Microsoft XBOX game
Full Spectrum Warrior as a learning environment

Full Spectrum Warrior is tactical, squad-based military game where player controls (or more precisely commands) a group of eight American soldiers, which are divided into two four-men squads. The main plot in the game is wrapped around a small Central-Asian country Zekistan, which has become a global terrorist-haven and America is once again sending it's troops to fight and overcome the evil.

As a learning environment the game has two sides. The movement and the signals of the soldiers and the tactics to use for surviving the hostile environment and to succeed in military objectives is very similar to what they would teach you in the (U.S.) army. On the other hand the environment is somewhat linear and you can't for example command the soldiers to enter every building. So the game teaches you the basic forms of squad-based military actions and tactics, but in the same time it narrows your options how to use your men and what to do.
One thing I personally liked is that the main objective is not only to succeed in the mission, but also keep all your men alive. And if someone gets hit, you have to give him first aid and then carry him away from the action to get properly patched. So the game kind of teaches about responsibility for your underlings also.
One other thing that is bad for the usability of the game is that when you have once succeeded in the mission(s) and start to play the campaign again, it's quite same as it was in the previous time - the enemies are in the same places and so on. So on the second play-through time it becomes more of a memory game than tactical simulation which it was in the first round.

Overall the game works as a simulation of the tactics of modern American infantry units, but it has it's limitations that rise up quite soon after the game and controls have come clear. Full Spectrum Warrior is a game that has been developed from a simulation that was made from the U.S. Army, for their training program. The XBOX version of the game has the original simulation on the same DVD that the finalised commercial game is on, but it has to be unlocked with a code (enter: ha2p1py9tur5tle in the menus). When unlocked, you can play the Army simulation version which has less visual treats, but more realistical environments (for example no shelter lasts forever under fire) and little different missions.
The game as itself is targeted to gamers (from ages ~20+) who like tactical and strategy games, as well as military action. The Army simulation extra is a plus treat on top of that.

Conclusion: Quite ok basic simulation of infantry tactics, but has little too much limitations to work as a good and inspiring learning environment.

Summary
Developer: Pandemic Studios
Publisher: THQ
Platform: XBOX, PC
Genre: Tactical Military Action
Language: English (German, French, Spanish, Italy)
Price: ~40-60€

For more information and audiovisual content visit Full Spectrum Warrior
homepage at www.fullspectrumwarrior.com