There's no denying that the video game market has been flooded with a variety of different military-themed first person shooters over the past couple of years. Still, despite the large number of titles, only one has ever been designated as the "official U.S. Army Game", and that game is America's Army. Originally, America's Army was developed for the PC as recruitment tool. Players could download the free game and get a taste of what life in the Army could be like. The game went on to be a huge success, not just because it was free, but because it was a genuinely well designed gaming experience. Now the Army is teaming with Ubisoft and developer Secret Level to bring that same experience to console gamers with the release of America's Army: Rise of a Soldier.

As you can probably guess from the game's title, Rise of a Soldier puts the player into the role of a new recruit in the US Army. The game features a surprisingly robust character creator, which allows the player to customize everything right down to the player's home state and preferred callsign. From there, the player participates in variety of different training exercises and combat missions, earning experience points that can be used to further customize his soldier's attributes and skills. Players can ultimately fine tune their characters into specialized roles, such as snipers, riflemen, rangers, or even go all out as a part of the elite Special Forces. These role-playing elements add an extra level of depth to what easily could have been just another FPS title.


After the player has customized his soldier, distributed his skill points, and loaded up for action, it's time to jump into battle. Once you get into the action, it doesn't take long to see that the developers went to great lengths to create a genuinely realistic experience. This isn't your run-of-the-mill shooter, and you're not a super soldier here. You're a human being with human limitations. For starters, your initial accuracy leaves a lot to be desired. Also, if you run, you will get tired. Things like fatigue, injury, and even environmental effects (like a nearby explosion) will all affect your character's performance in the game. With proper training and experience, these issues become less prevalent, representing your soldier's progression from green rookie to seasoned veteran. Still, the game never lets you forget that you're not Superman.