If that statement raises some red flags, you're keener than the gameplay turns out to be. For the search and destroy routines can quickly become dull. We're not even talking about the inability to take direct control of a soldier; this isn't an action game, and the strategy could work. But the level design is obvious and overly linear - what happened to the mazelike pathways of urban sprawl? Once you realize what the squad can do on its own, Full Spectrum Warrior falters. War isn't all action, but the levels feel too much like drudgery.

The game's training tool origins show through in the AI. We've all seen the clichéd military training ground where cardboard cutouts jump from doorways. This isn't much different; instead of teaching soldiers to deal with a smart, adaptable enemy, it simply suggests one might look to rooftops and shadowed windows. The consequences in the game are clear and unfortunate: the enemy is dumb as dirt. An initial pass through the game will be tense, but since enemy positions are relatively static, further attempts get easier every time.