Genre: Shooter
Developer: Electronic Arts
Publisher: Electronic Arts

Soviet Strike's developers bragged about the game's technology upon release: "best FMV on 32-bit systems yet", and "fully digitized ground terrain". They had a right to brag; Soviet Strike is a very impressive technological showcase. It's also artistically tactful, taking the somewhat cheesy military antics of the 16-bit titles and transforming them into well-acted, Tom Clancy-like FMV sequences that even play off and on throughout the missions!

Unlike the 16-bit titles, Soviet Strike features an impressive array of fully dynamic music that plays during the missions. It sufficiently invokes the "bad-assery" of the 16-bit title soundtracks-- most notably the Jungle Strike theme song-- while featuring updated instrumentation. Sound effects and voice acting are of extremely high quality, and fit the game's theme very well.

Soviet Strike continues the series' exceptionally unique blend of "flight-sim-meets-shooter" mechanics, with large, well-designed sandbox stages full of enemies that pack a real punch if not approached in the correct manner. The new gameplay engine and control scheme are fantastic, and allow the player to pursue each stages' many objectives without hindrance.

Even for the most cautious, planful, and skilled players, Soviet Strike's stages will each most likely take several attempts to defeat; there are many roads to failure, and health resources can often be difficult to manage. But for the patient, learning the game's nuances can be extremely satisfying, as the missions can be approached in several different fashions, and the objectives are varied and interesting. Soviet Strike successfully updates the 16-bit formula, and is every bit as good as its forebears.