Close Combat: First to Fight
Close Combat: First to Fight is a squad-based military first person tactical shooter video game created by Destineer Studios for Microsoft Windows, Macintosh and Xbox. It was released in April 2005. The player commands a fireteam of three U.S. Marines in a realistic fictional, scenario where the United Nations sends Marines into Lebanon when their Prime Minister falls ill and Syria and Iran send forces to bolster certain factions.
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Developer(s) | Destineer |
Publisher(s) | 2K MacSoft (Macintosh) |
Series | Close Combat |
Platform(s) | Windows Xbox Macintosh Wii |
Release | Xbox, Windows Macintosh 2005 Wii |
Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
The game features a psychological model for every AI character, including enemies, civilians, and team members. No two games should play the same due to the variability of the simulated human reaction to stress.
It was designed with input from active-duty and retired Marines from 3rd Battalion 1st Marines, who recently participated in combat around Fallujah, Iraq during Operation Phantom Fury that became known as the Second Battle of Fallujah.
The game was later ported to the Wii as Marines: Modern Urban Combat.[1]
Plot
The player takes on the role of a U.S. Marine Corps lance corporal with the callsign Gladiator 2. The Lebanese Prime Minister becomes ill, and must temporarily leave office to recover. Seeing a prime chance to control Lebanon, Syria and Iran begin supplying local militant groups. As things escalate, Marines are inserted into Beirut for the third time.
Enemy factions
- Militia: The militia are a group of former Lebanese army personnel working together with Syrian troops. They are led by Akhbar al-Soud, a former army officer and arms dealer.
- Atash Movement: The Atash movement is an organisation of extremist Islamists, supported by Iran. They are led by Tarik Qadan, a powerful Muslim cleric, who may be a puppet of the Iranian government.
- Syrian Army: The Syrian Army occupies a large part of Beirut, and is equipped with heavy weapons and APCs. They are led by General Bakr, a former Yemeni army officer and suspected terrorist.
- Iranian special forces: A small group of highly trained commandos, working with the Atash. They are led by Adullah bin Katan, an army Major and terrorist supporter.
Reception
Aggregator | Score | ||
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Macintosh | PC | Xbox | |
Metacritic | N/A | 67/100[2] | 69/100[3] |
Publication | Score | ||
---|---|---|---|
Macintosh | PC | Xbox | |
Computer Games Magazine | N/A | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | N/A |
Computer Gaming World | N/A | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | N/A |
Edge | N/A | N/A | 4/10[6] |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | N/A | N/A | 4.83/10[7] |
Game Informer | N/A | N/A | 6/10[8] |
GamePro | N/A | N/A | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
GameSpot | N/A | 7.3/10[10] | 7.5/10[11] |
GameSpy | N/A | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | N/A |
GameZone | N/A | 7.2/10[13] | 8/10[14] |
IGN | N/A | N/A | 8/10[15] |
Macworld | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | N/A | N/A |
Official Xbox Magazine (US) | N/A | N/A | 2.8/10[17] |
PC Gamer (US) | N/A | 54%[18] | N/A |
The Sydney Morning Herald | N/A | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The PC and Xbox versions received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[2][3] Macworld gave the Mac version universal acclaim over a month before its release worldwide.[16]
References
- McCullough, Amy (October 21, 2009). "Wii combat game features Marines". Marine Corps Times. Army Times Publishing Company. Archived from the original on October 26, 2009.
- "Close Combat: First to Fight for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- "Close Combat: First to Fight for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- "Review: Close Combat: First to Fight". Computer Games Magazine. No. 176. theGlobe.com. July 2005. p. 49.
- Chick, Tom (July–August 2005). "Close Combat: First to Fight" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 253. Ziff Davis. pp. 76–77. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- Edge staff (May 2005). "Close Combat: First to Fight (Xbox)". Edge. No. 149. Future Publishing. p. 86.
- EGM staff (June 2005). "Close Combat: First to Fight". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 192. Ziff Davis. p. 106.
- Biessener, Adam (May 2005). "Close Combat: First to Fight (Xbox)". Game Informer. No. 145. GameStop. p. 121. Archived from the original on January 8, 2006. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- Four-Eyed Dragon (April 21, 2005). "Close Combat: First to Fight Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 22, 2005. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- Colayco, Bob (April 25, 2005). "Close Combat: First to Fight Review (PC)". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- Colayco, Bob (April 14, 2005). "Close Combat: First to Fight Review (Xbox)". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- Mahood, Andy (May 27, 2005). "GameSpy: Close Combat: First to Fight (PC)". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- Aceinet (May 11, 2005). "Close Combat: First to Fight - PC - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- Valentino, Nick (April 19, 2005). "Close Combat: First to Fight - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- Perry, Douglass C. (April 7, 2005). "Close Combat: First to Fight (Xbox)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- Cohen, Peter (March 9, 2005). "Close Combat: First to Fight". Macworld. IDG Communications, Inc. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- "Close Combat: First to Fight". Official Xbox Magazine. Future US. May 2005. p. 88.
- "Close Combat: First to Fight". PC Gamer. Vol. 12, no. 7. Future US. July 2005. p. 58.
- Wilcox, Mike (May 14, 2005). "Urban warfare [erroneously claims First to Fight is available for "PS2"]". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2022.