 by Piko Interactive on GOG.com.

<i>Comanche 3</i> 1997 video game

Comanche 3 is a video game developed and published by NovaLogic for MS-DOS on May 1, 1997.

<i>Delta Force: Xtreme 2</i> 2009 video game

Delta Force: Xtreme 2 (DFX2) is a first-person shooter video game by NovaLogic. It is the sequel to Delta Force: Xtreme, which was released in April 2005.

<i>Armored Fist 3</i> 1999 video game

Armored Fist 3 is a tank simulation video game developed and published by NovaLogic in 1999.

<i>FireTeam</i> (video game) 1998 video game

FireTeam is a 1998 video game developed by Multitude, Inc. for Windows.

Delta Force is a series of first-person shooter video games by NovaLogic created in 1998. They are often included in the sub-genre labeled "tactical shooters". NovaLogic was the primary developer and license holder of the franchise until the acquisition of its assets by THQ Nordic on October 31, 2016.

References

  1. ↑ Gentry, Perry (October 16, 1998). "What's in Stores This Week". Gamecenter . CNET. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Gone Gold : EuroGold". 2001-02-10. Archived from the original on 2001-02-10. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  3. ↑ Rybka, Jason. "Delta Force Guides, FAQs, and Walkthroughs - PC". About.com . Archived from the original on June 25, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  4. ↑ Ryan, Michael E. (November 9, 1999). "Delta Force 2 Review". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 6, 2007. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Delta Force for PC". GameRankings . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 2, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  6. ↑ Chick, Tom (November 5, 1998). "Delta Force". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  7. ↑ Mayer, Robert (November 2, 1998). "Delta Force". Computer Games Strategy Plus . Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on May 23, 2003. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  8. ↑ Liberatore, Raphael (February 1999). "Sim Meets Shooter (Delta Force Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World . No. 175. Ziff Davis. p. 176. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  9. ↑ Edge staff (March 1999). "Delta Force". Edge . No. 69. p. 77. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  10. ↑ Grant, Jules (February 19, 1999). "Delta Force". The Electric Playground . Greedy Productions. Archived from the original on March 18, 2002. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  11. ↑ Olafson, Peter (1998). "Delta Force Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro . IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 1, 2005. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  12. ↑ Brian B (November 1998). "Delta Force Review". GameRevolution . CraveOnline. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 Ryan, Michael E. (November 11, 1998). "Delta Force Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  14. ↑ Ward, Trent C. (November 6, 1998). "Delta Force". IGN . Ziff Davis. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  15. 1 2 "Delta Force". Next Generation . No. 51. Imagine Media. March 1999. p. 90. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  16. ↑ Smith, Rob (December 1998). "Delta Force". PC Accelerator . No. 4. Imagine Media. pp. 82–83. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  17. 1 2 Vaughn, Todd (January 1999). "Delta Force". PC Gamer . Imagine Media. Archived from the original on March 4, 2000. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.